Legal Help for Veterans blog.
Claims Processing, Medical Issues / Disability
According to former VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi, the VA backlog of disability claims is in large part due to the more recent policy decisions and laws have burdened the system. Principi argued that current eligibility requirements are far more liberal than, as President Lincoln once charged, “To care for him who shall have borne […]
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News and Press
Incidents of binge drinking and sexual assaults involving military personnel have highlighted an ongoing concern for the service. The Army’s Surgeon General, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, notes that while there are many different treatment programs for servicemen and servicewomen who grapple with drinking problems, there is now a concerted effort on prevention, before drinking gets […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press
Jim Fausone Veterans Disability Lawyer We have written about this before, the need for VA and DOD to be able to communicate on the medical records front. It seemed that DOD and VA recognized the importance of this issue and were working on a joint solution. Now we learn the joint project is off. Both […]
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Claims Processing, Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press, Veterans Law
Jim Fausone Veteran Disability Lawyer If you are a veteran navigating the VA disability process, you are amazed at the numerous forms that must be completed. If you are like many vets, the DOD experience with forms did not train you for the VA collection of forms, some of which seem designed to confuse. A […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press, Veterans Law
Brig. Gen. Carol Ann Fausone (ret.) As I have traveled the country helping veterans, one group that is underserved are Native Americans. My friends in western State Veterans Affairs departments have told me of the issues these Native American veterans face. So it is with some pleasure that I learned the VA is going to […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, Mental Health, PTSD
Traumatic brain injury from before combat may be partially to blame for the rise of veteran suicides, according to researchers. The unusual number of sports players who experienced TBI (traumatic brain injury) and later committed suicide, and the number of military vets who experienced TBI while in combat and later committed suicide may not be […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, Mental Health, News and Press, PTSD, Veterans Law
Though mental health support can literally save the lives of returning veterans, many must wait years for the help they need. A new study has determined that vets with mental health conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression typically must wait an average of two years after returning from deployment before their mental health […]
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Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press
TRICARE, also known as the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS), provides civilian health benefits for military personnel, vets and their dependents. As the defense budget continues to be slashed, many vet advocates have expressed concern that TRICARE would be affected. But the House armed services subcommittee on military personnel rejected the White House’s plan to substantially […]
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Claims Processing, News and Press, Veterans Law
The backlog of Veteran Affairs disability claims has risen by more than 2,000 percent during the past four years, while the agency’s budget has been increased by only 40 percent. Now Congress is pushing for President Obama to “take direct action” to end the backlog. A bipartisan letter helmed by Reps. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla. and […]
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