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News
VA Extends "Agent Orange" Benefits to More Veterans
Posted at 03:56 PM on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by State Service Officer
WASHINGTON (Oct. 13, 2009) - Relying on an independent study by theInstitute of Medicine (IOM), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam Veterans with
three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence of an association with
the herbicides referred to Agent Orange.
The illnesses affected by the recent decision are B cell leukemias, such as
hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease.
Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment for the enemy,
Agent Orange left a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to the
present. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated 2.6 million
military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially exposed to sprayed
Agent Orange.
In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and who
have a "presumed" illness don't have to prove an association between their
illnesses and their military service. This "presumption"
simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.
The Secretary's decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses
recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service,
and we will," Shinseki added. "Veterans who endure health problems deserve
timely decisions based on solid evidence."
Other illnesses previously recognized under VA's "presumption" rule as being
caused by exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War are:
* Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy
* AL Amyloidosis
* Chloracne
* Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
* Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2)
* Hodgkin's Disease
* Multiple Myeloma
* Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
* Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
* Prostate Cancer
* Respiratory Cancers
* Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi's
sarcoma, or Mesothelioma)
VA News - Week of September 21, 2009
Posted at 10:45 AM on Thursday, September 24, 2009 by State Service Officer
VA Chat Service Added to Suicide Prevention Campaign
Posted at 10:27 AM on Saturday, September 5, 2009 by State Service Officer
WASHINGTON (August 31, 2009) - The Suicide Prevention campaign of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is expanding its outreach to all Veterans by piloting an online, one-to-one "chat service" for Veterans who prefer reaching out for assistance using the Internet.Called "Veterans Chat," the new service enables Veterans, their families and friends to go online where they can anonymously chat with a trained VA counselor. If a "chatter" is determined to be in a crisis, the counselor can take immediate steps to transfer the person to the VA Suicide Prevention Hotline, where further counseling and referral services are provided and crisis intervention steps can be taken.
This online feature is intended to reach out to all Veterans who may or may not be enrolled in the VA health care system and provide them with online access to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline," said Dr. Gerald Cross, VA\'s Acting Under Secretary for Health. "It is meant to provide Veterans with an anonymous way to access VA\'s suicide prevention services."
Veterans, family members or friends can access Veterans Chat through the suicide prevention Web site (www.
Veterans retain anonymity by entering whatever names they choose once they enter the one-on-one chat. They are then joined by a counselor who is trained to provide information and respond to the requests and concerns of the caller.
If the counselor decides the caller is in a crisis, the counselor will encourage the Veteran to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline, where a trained suicide prevention counselor will determine whether crisis intervention techniques are required.
The pilot program, which has been in operation since July 3, has already had positive results. In one instance, the online counselor determined that a Veteran in the chat required immediate assistance. The counselor convinced the Veteran to provide the counselor with a home telephone number and then remained in the chat room with the Veteran while the hotline staff called the number and talked to the Veteran\'s mother. The hotline counselor worked with the Veteran\'s mother to convince the Veteran to be admitted to a medical facility for further treatment.
"The chat line is not intended to be a crisis response line," said Dr. Janet Kemp, VA\'s National Suicide Prevention Coordinator at the VA medical center in Canandaigua, N.Y., where VA\'s trained counselors staff the chat line 24 hours a day, seven days a week. VA\'s suicide prevention hotline is also staffed continuously.
"Chat responders are trained in an intervention method specifically developed for the chat line to assist people with emotional distress and concerns," Kemp said. "We have procedures they can use to transfer chatters in crisis to the hotline for more immediate assistance."
Both Veterans Chat and the VA\'s Suicide Prevention Hotline have been established under the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which was established through collaboration between VA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Since becoming operational in July 2007, VA\'s Suicide Prevention Hotline has received more than 150,000 calls, resulting in 4,000 rescues.
State Service Officer, Dept of NC, VFW
Posted at 03:17 PM on Monday, August 31, 2009 by State Service Officer
Donald W. Priem, Jr. is the Department of North Carolina State Service Officer. He can be contacted at 336-631-5457 or e-mail at donald.priem@va.gov
He is located at Department of Veterans Affairs, 251 N. Mail Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27155.
VA Simplifies Rules for PTSD Pay
Posted at 09:18 AM on Monday, August 31, 2009 by State Service Officer
WASHINGTON (Aug. 24, 2009) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps to assist Veterans seeking compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)."The hidden wounds of war are being addressed vigorously and comprehensively by this administration as we move VA forward in its transformation to the 21st century," said Secretary Shinseki.
The VA is publishing a proposed regulation today in the Federal Register to make it easier for a Veteran to claim service connection for PTSD by reducing the evidence needed if the stressor claimed by a Veteran is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted over the next 60 days. A final regulation will be published after consideration of all comments received.
Under the new rule, VA would not require corroboration of a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the stressful experience recalled by a Veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed stressor.
Previously, claims adjudicators were required to corroborate that a non-combat Veteran actually experienced a stressor related to hostile military activity. This rule would simplify the development that is required for these cases.
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VA Now Accepting Post 9-11GI Bill Applications
Posted at 09:15 AM on Monday, August 31, 2009 by State Service Officer
The Department of Veterans Affairs is now accepting and processing applications for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. You should complete and submit application form available online and will receive a letter explaining VA’s decision regarding your eligibility for the program.The form requires that individuals currently eligible for another education benefit make an irrevocable election from their existing program to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Typically individuals who are eligible for more than one benefit may use a combined total of 48 months of entitlement. Therefore, for those individuals eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) program, please be advised that if you have entitlement remaining under the MGIB, the number of months of Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement you will be eligible for will be equal to the number of months remaining under MGIB. However, if you exhaust all of your MGIB entitlement, then you may be entitled to a maximum of 12 additional months of entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Payments for the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not be processed until August 1, 2009.
Click here to access the application form which includes instructions for submitting completed applications.
(via VFW.org)
Veterans Administration "My Health-e-Vet"
Posted at 07:40 AM on Thursday, February 5, 2009 by State Service Officer
I personnally recommend that all veterans that use the VA Healthcare System and have internet capability to sign up for "My HealtheVet".
You can keep track of your health and request prescription refills with no fuss all through the internet.
Just go to: http://www.va.gov or www.myhealth.va.gov then click on the link "Health Care" and choose "My HealtheNet" and follow the instructions on how to start your HealthNet. You will have to make a trip to the closest VA Facility for verification of benefits. Once that is done, the rest can be done from home.
VA Announces Increased Travel Pay
Posted at 08:26 AM on Sunday, December 21, 2008 by State Service Officer
(via VA Press Release)WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that eligible veterans will see an increase in the mileage reimbursement they receive for travel to VA facilities for medical care.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake announced that he will use his authority to raise the mileage reimbursement from the 28.5 cents per mile to 41.5 cents per mile for all eligible veterans.
"We owe it to our veterans to give them the best care possible," said Peake. "The increase will once again provide assistance to our veterans, especially in these difficult economic times, to help offset gasoline costs and to assist veterans with access to the VA's world-class health system."
Congress, which mandates such increases, recently provided funding to VA to increase the reimbursement rate, which goes into effect on November 17, 2008. Service connected veterans, veterans receiving VA pensions, and veterans with low incomes are eligible for the reimbursement.
"As I have travelled the country and spoken with many of our veterans, they have expressed the need for such an increase," added Peake. "We are pleased to be able to provide them with the increase needed and we will continue to work with our veterans to ensure they receive the quality care they need."
While increasing the payment, the current deductible amounts applied to certain mileage reimbursements will remain frozen at $7.77 for a one way trip, $15.54 for a round trip, and capped at a maximum of $46.62 per calendar month. On January 9, 2009, these deductibles will decrease to $3 for a one way trip, $6 for a round trip, with a maximum of $18 per calendar month. Deductibles can be waived if they cause a financial hardship to the veteran.
VA Announces Enhanced and Expanded Care for N.C. Veterans
Posted at 07:01 AM on Friday, December 12, 2008 by State Service Officer
“Our veterans have earned access to VA’s world-class health care,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “This strategic plan will increase VA’s capacity to care for
A major feature of the plan is the creation of new Health Care Centers (HCCs) in
Once the HCCs in
“It’s important VA provides veterans with state-of-the-art health care technologies in contemporary facilities,” added Peake. “As we move forward, this plan will provide enhanced care for our veterans in
More information on the plan is available on the Internet at http://www.salisbury.va.gov
VA: Changes to TBI, Burn Scars and ALS Programs
Posted at 06:11 AM on Sunday, September 28, 2008 by State Service Officer in VA News
Traumatic Brain Injuries and Burn ScarsThe Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced changes in the way VA will evaluate traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and burn scars for purposes of determining the appropriate level of compensation veterans receive for these injuries.
“These important regulatory changes will allow VA decision makers to better assess the consequences of these injuries and ensure veterans are properly compensated for their residual effects,” stated Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.
VA has revised the Disability Rating Schedule in light of current scientific and medical knowledge in order to provide VA employees with more detailed and up-to-date criteria for evaluating and compensating veterans with these injuries.
New VA Rules for ALS VictimsNew VA Rules for ALS Victims Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may receive badly-needed support for themselves and
their families after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that ALS will become a presumptively compensable illness for all veterans with 90 days or more of continuously active service in the military.
"Veterans are developing ALS in rates higher than the general population, and it was appropriate to take action," Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake said.
Secretary Peake based his decision primarily on a November 2006 report by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the association between active-duty service and ALS.
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