LVMAC Tidbit — Poaching Veterans’ Pensions

Veterans Are Being Preyed Upon Again

David M. Dubois, Deputy Director of the Office of Servicemember Affairs in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau of the Federal Trade Commission,  has put out this alert to various veterans groups: “Veterans and their families are a target for some dishonest advisers who are claiming to offer free help with paperwork for pension claims.”

“The scheme involves attorneys, financial planners, and insurance agents trying to get veterans to make decisions about their pensions, without giving them the whole truth,” according to Dubois. (more…)

LVMAC Tidbit — PA Superior Court “Argues” About Vets

An Event Honoring Those Who Have Served

On 26 February the Argument Court of the PA Superior Court is coming to Northampton County and will begin its special session by hosting an open program to honor our veterans.  The event is called, “Honoring Those Who Serve – A Tribute to Our Veterans.”  The purpose of the event is to publicly acknowledge the military service and sacrifices made by veterans and their families.  During the program, three veterans of different wars will speak. (more…)

LVMAC Tidbit — Last Call for 2013 Student Vets Conference

Less than two weeks are left until the March 2nd through 3rd Student Veterans Education & Employment Conference at the William Pitt Student Union on the University of Pittsburgh campus, Pittsburgh, PA. Register today to meet the Student Veterans of America Staff and National Leadership Council Members who know first-hand effective strategies for supporting student veterans.  And even fewer days are left to register.  The deadline for registration is Friday, February 22nd. (more…)

Forward Observer — VBA Claims Initiative Aims at Reducing Processing Time and Adding Convenience – Is it Possible?

No More In-Person Exam Requirement for Some?

LVMAC Poster Art 2005On 31 January 2013, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced it had begun a new initiative which will reduce the requirement for an in-person medical examination for some veterans when applying for a service-connected disability compensation rating – when sufficient information is in the individual’s records.  The intent is to shorten processing times. It is a product of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) Transformation Plan – a five-year effort to improve its processes with the goals of eliminating the widely reported backlog in claims and processing all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy by 2015. (more…)