Presented by Debbie Rozear, Supervisor of Core & Housing Services, and Al-Nisha McFadden, Veteran Community Support Coordinator, of the Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living (LVCIL) to the council at its 17 May 2023 meeting, LVCIL is one result of a movement (later known as the Independent Living Movement) in the Read more…
It is still tough to figure the complete score concerning Camp Lejeune tort claims raised by the “Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022” provision (Section 804 of PL 117-168) in the Honor Our PACT past last August — especially the puzzle of how the VA will calculate a successful filing’s Read more…
Have you been in Southwest Asia theater of operations during military service: Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea – and the airspace above these locations some time since 2 August 1990 on; or in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Syria or Djibouti since Sept. 19, 2001?
Have you developed asthma, rhinitis or sinusitis within ten years of a period of military of service?
“The Department of Veterans Affairs will soon mail letters to Blue Water Navy veterans and survivors who were previously denied benefits. The letters provide updated eligibility requirements approved in the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, the paperwork required of a veteran or survivor, and available resources to assist in the claims process. The law says that veterans who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam from 1962-1975 are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange or other harmful herbicides. Exposure to these herbicides have been linked to a list of several harmful medical conditions: (more…)
On 30 November, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program (VR&E) announced its ability to provide “Tele-counseling” to those disabled veterans desiring it.
The VA’s Tele-counseling, or virtual communication system, allows the use of any device with a webcam and microphone to communicate with one of its 1,000-plus Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors (VRC). This capability reduces travel costs and time for both veterans and VRCs, thereby potentially improving a veteran’s access to necessary VR&E services. “VR&E’s Tele-counseling service is another example of how VA continually modernizes in support of Veterans’ needs … [It provides] personalized, interactive face-to-face services regardless of location”, according to the Secretary of the VA, Robert Wilkie.
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Today the the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it had updated portions, of the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD or Rating Schedule), effective December 9, 2018, which evaluate the hematologic and lymphatic systems.
One diagnostic code was removed, nine were added, and several were restructured. The complete list of updates to the rating schedule are now available online. (more…)
“No conditions were removed from the new rating schedule for skin conditions. However, several diagnostic codes assigned to various skin conditions were restructured or revised as VA aims to have the rating schedule better reflect modern medicine,” according to the VA. The new rating schedule for skin conditions goes into effect August 13. (more…)
H.R. 299, The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017 [2018], introduced by Rep. David Valadao (R-CA) edged one step closer to passage on 25 June with a 382-0 House vote. If enacted, the Act would restore eligibility for VA healthcare and disability compensation for (more…)
The Ford Motor Company in conjunction with the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), is giving away three trucks to amputee Purple Heart Veterans. This good deed of caring for those who have borne the battle in their civilian life generally receives little attention in our area.
Since it is operated by our Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) and not the Department of Education, you may have never thought to look for an educational program for your children on their website. Therefore, for those of you rated with a 100% permanent disability from the military or the VA — or your spouse died in a war, you might want to know about this program. Every dollar helps to give your children a better life. We took this from their Transition Assistance News article of May 2018, verbatim: (more…)