Tag: Veterans’ Affairs

In a story published by at least 113 news sources, the AP (3/18) reports the Office of Inspector General, the "internal watchdog" for the Veterans Affairs Department, "says VA medical centers need to give compensation and pension medical exams to veterans sooner in order to expedite disability claims."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Lakeport, California, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Lafayette, Louisiana, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, La Porte, Indiana, Wareham, Massachusetts, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Monroe, Louisiana, Omaha, Nebraska, and Branson, Missouri.

Find out What's Inside Today's Local News for Veterans VA NWIHCS To Host Women Veterans Focus Group. VA Sued For Violating Veteran's Free-Speech Right. ...

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from New Concord, Ohio, Los Angeles, California Farmington, New Mexico, Hartford, Connecticut, Burlington, Massachusetts, Walnut Creek, California, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Lincoln, Nebraska, and Elmira, New York.

Massachusetts offers a $2000 annual payment to permanently blind veterans, but the VA currently subtracts that annuity from their federal pension checks, denying blinded veterans their full and rightful benefits. Senator Kerry’s Veteran's Pensions Protection Act will end that practice, providing veterans the full benefits they’ve earned.

The New York Times (3/16, A14, Schwartz, 1.09M) reports, "Many veterans...have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq burdened by post-traumatic stress, drug dependency and other problems.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Jacksonville, North Carolina, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Kirtland, New Mexico, Sioux City, Iowa, Riverside, California, Gainesville, Florida, Bristol, Rhode Island, and Melrose, Massachusetts.

Many veterans like Mr. Oldani have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq burdened by post-traumatic stress, drug dependency and other problems. As veterans find themselves skirmishing with the law, judges are increasingly finding ways to provide them with a measure of leniency.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Silver City, New Mexico, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Vacaville, California, Memphis, Tennessee, Amarillo, Texas, New Orleans, Louisiana, Columbus, Ohio, Whistler, British Columbia, Anderson, South Carolina, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

VA-purchased equipment is flying down the slopes and gliding across the ice at the 2010 Winter Paralympics Games in Vancouver this week. Five Veterans are competing in Vancouver and the adaptive sports equipment they will use to compete and for day-to-day mobility (wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs) were provided by VA Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS). This is the first Paralympics Winter Games in which athletes will be competing with equipment provided by VA.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Mount Clemens, Michigan, Frazier Park, California, Selma, Alabama, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, Augusta, Georgia, Farmington, New Mexico, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Knoxville, Tennessee, Chicago, Illinois, and Cedar City, Utah.

Veteran Homelessness Fell 18% Last Year. The online version of the Gloucester County (NJ) Times (3/13) hails "Good news out of the national Department of Veterans Affairs this week as the VA announced that the number of veterans out on the streets on a typical night dropped 18 percent. The VA is entering the second year of its initiative to eliminate homelessness among those who have served within the next five years.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Andalusia, Alabama, Orangeburg, South Carolina, Clute, Texas, Montpelier, Vermont, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jewett City, Connecticut, Atlanta, Georgia, Phoenix, Arizona, and Dallas, Texas.

According to recent VA statistics, PTSD and depression are the top disability claims among America's female veterans — many of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan. But many of them have trouble proving that they saw combat — a key to getting treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Waukegan, Illinois, Nashville, Tennessee, Sarasota, Florida, Midlothian, Illinois, Bath, New York, Minneapolis, Minnesota, St George, Utah, and Fridley, Minnesota.

VA Planning To Expedite Agent Orange Claims Process. In continuing coverage, Government Technology (3/12, Wilkinson) reports, "In what's being touted as a major step to better serve Vietnam veterans," the US Department of Veterans Affairs "is planning to expedite the claims process for those with illnesses due to Agent Orange exposure."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Passaic, New Jersey, Alexandria,Louisiana, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Oakland, Michigan, Shenandoah, Iowa, Los Angeles, California, Madison, Wisconsin, Humboldt, California, Cincinnati, Ohio, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In continuing coverage, NextGov (3/11, Brewin) reports, "Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki told a House panel on Wednesday that he could cut $2 billion from the department's $15 billion annual procurement budget through management reforms, including the development of a centralized acquisition infrastructure.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Shawnee, Kansas, Denver, Colorado, West Palm Beach, Florida, Rochester, Minnesota, Madison, Wisconsin, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Annapolis, Maryland, Phoenix, Arizona, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Mesa, Arizona.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today an aggressive new initiative to solicit private-sector input on a proposed “fast track” Veterans’ claims process for service-connected presumptive illnesses due to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Pierre, South Dakota, Huntington, West Virginia, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Statesboro, Georgia, Clarksville, Tennessee, Daytona Beach, Florida, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Portland, Oregon, Naples, Florida, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

VA Planning To Fully Automate Agent Orange Claims Process.USA Today (3/9, Zoroya, 2.11M) notes that on Tuesday, the Department of Veterans Affairs "plans to announce...it will fully automate how it pays claims for illnesses related to exposure to the chemical Agent Orange to keep an overburdened system from collapse."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Ashland, Oregon, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Farmington, New Mexico, Sikeston, Missouri, New Bedford, Massachusetts, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Washington, DC, Teaneck, New Jersey, and Canton, Ohio.

Report By Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force Nearly Complete. The lead item in George W. Reilly's "Veterans Journal" column for the Providence (RI) Journal (3/8) notes, "Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki announced on Feb. 27 that the department's Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Task Force has nearly completed a comprehensive report that will redefine how VA addresses the needs of ill veterans who deployed during the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991." Reilly adds, "Task Force chairman John Gingrich, VA's chief of staff and a retired Army officer who served during the Gulf War, said, 'Reaching out to Gulf War veterans is not only essential to our transformation of VA, for many of us it is also personal.'"

THIS IS "BETWEEN US" By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER/Senior Editor I just returned from the region after a REMF "combat tour" of my own, 5 star...

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from West Palm Beach, Florida, Reno, Nevada, Tampa, Florida, Fresno, California, Medical Lake, Washington, Orlando, Florida, Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Palm Bay, Florida.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Martinsburg, West Virginia, Craig, Colorado, Newark, New Jersey, Joplin, Missouri, Seattle, Washington, Las Vegas, Nevada, Brockton, Massachusetts, Merced, California, St Louis, Missouri, and Vero Beach, Florida.

The AP (3/4) reported that Sen. Daniel Akaka and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki agree "that reforming the VA disability claims system must be a top priority," and in a release, Akaka said "that he is encouraged by the administration's commitment to add thousands of staff to process veterans' disability claims." However, the senator also believed "the situation will get worse before it gets better, because it will take years and significant resources to fully train new VA claims staff."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Pensacola, Florida, Rochester, New York, Las Vegas, Nevada, San Diego, California, Boulder, Colorado, Camden, New Jersey, Jackson, California, and Youngstown, Ohio.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Hilton Head, South Carolina, Lubbock, Texas, Amherst, Massachusettes, Tallahassee, Florida, Alexandria, Virginia, Santa Barbara, California, and Atlanta, Georgia.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Edison, New Jersey, Madison, Wisconsin, Hamtramck, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Apple Valley, Minnesota, Salt Lake City, Utah, Houma, Louisiana, Newport News, Virginia, and MCAS Futenma, Okinawa.

The VA's Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness met in Washington, DC on March 1-2 and significant active, heated, lively discussion followed the Update on Research from VA Research. Many of the RAC committee members spoke up concerning Dr Haley's Research at UTSWMed in Dallas Texas. It seems to the majority of veterans that some negotiations and mediations are desperately needed.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from New Hempstead, New York, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Flemington, New Jersey, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Burlington, Vermont.

Shinseki, Akaka Agree On Need To Reform VA Disability Claims System. In continuing coverage, the AP (3/2) reports Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and US Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI) "have agreed that reforming the VA disability claims system must be a top priority." On Friday, Akaka "said...in a Washington news release that he's encouraged by the administration's commitment to add thousands of staff to process veterans' disability claims."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from

Despite billions of additional dollars pumped into veterans benefits in recent years, many military personnel still leave service unaware of their VA benefits or of programs set up to help them transition to civilian life, a senior Defense official and veteran advocates testified Wednesday.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Jackson, Tennessee, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Shreveport, Louisiana, Billings, Montana, Austin, Texas, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Norwich, Connecticut, Durango, Colorado, and Grand Island, Nebraska

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Silver City, New Mexico, Reno, Nevada, St Paul, Minnesota, Los Angeles, California, and Springfield, Missouri.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Rockwall, Texas, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Colorado Springs, Colorado, Washington, DC, Midland, Texas, Aurora, Colorado, Columbia, Missouri, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki speak about his goals to improve the quality of life for veterans at the El Paso VA Health Care System facility." During his visit, Shinseki, who "was hosted" by US Reps. Silvestre Reyes, Ciro Rodriguez, and Harry Teague, "toured the VA facility and the Fort Bliss National Cemetery, and he participated in a veterans roundtable before addressing the public on the purpose of his visit. In his speech, he addressed three specific goals targeting programs affecting the nation's veterans: reducing the growing backlog of claims, improving the quality of VA healthcare facilities and reducing homelessness among all veterans."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Allouez, Wisconsin, Athens, Tennessee, Newport News, Virginia, Roseburg, Oregon, Colorado Springs , Colorado, Birmingham, Alabama, Los Angeles, California, Joliet Illinois, and Visalia, California.

Find out What's Inside Today's Local News for Veterans VA Announces Expansion Of IT Program Management, Accountability System. Shinseki Among Those Asked To Choose...