The “special enrollment period” provided by the PACT Act will conclude on September 30. The one-year enrollment period is for Post-9/11 combat veterans who served between 2001 and 2013. The VA’s goal is to get those veterans who have been…
Veterans who have service-related PTSD may be able to receive disability compensation and free health care, including specific PTSD treatment. What is PTSD? PTSD stands for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is a long-term reaction to trauma that has negative effects…
The VA reported last month that over half a million veteran disability claims have been filed under the PACT Act. Although vets were able to file claims as early as August 2022, the VA was only able to begin processing…
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia awarded an $807 million judgment to victims and families of the USS Cole bombing. The 25 sailors and 33 members of their immediate families filed a lawsuit against the country of…
Military retirees with a VA disability rating higher than 50% have been able to collect both their disability benefits and retirement pay without being docked since 2004. However, vets that were medically retired without serving for 20 years or had…
The VA wants to raise awareness of some little-used benefits: burial benefits. According to the VA, only a fraction of eligible veterans have taken advantage of burial benefits and been buried in a VA-managed or -supported cemetery. What Are VA…
Starting on Feb. 1, benefits checks will no longer have the “Widow’s Tax.” Mark Belinsky, a director of the Military Officers Association of America, said “the decision to eliminate the ‘widow's tax’ was a ‘huge win’ and ‘the right thing…
Anyone who travels to medical appointments frequently knows that the expenses can add up quickly. Fortunately, the VA can help cover those expenses through travel claims. Veterans often are unaware that the VA will reimburse them for their travel to…
In September 2022, the VA announced that it would begin screening all patients for possible exposure to environmental hazards during military service. The very simple screening is part of a larger effort to understand the scope of the issue as…
On August 10, 2022, President Biden signed the PACT Act, a new law that gave thousands of veterans sickened by toxic environmental exposure access to VA healthcare. Less than two months later, on October 1, the VA opened enrollments for…