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Veterans Page
VA Approves $2.8M for Gulf War Illness Research
WASHINGTON – The Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) has approved $2.8 million to fund three
new research projects that focus on testing or developing new
treatments for illnesses affecting Veterans who served in the
Gulf War 1990-1991. The research incorporates recommendations of
the department’s Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force.
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VA Takes
Action to Strengthen Measures to Protect Veterans
Lessons
learned from St. Louis VA Medical Center are applied VA-wide
WASHINGTON – The Department of
Veterans Affairs’ (VA) primary mission is to serve our nation’s
Veterans. President Obama has charged the Department with
ensuring the VA medical network is a top-notch health care
system.
“The mistakes
made at the St. Louis VA Medical Center are unacceptable, and
steps have been and continue to be taken to correct this
situation and assure the safety of our Veterans. VA will not
tolerate risk to our Veterans,” said Veterans Affairs Secretary
Eric K. Shinseki. “VA employees at the St. Louis VA Medical
Center, along with all of our employees, have a solemn
responsibility to provide safe, quality care for the well being
of all our patients.”
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Story
Registration Opens for VA
Forum
on Women Veterans
VA to Help Build Women
Veterans Communities and Networks
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs opened
registration on July 8 for a women Veterans forum that will
address the quality of VA health care, the provision of benefits
for women, and ways for VA to continue improving access to the
care and benefits for women Veterans.
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Story
VA Simplifies Access to Health Care and Benefits
for Veterans with PTSD
WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki announced a critical step forward in providing
an easier process for Veterans seeking health care and
disability compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD),
with the publication of a final regulation in the Federal
Register.
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Story
VA
Celebrates 66th Anniversary of GI Bill
More Than $3.6 Billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill
Benefits Issued
WASHINGTON – On the 66th anniversary of signing the
GI Bill into law, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced it has issued more than $3.6 billion in the bill’s
newest manifestation, the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Benefit payments under the bill, implemented last year, have
gone to more than 285,000 people and their educational
institutions.
On June 22, 1944, President Franklin D.
Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944,
commonly known as the GI Bill of Rights.
The Veterans Administration – as it was known at
that time -- was responsible for carrying out the law's key
provisions for education and training, loan guaranty for homes,
farms or businesses, and unemployment pay.
Before the World War II, college and
homeownership were, for the most part, unreachable dreams for
the average American. Thanks to the GI Bill, millions who would
have flooded the job market opted for education instead.
In the peak year of 1947, Veterans accounted for
49 percent of college admissions. By the time the original GI
Bill ended, July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of the 16 million World
War II Veterans had participated in an education or training
program.
In 1984, former Mississippi congressman G. V.
"Sonny" Montgomery revamped the GI Bill. The Montgomery GI Bill
assured that VA home loan guaranty and education programs
continued to work for Veterans of the post-Vietnam era.
In 2009, GI Bill benefits were updated again.
The new law gave Veterans with active duty service on, or after,
Sept. 11 2001, enhanced educational benefits to cover more
expenses, provide a living allowance, money for books and the
ability to transfer unused educational benefits to spouses or
children.
For more information about the Post-9/11 GI Bill for Veterans,
visit
http://www.gibill.va.gov/.
VA Research Offers Insight on Parkinson’s Disease
Collaborative Research on "Deep Brain Stimulation"
WASHINGTON -- Veterans and others with Parkinson’s disease
who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) may benefit from
research co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and
published recently in the prestigious New England Journal of
Medicine.
"VA is proud to partner with the National Institutes of
Health on this research, the largest trial of its kind to date,"
said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "This and
other ground-breaking research on Parkinson’s disease ensure we
provide the best care possible for Veterans with this common,
debilitating disease."
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Story
VA Makes Filing Claims Easier and Faster for Veterans
Simpler Forms and New Program Reduce Paperwork and Speed
Process
WASHINGTON – As part of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki’s effort to break the back of the backlog, the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reducing the paperwork
and expediting the process for Veterans seeking compensation for
disabilities related to their military service.
"These reductions in paperwork, along with other improvements
to simplify and speed the claims process, symbolize changes
underway to make VA more responsive to Veterans and their
families," said Secretary Shinseki.
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Full Story
VA Updates
Online Application for Health Benefits
WASHINGTON – Veterans
will find it easier and faster to apply for their health care
benefits now that the Department of Veterans Affairs has
updated its online Form 10-10EZ,
“Application for Health Benefits.”
“VA is committed to
tapping into the best that technology has to offer to ensure
Veterans receive the benefits they have earned,” said Secretary
of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We continue to look for
new ways to improve access to care and benefits.”
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For Full Story
New Scholarship for the
Children of Fallen Service Members
Benefit Honors Gunnery
Sergeant John David Fry
WASHINGTON – The children of military personnel who died in the
line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001 can apply for an educational
scholarship similar to the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. Benefits are
retroactive to Aug. 1, 2009.
The scholarship, which is administered by the Department of
Veterans Affairs, are named after Marine Gunnery Sergeant John
David Fry, 28, a Texas native who died in Iraq in 2006 while
disarming an explosive. He was survived by three young
children.
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Story
VA Proposes Change to Aid Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange
Proposed Regulation Change Adds Illnesses to List of Diseases
Subject to Presumptive Service Connection for Herbicide Exposure
WASHINGTON – Well over 100,000 Veterans exposed to herbicides
while serving in Vietnam and other areas will have an easier
path to qualify for disability pay under a proposed regulation
published by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that adds
three new illnesses to the list of health problems found to be
related to Agent Orange and other herbicide exposures.
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Secretary Shinseki Releases Draft Gulf War Task Force Report
Report Provides Roadmap to Transform Care and Services to
Gulf War Veterans
WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki announced that the Department’s Gulf War Veterans’
Illnesses Task Force has completed the final draft of a
comprehensive report that will redefine how the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) addresses the concerns of Veterans who
deployed during the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991.
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for Full Story
VA Targets $39 Million for Homeless Veterans
Women, Tribal Services Are
Special Priorities
WASHINGTON – The Department of
Veterans Affairs is allocating $39 million to fund about 2,200
new transitional housing beds through grants to local providers.
“VA is committed to ending the cycle
of homelessness among Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We will use every tool at our
disposal – health care, education, jobs, safe housing – to
ensure our Veterans are restored to lives with dignity, purpose
and safety.”
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for Full Story
VA Recognizes “Presumptive” Illnesses in Iraq, Afghanistan
Decision Simplifies Application for Disability Pay
WASHINGTON –
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps to make
it easier for Veterans to obtain disability compensation for
certain diseases associated with service in the Persian Gulf War
or Afghanistan. This will be the beginning of historic change
for how VA considers Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses.
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for Full Story
Washington, DC – The U.S. Departments of Defense, Labor and
Veterans Affairs, as part of their continued commitment to our
Nation’s Service Members, Veterans, and their families,
launched a new and improved National Resource Directory (www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov).
This free online tool provides access to thousands of services,
programs and resources at the national, state and community
level. The Web site has a fresh look with many key features
that include an improved search engine, Really Simple
Syndication (RSS) news feeds, subscriptions to e-mail updates,
and new subject areas such as “Homeless Assistance.”
The National Resource Directory is designed to serve a broad
base of users including Wounded Warriors, Service members
Veterans, their families and caregivers. In addition, it
provides a useful tool for supporting service providers, such as
Recovery Care Coordinators, Federal Recovery Coordinators,
health care providers and case managers at Veterans Service
Organizations.
“(The National Resource Directory) is wonderful,” says Cara
Hammer, an Army Veteran who served in support of Operation Iraqi
Freedom. “I’ve been using it pretty regularly. It is very
comprehensive and fool proof – I love it.”
The new features allow the Military and Veteran community to
identify and stay informed about the thousands of resources that
are available to them as well as browse for information they may
not have known about it the past. Additionally, a faster, more
accurate search engine provides the tools to sort results by
subject area, audience and government or non-government
resources to ensure users locate exactly what they want, without
having to sort through thousands of links themselves.
For more than a year, the National Resource Directory has
provided Wounded Warriors, transitioning Service Members and
Veterans, and those who support them with quick and easy access
to resources they need. Resources on the National Resource
Directory are vetted and must meet the participation policy
standards before being added. This ensures that all the posted
resources are relevant and from reputable sources.
The new National Resource Directory is simple, easy-to-navigate
and even more relevant to the needs of the Wounded Warrior,
Veteran and caregiver communities. It also contains “In the
News” and “Spotlight” features to highlight important news and
updates. To tell friends and family about the new National
Resource Directory, use the “Bookmark and Share” function to
post updates on more than 200 social media networks such as
Facebook or Twitter.
To learn more about the National Resource Directory’s new
features, and to explore the thousands of resources provided,
visit the Web site at
www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov.
Click Here for the
NRD Fact Sheet
Little-Known Benefit
Aids Veterans of War
Those who serve during conflict are
eligible for up to $19,000 a year. By Paula Burkes Published:
February 8, 2009
Click for
Article
VA’s Suicide Prevention
Program Adds Chat Service
New Service Expands Online Access for
Veterans
WASHINGTON – 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.suicidepreventionlifeline.org).
There is a Veterans tab on the left-hand side of the website
that will take them directly to Veteran resource information.
On this page, they can see the Hotline number (1-800-273-TALK),
and click on the Veterans Chat tab on the right side of the Web
page to enter.
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 from 4 p.m. to 11
p.m. VA’s suicide prevention hotline is staffed 24 hours a day,
seven day a week.
“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.
VA DEPENDENCY
AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION BENEFITS
DEPENDENCY AND
INDEMNITY COMPENSATION (DIC): DIC is a monthly tax
free benefit paid by the Veterans administration to
eligible survivors of a:
• Military service
member who died while on active duty, active duty for
training, or inactive duty training; or
• Veteran whose
death resulted from a service-related injury or disease;
or
• Veteran whose
death resulted from a non service-related injury or
disease, and who was receiving, or was entitled to
receive, VA Compensation for service-connected
disability that was rated as totally disabling for at
least 10 years immediately before death, OR since the
veteran's release from active duty and for at least five
years immediately preceding death, OR for at least one
year before death if the veteran was a former prisoner
of war who died after September 30, 1999.
Those eligible
to receive benefits are:
1. Surviving
spouses meeting the following criteria:
• Validly married
the veteran before 1 JAN 57; or
• Was married to a
service member who died on active duty, active duty for
training, or inactive duty training; or
• Married the
veteran within 15 years of discharge from the period of
military service in which the disease or injury that
caused the veteran's death began or was aggravated; or
• Was married to
the veteran for at least one year; or
• Had a child with
the veteran, and cohabited with the veteran continuously
until the veteran's death or, if separated, was not at
fault for the separation, and is not currently
remarried. However, a surviving spouse who remarries on
or after 16 DEC 03, and on or after attaining age 57, is
entitled to continue to receive DIC.
2. Surviving
child(ren) who are not included on the surviving
spouse's DIC and are unmarried and under age 18, or
between the ages of 18 and 23 and attending school, or a
helpless adult meeting specific criteria. Criteria
requirements for helpless adult children can be obtained
by calling 1-800-827-1000.
3. Surviving
parent(s) may be eligible for an income-based
benefit. When countable income exceeds the limit set by
law, no benefit is payable. Eligible parents must
report all sources of income to VA; for example, gross
wages, retirement annuity, insurance proceeds or
annuity, interest, and dividends. The spouse's income
must also be included if living with a spouse. A spouse
may be the other parent of the deceased veteran, or from
remarriage. The 2009 income limit for a sole surviving
parent, or one of two parents not living with a spouse
is $13,456. For a sole surviving parent living with a
spouse, or one of two parents living with a spouse it is
$18,087. Payment rates are reduced based on the
countable income of the parent or parents: Income limits
change annually.
Those eligible
for DIC are also eligible for Health Care (CHAMPVA),
Federal Employment Preference, Home Loan Guaranty, and
Survivors' & Dependents' Educational Assistance. Under
current law a spouse's Survivor Benefits Plan (SBP)
annuity is reduced by any DIC amount received. Bills
have been submitted in Congress for the last 4 years to
eliminate this deduction without success. The 2009 bill
is H.R. 775. The basic monthly rate of DIC changes
annually with COLA adjustments. There can be no decrease
in the amount. For 2009 it is $1,154 for an eligible
surviving spouse. The rate is increased for each
dependent child, and also if the surviving spouse is
housebound or in need of aid and attendance. Add $246 if
at the time of the veteran's death, the veteran was in
receipt of or entitled to receive compensation for a
service-connected disability rated totally disabling
(including a rating based on individual unemployability)
for a continuous period of at least 8 years immediately
preceding death and the surviving spouse was married to
the veteran for those same 8 years. VA also adds a
transitional benefit of $286 to the surviving spouse's
monthly DIC if there are children under age 18. The
amount is based on a family unit, not individual
children. For benefit rate tables, including those for
children alone and parents, refer to
http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates or call
1-800-827-1000. To apply for DIC claimants should
complete VA Form 21-534 Application for Dependency and
Indemnity Compensation, Death Pension and Accrued
Benefits by a Surviving Spouse or Child. Veterans in
receipt of VA disability compensation are encouraged to
brief their spouses on how DIC would apply to them to
ensure there are no false expectations in their estate
planning. [Source:
www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/factsheet 12 Jan 09 ++]
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Its official, DD-214's are NOW Online.
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the
following website for
veterans to gain access to their DD-214's
online: http://vetrecs.archives.gov/
This may be
particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214
for employment
purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for
veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of
documents from their military files. Military veterans and the
next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a
new online military personnel records system
to request documents. Other individuals with a need for
documents must still complete the Standard Form 180, which can
be downloaded from the online web site. Because the requester
will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to
process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to
ask veterans for additional information will be minimized.
The new web-based application was designed to
provide better service on these requests by eliminating the
records centers mailroom and processing time.
The website
www.willsforvets.com is dedicated to assisting U.S.
veterans in their estate planning.
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