The Veterans Administration announced that it will change the way it evaluates some disability schedules, including service-related respiratory conditions, mental health conditions, and ear, nose, & throat disorders. The Administration intends to bring the VA’s rating schedule more in line with modern medicine. Officials plan to eliminate the 0% PTSD disability level and institute a […]
The Department of Veterans Affairs has finalized its recommendations to Congress to modernize VA healthcare facilities and improve working conditions for VA employees. The recommendations were submitted under the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission, mandated by Congress in 2018. President Biden has until February 2023 to approve the recommendations or the process ends. […]
VA disability back pay represents the accumulation of benefits that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) owes a veteran. Specifically, it’s the compensation that accrues between the effective date of a successful disability claim and the date when the claim is finally approved and processed for payment.
President Biden endorsed Burn Pit Legislation when traveling to Fort Worth, Texas on March 8, 2022. In his effort to urge Congress and the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide better health benefits and medical care for military veterans who were exposed to burn pits during service. This includes veterans of the U.S. […]
How to put the “U” in TDIU and prove “Unemployability” in a Total Disability Claim. When a veteran is unable to work but the VA does not rate the veteran 100% disabled in the traditional sense, other ways of reaching totally disabled status are available. A common claim in the veterans’ disability structure is the […]
In a move that would expand benefits for veterans of Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, and the Global War on Terror, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-CA) has set up an online survey for individuals to report toxic exposure symptoms related to their military service. The intention of Rep. Takano’s survey is to […]
Veteran suicide is a huge problem. Around 7,500 soldiers have sustained fatal combat injuries during the Global War on Terror, which began on 9/11. However, four times as many Veterans, over 30,000, have taken their own lives during this period. Moreover, adding to the tragic nature of these deaths, veterans who die in this manner […]
What is PTSD and how the VA rates PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a common, though not always visible, disability that can be related to military service. Almost everyone who experiences a highly stressful event will have responses to it such as nervousness, trouble sleeping, fear, and many other possible symptoms. If those responses […]
If you have ever worked with a veterans disability attorney or any attorney, you may know there are rules governing fees charged to clients. You may not know that the VA has its own rules regarding fees which are quite different from any other fee structure. VSO Representatives vs. Accredited Attorneys It is important to […]
In December 2021, President Biden signed into law, as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), two bills that expanded the VA’s burn pit coverage of illness infrastructure. The bills (a) expand the Burn Pit Registry to include service in Egypt and Syria, and (b) require Department of Defense physicians to undergo training on […]