Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a specific kind of brain injury. The nature of brain injuries with emotional or mental symptoms can make them difficult to detect. Therefore, many brain injury victims, including people with PTSD, downplay or fail to report their symptoms to doctors performing examinations as part of a disability claim (compensation & […]
Following an 11-month investigation, the United States Senate Special Commission on Aging said the VA has not made technology accessible to older adults, veterans, and disabled persons. The report says the government has not met the requirements for accessibility set forth by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires the federal government […]
The Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act (PACT Act) significantly expanded the number of illnesses presumed to be related to service through toxic exposure, mostly associated with burn pits and Agent Orange. However, the PACT Act did not significantly alter the VA’s disability rating system, meaning it is still difficult for veterans to […]
Agent Orange may be one of the most well-known herbicides, and not for a good reason. This defoliant was widely used throughout the 1960s, mainly in Vietnam. It contained a contaminant called dioxin, and now both Agent Orange and dioxin are known to be linked with cancer and several other serious illnesses, including diabetes and […]
Despite the research being done to understand post-traumatic stress disorder better, many people may still be surprised to learn that PTSD is a physical brain injury in addition to a psychological disorder. Compensation and pension examiners may not be specialists or well-versed in new PTSD research. That’s especially true if they do not focus on […]
According to the VA and CDC, arthritis affects one in five Americans and is the nation’s leading cause of disability. Over 100 conditions fall under the umbrella of arthritis, including arthritis in the hands, osteoarthritis, and degenerative joint diseases. The percentage of Americans with arthritis is expected to increase to one in four by 2040. […]
A large veterans advocacy organization says the VA will be ready to process PACT Act claims beginning in 2023, and the organization will be ready to help. “In my mind, there’s no more important way to do that than to compensate them, compensate veterans for whatever type of suffering they may have endured because of […]
A significant lawsuit filed in November 2022 has brought serious allegations of systemic discrimination against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to the forefront. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Conley Monk, Jr., a 74-year-old former Marine, contends that the VA has historically discriminated against Black veterans in the processing of their disability compensation claims. […]
Learning about disabilities and what disabilities qualify for VA benefits. According to the Centers for Disease Control, about 25% of Americans are at least partially disabled under specific criteria. A significant number of these disabilities apply to veterans and are related to their time in service. If that is the case, substantial VA Benefits may […]
Would you like to learn more about an increase in salaries for nurses employed by the VA? Faced with a growing workload of claims related to the recently passed “Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics” (PACT) Act, the Veterans Administration is working to recruit and retain healthcare professionals at a higher rate than before. […]