Obtaining VA Disability Benefits for Arthritis in the Hands 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 …
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PACT Act Claims
Officials Say They are Ready for PACT Act Claims 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 …
Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Discrimination at VA
Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Discrimination at VA A lawsuit filed in November 2022 alleges systemic discrimination at VA. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Conley Monk, Jr., a 74-year-old former Marine. Monk Jr. claims the Veterans Administration systematically discriminated against Black veterans in disability compensation claims. The suit is based partly on a statistical analysis …
What Disabilities Qualify for VA Benefits
What Disabilities Qualify for VA Benefits? 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 …
How Does VA Disability Back Pay Work
How Does VA Disability Back Pay Work? VA disability back pay amounts depend on the effective dates. Which only increases when there is a Veterans Administration disability case backlog. The 2017 VA appeal system reforms have significantly reduced the Veterans Administration disability case backlog. In September 2022, almost 150,000 disability claims were backlogged, meaning they …
VA Increases Salaries for Nurses
VA Increases Salaries for Nurses 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 …
Burn Pit Victims Struggle to Find Healthcare
Burn Pit Victims Struggle to Find Healthcare In an effort to assist burn pit victims, a Veterans Administration-sponsored burn pit online registry was supposed to connect Veterans with appropriate medical care. That hasn’t happened, according to one advocacy group. “The health problems experienced by the many veterans who deployed to Southwest Asia warrant sustained and …
Spinal Fusion Surgery and VA Benefits
FAQ About Spinal Fusion Surgery and VA Benefits Read more to learn about spinal fusion surgery and the available VA Benefits for this condition. Military activity is hard on the joints, especially the spine. Most veterans spend a substantial amount of time carrying heavy objects, bending, standing, walking, and otherwise placing significant stress on their …
Nuts and Bolts of a VA Disability Claim
Nuts and Bolts of a VA Disability Claim Recent, protracted, and violent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have pushed the official number of veterans with a VA disability claim of at least 70% disability to over two million. That unofficial count, including veterans with less than a 70% disability, may be much higher. This unofficial …
PTSD and Substance Abuse
PTSD and Substance Abuse Can Lead to Early Death Researchers at Boston University have completed a study looking at the interplay between PTSD and substance abuse. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and external psychological markers like substance abuse predict early death in veterans. The study authors, who focused on veterans with PTSD, found a high risk …
