The Compensation and Pension medical exam system has always had a delay. This year, between some structural changes and the coronavirus pandemic, backlog has tripled. Before the pandemic hit, the VA was well into the process of contracting C&P examinations to non-VA doctors. 60% of examinations were by contractors, rising to nearly 100%. During the […]
Starting January 1st, 2021, VA disability recipients saw a 1.3% increase in monthly benefits due to the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) adjustment. This increase is consistent with the rise in Social Security benefits. Understanding the VA Disability Rating System The VA disability rating system is complex and often subjective. Standard addition doesn’t apply when […]
Compensation and Pension (C&P) medical examinations are usually the backbone of a VA disability claim, particularly at the Regional Office level. Generally, these examinations combine a personal examination with a review of the Veteran’s lay statements. Plus, service and other medical records. In 2007’s Stefl v. Nicholson, the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) […]
In many situations, lay statements in a disability claim are very effective. Brain injuries are a good example. Since the brain often conceals its own injuries, many of these Veterans do not realize how badly they are hurt. So, a combination of their own testimony and a clinical medical exam only tells part of the […]
SMC And Serious Disabilities Additional Available Compensation It’s about getting the most out of SMC and serious disabilities. If you have a particularly serious service-related disability, you may be entitled to Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) under the VA’s complicated rating formula. In most cases, SMC benefits are available as a replacement for disability benefits, and […]
Veterans subjected to radiation exposure at Enewetak Atoll and the Marshall Islands may be eligible for VA disability benefits. In the early days of the Cold War, mostly during the 1950s, the United States and other nuclear powers routinely conducted atmospheric tests of weapons like hydrogen bombs. Most U.S. testing occurred in the Marshall Islands, […]
The legacy of Vietnam and Agent Orange continues to impact countless veterans. Agent Orange, a powerful herbicide used during the Vietnam War, has been definitively linked by medical science to a range of severe health conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) now recognizes specific cancers and numerous other health problems as presumptive diseases associated […]
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association(JAMA), Thomas B. Newman, M.D., MPH, and co-workers show that all cholesterol-lowering drugs, both the early drugs known as fibrates (Clofibrate, Gemfibrozil) and the newer drugs known as statins (Lipitor, Pravachol, Zocor), caused cancer in rodents at the equivalent doses used by humans. Researchers […]
In December 2002, Congress enacted The Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) program. This program restores military retired pay to eligible retired veterans with combat-related injuries. Before CRSC, retired veterans with disabilities waived their regular retired pay to receive Veterans Administration (VA) disability compensation. This particular system was unique to military retirement. Federal service retirees are all […]
Shortchanging Combat-Injured Veterans by the VA is under scrutiny. The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has certified its first class action lawsuit. As a result, Veterans who served in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan may potentially be impacted. The CAVC filed the class action lawsuit on March 2, 2017. The […]