Nearly 1.25 million veterans had COPD in 2020. If you or someone you know is a veteran diagnosed with COPD, you may wonder if it can be a VA service-connected disability. The answer is yes. This article will cover what COPD is, the basics of service connection for COPD, and how VA rates it. What …
Category: VA Benefits
Is Sleep Apnea a VA Disability?
For service members, the stresses of training, combat, and reintegration into civilian life can disrupt sleep patterns. Insomnia and nightmares may be the most common service-related sleep disruption, but sleep apnea also affects millions of veterans. Yes, it is a disability that can entitle a veteran to compensation. Sleep apnea is a condition where breathing …
Eligibility for PTSD-Related DIC Benefits
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a specific kind of brain injury that affects about 15% of veterans who served in the Middle East— specifically, operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Global War on Terror suffer greatly from the effects of loneliness, isolation, combat, explosions, and various …
Lawmakers Cry Foul Over VA Accessibility Issues
Lawmakers Cry Foul Over VA Accessibility Issues This is an update on VA Accessibility. 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 …
How Does the PACT Act Affect TDIU Benefits
How Does the PACT Act Affect TDIU Benefits? 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, …
Breaking Down an Agent Orange Illness Claim
Breaking Down an Agent Orange Illness Claim Does an Agent Orange illness trouble you? 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 …
The Five and Five of VA Disability PTSD
The Five and Five of VA Disability PTSD 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 …
VA Disability Benefits for Arthritis in the Hands
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 …
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 …
