Some veterans and family members affected by the Camp Lejeune contaminated water scandal have an alternative way to collect the compensation they are due from the federal government for exposure to contaminated water at the North Carolina Marine Corps base. The passage of the PACT Act created opportunities for veterans and family members to submit… Read more »
If you tried to add or remove dependents from your VA records since 2011, you may need to contact the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure your updates were actually recorded in the system. VA Admits Problems With Updating Dependents In Its System The VA has issued another apology for failure to process claims. This… Read more »
The Department of Veterans Affairs system is designed for veterans to submit claims for benefits, have those claims reviewed and approved (or denied), and the VA has a standardized notification process for those decisions. The notification phase of the process typically includes the physical mailing of on-paper VA benefits “decision letters” announcing the application was… Read more »
In the summer of 2023, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) announced an extension of a 2013 pilot program allowing the DoD to provide military members and their families with certain healthcare testing that fell outside FDA regulatory procedures. TRICARE has since made its own announcement, adding coverage for some testing previously offered in the pilot… Read more »
Update: September 5 2023 The United States Army updated its suicide prevention policy on 1 September 2023 to include congressionally-mandated mental health rules permitting soldiers to request mental health care for any reason. This means the Army is finally in compliance with the Brandon Act of 2021. What follows is preserved here for archival purposes…. Read more »
Over 30 thousand veteran disability claims have languished in the Department of Veterans Affairs processing system, with unprocessed claims dating back to 2018. Approximately 32 thousand letters have been sent to veterans in August notifying them their claims were not processed. Serious Issues At The Department of Veterans Affairs? A Military Times article notes that… Read more »
UPDATE: November 28, 2023 The Department of Veterans Affairs reminded qualifying veterans about an important deadline–September 30, 2023, which was the final day for vets who deployed to a combat zone after 9/11 but never enrolled in VA healthcare to apply for VA healthcare benefits. Veterans who left active duty between September 11, 2001, and… Read more »
The federal government has until September 30, 2023, to reach an agreement on stopgap funding for the federal government or risk a federal government shutdown this fall. The problem? Members of an organization within the House of Representatives called the House Freedom Caucus refuse to commit to any deal that falls short of its demands… Read more »
In August of 2023, wildfires ravaged parts of Hawaii, including Lahaina, resulting in massive damage to property and loss of life. On Friday, August 18, 2023, the Department of Veterans Affairs issued a press release announcing mortgage relief for those who have VA mortgages living in the affected areas. There are some 100 thousand veterans… Read more »
The Air Force’s Rated Officer Retention Demonstration Program is up and running. It offers retention bonuses to qualifying pilots worth up to $50 thousand per year to renew their Air Force commissions and keep flying in uniform. But pilots don’t have much time to take advantage of the offer. Air Force Rated Officer Retention Demonstration… Read more »