After Much Sacrifice, All Veterans Are Targets for Tyranny

Please be advised that a lot of that changed as of Jan 1, 2016.

Assets and income no longer count/required.



Veterans Financial Assessment
VA Removes Annual Income Reporting Requirement Eliminates Burden on Veterans, Improves Customer Service.

 

Veterans Financial Assessment
VA Removes Annual Income Reporting Requirement Eliminates Burden on Veterans, Improves Customer Service.

Learn more »


New Veterans Health ID Card
VA Announces Rollout of Secure Veteran Health Identification Cards.

Learn more »


Enrollment Application Figures
VA’s Health Eligibility Center process thousands of applications for health care enrollment each year.

Learn more »

Enrollment Figures Financial Assessment Health ID Card
.

Apply
Cost
Access
Apply
If you served in the active military, naval or air service and are separated under any condition other than dishonorable, you may qualify for VA health care benefits.

Learn More »
In the News
VA Makes Changes to Veterans Choice Program
Changes Remove Barriers and Expand Access to Care
December 1, 2015

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced a number of changes to make participation in the Veterans Choice Program easier and more convenient for Veterans who need to use it. The move, which streamlines eligibility requirements, follows feedback from Veterans along with organizations working on their behalf.
“As we implement the Veterans Choice Program, we are learning from our stakeholders what works and what needs to be refined,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “It is our goal to do all that we can to remove barriers that separate Veterans from the care they deserve.” To date, more than 400,000 medical appointments have been scheduled since the Veterans Choice Program went into effect on November 5, 2014.

Under the old policy, a Veteran was eligible for the Veterans Choice Program if he or she met the following criteria:

• Enrolled in VA health care by 8/1/14 or able to enroll as a combat Veteran to be eligible for the Veterans Choice Program;
• Experienced unusual or excessive burden eligibility determined by geographical challenges, environmental factors or a medical condition impacting the Veteran’s ability to travel;
• Determined eligible based on the Veteran’s current residence being more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility.

Under the updated eligibility requirements, a Veteran is eligible for the Veterans Choice Program if he or she is enrolled in the VA health care system and meets at least one of the following criteria:

• Told by his or her local VA medical facility that they will not be able to schedule an appointment for care within 30 days of the date the Veteran’s physician determines he/she needs to be seen or within 30 days of the date the Veteran wishes to be seen if there is no specific date from his or her physician;
• Lives more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility with a full-time primary care physician;
• Needs to travel by air, boat or ferry to the VA medical facility closest to his/her home;
• Faces an unusual or excessive burden in traveling to the closest VA medical facility based on geographic challenges, environmental factors, a medical condition, the nature or simplicity or frequency of the care needed and whether an attendant is needed. Staff at the Veteran’s local VA medical facility will work with him or her to determine if the Veteran is eligible for any of these reasons; or
• Lives in a State or Territory without a full-service VA medical facility which includes: Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire (Note: this excludes New Hampshire Veterans who live within 20 miles of the White River Junction VAMC) and the United States Territories (excluding Puerto Rico, which has a full service VA medical facility).

Veterans seeking to use the Veterans Choice Program or wanting to know more about it, can call1-866-606-8198 to confirm their eligibility and to schedule an appointment. For more details about the Veterans Choice Program and VA’s progress, visit: www.va.gov/opa/choiceact.

 

Had my first experience with the VA, a lot like joining the Mil, lots of paper work and new rules to learn
.All together a positive event. Filled my claim on line, after signing up for Ebenefits I had a way to track my case.
VA docs, aka civvie docs employed by the VA, did excellent exam and set up test, Two days after test were complete we had a positive result.

Me, I now am in receipt of a class A Hearing Aid and my Heart condition has been certified as being service connected via Vietnam Service Medal.

Sure lots of effort by all and paper work, some too secret to be proven, but there are ways to find the required evidence, just never give up.

Anyway I earned what I received and have no qualms in having the Mil pay for my injuries and meds.

After all I have been paying the freight and taking care of myself for the last 52 years.

 

These are not unearned benefits....veteran service ( and the risks and harm that arises from it ), is the premium you paid for the post service discharge compensation and benefits awarded to you. Some administrative hurdles and hoops need to be negotiated to establish entitlement to those benefits and services, but no ex service person need feel shame nor any loss of self esteem or dignity in applying for them.

It is not enough just simply say... "I thank you for your service" as the ritualf acknowledgement of that service person's contribution to society: It is also important to help support them in their quest for equitable post service support and treatment. We owe them no less.

 

A recent study contradicts the the VA assumption about PTSD and Heart Disease.
Form many years the VA has denied any connection by the mind's ability to cause harm to the body. Research has proved other wise but still the VA crayfishes.

Well laid out, well researched with a referenced papers and cites of other work.

Read it, it may help someone you know.

A Prospective Study of PTSD and Early-Age Heart Disease Mortality Among Vietnam Veterans: Implications for Surveillance and Prevention

 

How rounding down puts the Vet at a lower income rate over time. A twenty year period will find the Vets to have lost several points of income, all the while the Law Makers are patting each other on the back for "Helping the Vet".
FWIW if any investment group suggested this was a good way to invest then the Feds would be all over them.
HK

On March 17, 2016, Representative Ralph Abraham (LA), Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, introduced H.R. 4782, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) Act of 2016. This measure would increase veterans' disability compensation, survivor benefits and clothing allowances by the same percentage as Social Security benefit increases scheduled to take effect on December 1, 2016, and would affect payments beginning January 1, 2017.
Unfortunately, H.R. 4782 contains a round-down provision which DAV adamantly opposes based on National Resolution No. 017. Specifically, the practice of rounding-down compensation increases to the nearest whole dollar is unfair. This practice, established over 20 years ago as a temporary measure, has siphoned millions of dollars annually from disabled veterans, their families and survivors and jeopardizes the ability of those relying on these benefits to maintain an adequate standard of living.
We ask you to please contact your Representative and urge them to cosponsor and support passage of this bill, and to inform them that the practice of rounding-down compensation increases is unfair to veterans their families and survivors.