Category Archives: VA Health Benefits

US House Veterans Affairs Committee Pushes Key Veterans Bills Forward

Posted on by Super Girl

Veterans Affairs Committees in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have been focused on packaging Veteran-related bills to get them on the floor.  They’ve heard testimony from many experts from a number of well-respected veterans support groups, and have moved some bills forward to the next phase of action.

The House VA Committee cleared six Veterans bills this week. The following bills will now move to the House floor for consideration and debate:

Ruth Moore

This bill was amended to include more stringent reporting requirements for VA which the committee hopes will pressure VA to update and improve its sexual trauma regulations. Unfortunately the bill still does not require a much-supported law change that would align Military Sexual Trauma claims with combat PTSD regulations.

Veterans in the ClassroomThis bill included the original provision which requires public universities to charge only what is equal to in-state tuition for veterans, and includes a controversial new amendment banning bonuses for senior VA executives for the next five years. It also contains provisions of 6 other bills including:

  • HR 1405, To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include an appeals form in any notice of decision issued for the denial of a benefit sought.
  • HR 1453, Work-Study for Veterans Act seeks to extend the authority to provide work-study allowance for certain activities by individuals receiving educational assistance by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Search and track all government legislation and bills in Congress at govtrack.us

 

VA Establishes New Help Hotline for Lady Veterans

Posted on by Super Girl

eBenefits HomepageAlthough women make up nearly 15 percent of today’s active duty military and 18 percent of National Guard and Reserve forces, lady veterans comprise only 6 percent of the total number of veterans currently seeking VA healthcare.

So, the VA launched a new hotline,

  • 1-855-VA-WOMEN or
  • 1-855-829-6636, to help respond to questions from women veterans, families and caregivers about the many VA services and resources available to women veterans.

Even though the number of women using VA healthcare has doubled over the past decade to more than 350,000, “Many women who served don’t self-identify as veterans and therefore don’t think they qualify for VA benefits,” said Irene Trowell-Harris, director of VA’s Center for Women Veterans. “We need to correct existing misinformation and misperceptions so we can serve more women veterans with the benefits they’ve earned.”

The new hotline joins numerous other VA hotlines that provide critical information and assistance to all veterans, such as those in crises or in danger of becoming homeless. Learn more at www.eBenefits.va.gov and MyHealtheVet.va.gov.

My HealtheVet The Gateway to Veteran Health and Wellness

Key Veterans Bills Include New Burn Pit Registry in 2013

Posted on by Super Girl

United States Capitol west

On Thursday, January 10th President Barack Obama signed key veterans’ bills into law.  One of the bills was the Improving Transparency in Education Opportunities for Veterans Act (HR 4057), which was crafted by the VFW.   The bill ensures that the VA will offer quality consumer information and consumer protections for student-veterans.  Another key bill, S. 3202, is a comprehensive bill that improves cemetery protections for grieving families of veterans and also:

Here is a list of all bills signed recently signed into law that relate to and either directly or indirectly affect veterans issues:

H.R. 1339, which designates the City of Salem, Massachusetts, as the birthplace of the U.S. National Guard;

H.R. 4053, the “Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Improvement Act of 2012,” which clarifies requirements for Federal agencies to use improper payment information to determine program or award eligibility; establishes a Do Not Pay Initiative; and expands OMB responsibilities in the effort to eliminate and recover improper payments;

H.R. 4057, which requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a comprehensive policy for providing information regarding higher education and training programs to veterans and members of the Armed Forces;

H.R. 6620, the “Former Presidents Protection Act of 2012,” which restores lifetime Secret Service protection of former Presidents who did not serve as President prior to January 1, 1997, and their spouses; and provides for protection of all children of former Presidents until they become 16 years of age;

S. 3202, the “Dignified Burial and Other Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2012,” which amends authorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs related to: cemetery matters; health care; and miscellaneous matters.

 

Welcome to Clark Veteran Cemetery Restoration Association

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Tomodachi Radiation Response Registry for DOD Personnel in Japan During Tsunami

Posted on by Super Girl

DOD is now building an Operation Tomodachi registry

for the 70,000 U.S. service members, family members, DOD civilians and DOD contractors who were in Japan from March 12 to May 11, 2011, as well as some 4,000 U.S. disaster responders.

The 2011 violent earthquake and subsequent tsunami off the coast of Japan caused extensive damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Although no radiation leaks were reported, DOD wants all U.S. Defense Department personnel and their families potentially exposed to radiation to register.

If you were there…Register Here: Operation Tomodachi Registry
Read more: www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=117745

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