- The VA Benefits System
- The VA offers various monetary benefits to veterans and their survivors, with the most common benefit being service-connected compensation. As they were not dishonorably discharged, veterans are entitled to compensation for disabilities incurred in or aggravated during active service. Veterans seeking disability benefits must prove three things: that they had an existing disability when the claim was filed; that an incident happened during service; and that there is a “nexus” that connects whatever happened in service with the current disability. Unfortunately, these connections are not always clear-cut, which is why veterans need good attorneys and advocates on their side.
- The Psychological Impact of War
- The wounds of combat reach far beyond physical injuries and disabilities. Mental health complications like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and substance abuse linger and intensify long after soldiers return home. Without proper and timely treatment, these debilitating mental health issues can make it nearly impossible for veterans to lead productive and fulfilling lives after service. There are effective treatments for mental health issues that are covered by VA benefits, but due to stigma, lack of knowledge, and the confusing VA benefits system, not enough veterans receive them.
- Mental and Physical Health Connection
- How could heart disease, diabetes, dementia, schizophrenia, or other disorders that arise years after service be associated with events that happened in the past? Unfortunately, a vast number of veterans fail to seek the VA benefits they deserve because they don’t realize their time in service led to their current mental or physical condition. The VA benefits system is not set up to consider health holistically, and they don’t acknowledge how impaired mental health will negatively impact physical health and vice versa. To maximize benefits, veterans must have an advocate on their side who will consider every facet of their wellbeing.
- The Deadly Wait
- With today’s medical advances and technology, there is no excuse for making any patient in need wait for medical care, especially when that patient has served our country. While our nation vows to take care of its veterans, VA hospitals continue to delay patient care appointments, in some cases long enough to result in death. Additionally, the VA’s medical systems are lying to cover up the length of wait times, the lack of staffing, and the outdated systems they use. Although virtually every president since JFK has tried to address the issues plaguing veteran healthcare, we are still waiting for a solution.
- Dangerous Doctors
- Once a veteran finally gets an appointment scheduled, they are still at risk of receiving low-quality, potentially dangerous medical care, many times leading to further complications or even death. There is a serious shortage of qualified VA healthcare staff, and overworked and underpaid providers can make grave mistakes, such as prescribing the wrong medication or leaving surgical instruments inside a patient. Over the past two decades, the VA has paid out millions of dollars in medical malpractice claims. Although no amount of money can replace a veteran’s health or life, the law gives veterans who are victims of VA medical negligence the right to collect monetary damages.
- Agent Orange and Vietnam Veterans
- It has been more than 40 years since the Vietnam War ended, but its legacy lives on in veterans who experience the lingering effects of Agent Orange exposure. The VA provides benefits for service members who are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange, including veterans who served in Vietnam, non-Vietnam veterans working in and around C-123 transport planes, and veterans stationed at Camp Garcia in Vieques, Puerto Rico during the 1970s. Yet with a backlog of 500,000 pending Agent Orange benefit cases, it can be extremely difficult for veterans to get the benefits they deserve. It is vitally important that American veterans understand how to win their Agent Orange disability compensation claims.
- Military Toxin Exposure
- Military service members and family working and living around military bases have been plagued with debilitating toxin exposure for over a century. From jet fuel leaks and hazardous waste disposal to chemical experiments and toxic warfare methods, the effects of chemical toxins are tragically everlasting. Recent scientific evidence of numerous health effects associated with toxin exposure has prompted new legislation to expand the benefits available for certain cancers, respiratory diseases, and immune disorders. VA benefits are available for conditions resulting from exposure to burn pits, contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, toxins at Fort McClellan, Red Hill, Oahu Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Camp Garcia, Vieques, Puerto Rico, and radiation exposures in the Marshall Islands, Palomares, Spain, and Greenland, Thule Air Force Base. Understanding toxin exposure locations, service dates, health effects, and available benefits is vital to collect just compensation.
- The Military Sexual Trauma Epidemic
- Military sexual trauma (MST) can cause debilitating, persistent mental and physical complications, destroying careers, families, and lives. In many cases, the most severe circumstances could be alleviated if veterans experiencing MST received proper support and benefits from the start. Although the VA does provide benefits for MST-induced complications, receiving those benefits is not easy, even for veterans who reported MST during service. Until the VA makes benefits available to every victim of MST without delay, we owe it to veterans to advocate for this cause.
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- One of the most common combat-related injuries we see today, particularly with veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Even when mild, TBIs have a significant impact on recovering veterans—yet many veterans with TBIs miss out on VA benefits they deserve. Mild TBI symptoms often overlap with other medical issues common in veterans, such as PTSD or depression, and they can be difficult to tell apart. Symptoms such as headache may be obvious, but lesser symptoms, such as irritability or difficulty concentrating, are also associated with mild TBI. Because of these hurdles, veterans and their advocates must be perseverant when seeking benefits for TBI.
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business Fraud
- Service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) contracts are designed to provide veterans with the opportunity and funding to put their skills to work in the business world. However, while thousands of veterans work hard to succeed in business, corrupt business owners defraud the U.S. government by falsely claiming they are eligible for SDVOSB contracts. When these fraudsters illegally secure SDVOSB contracts, our nation’s taxpayers and legitimate service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses suffer—but there are ways to fight back and recover these stolen funds. Veterans or anyone else with inside information about SDVOSB fraud can use the False Claims Act (FCA) to take action and stop the misconduct.
- Military Service and Substance Abuse
- Substance abuse disorders result in the deaths of more than one in four U.S. military members each year. The stress of combat combined with easy access to tobacco, alcohol, and prescription medications creates the perfect recipe for lifelong addiction. Medical conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and chronic pain can cause veterans to turn to substances for comfort, which can later cause debilitating health issues and an increased risk of unemployment, homelessness, and incarceration. The good news is that proper treatment can be extremely effective for veterans, and veterans are indeed able to collect VA benefits for disabilities associated with substance abuse disorders—they simply need the right advocates to guide them in the right direction.
- Veteran Homelessness
- According to the VA, nearly 40,0000 veterans live on the streets or in homeless shelters. Why does veteran homelessness happen? Many veterans leave service with multiple emotional, mental, and physical issues, unprepared for the challenges of returning to civilian life. Some veterans enter a cycle of physical and mental health issues, substance use, criminal activity, and unemployment, each problem compounding the other and eventually leading to homelessness. We must do better for veterans and ensure they get the healthcare and housing benefits they are entitled to.
- Suicide Among U.S. Veterans
- Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death among U.S. civilians, but it is the second leading cause of death among U.S. veterans. Veterans often leave service with a dangerous combination of mental illness, substance use, unemployment, exposure to trauma, and social isolation—any one of which is a risk factor for suicide. What’s more, veterans who received other-than-honorable (OTH) discharges for misconduct often have difficulty getting VA benefits, when the misconduct itself resulted from an underlying mental illness that needs treatment. Veterans are crying out for help, and the VA is failing to provide timely, quality care. Is this the best we can do for the people who served our country?
- The Obesity Epidemic: An Emerging National Crisis
- Obesity is an emerging crisis affecting the veteran community, potential military recruits, and the nation at large. Obesity rates in the U.S. have nearly tripled since 1975. Southern states and rural areas where we target our military recruiting have a higher prevalence of obesity, with those ages 17-24 no longer meeting qualifying standards for military service. VA estimates that around eight out of ten military veterans face the significant psychological, physical, and financial hardships that accompany severe weight gain. Due to immediate national security concerns and the cost to taxpayers in funding VA healthcare, policymakers must tackle this problem aggressively. Obesity treatment and prevention programs are currently inefficient. We must address agricultural policy, public health policy, education, poverty, and community development. Veterans’ advocates must be prepared for the health challenges and staggering healthcare costs associated with future pools of veterans.
- Attorney Representation and Access to Advocates
- Just as access to adequate medical care has been a problem for disabled veterans, so has access to high-quality legal representation. Thankfully, legislative changes now allow veterans to retain attorneys to assist them with their benefits claims. Other regulations have also reduced the financial burden of legal costs, allowing veterans to hire attorneys on contingency or have their attorney’s fees paid by the government. The VA’s tactics to deny valid claims are well known. Still, with expert medical advice and in-depth knowledge of the intricacies of the VA claims process, it is possible to beat the system and secure compensation. There is hope for veterans seeking benefits.
