Category Archives: Veterans Benefits

Diabetes is Now the Most Commonly-Paid Disability of Vietnam Veterans

Written On September 1, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Associated Press reports that diabetes is now the most common illness or injury among Vietnam veterans drawing compensation benefits. The reason is a link between Agent Orange and diabetes, even though that link is a bit questionable. In fact, side effects of Agent Orange account for a very large percentage of all disability benefits [...]

Posted in Diabetes, Veterans Benefits

Bill Introduced to Provide One-Time $250 Payment to SS Recipients

Written On August 23, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee, Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), has introduced H.R. 5987, The Seniors Protection Act of 2010, that would provide a one-time $250 payment to retired and disabled Social Security and SSI beneficiaries (and to veterans) if there is no cost-of- living adjustment (COLA) announced for 2011.
Any COLA for 2011 will be determined [...]

Posted in Social Security, Social Security Disability, Veterans Benefits

Important Help for Vets With PTSD

Written On July 12, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Obama administration has announced an important change for veterans who are trying to get disability benefits as a result of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Details are available at the White House Web site.
The basic change is that veterans will no longer be required to provide evidence of the specific incident that caused their PTSD symptoms, [...]

Posted in Disability, Veterans Benefits

Veterans Affairs Wants To Be Advocate, Not Enemy

Written On June 21, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Veterans Affairs Department’s disability claims process can be a nightmare to negotiate, and in my opinion is a real insult to the men and women who have been injured in serving our country. There may be some hope for improvement though. I’ve noted previously that the application form has been reduced to a mere [...]

Posted in Veterans Benefits

New VA Disability Form Now Available on VA Web Site

Written On June 15, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The new veterans disability form I mentioned earlier has now been officially debuted by the VA. You can read the VA press release to get more details.

Posted in Veterans Benefits

New VA Disability Form Available

Written On June 15, 2010 By Bob Kraft

There is a new form available for filing VA disability (more properly called compensation) claims. The new form is only six pages, in contrast with the earlier 23-page form. I don’t think the new one is on the VA Web site yet, but here’s a copy of it.

Posted in Veterans Benefits

Memorial Day History

Written On May 31, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Web site USMemorialDay.org has an interesting section on the history of Memorial Day. As we pause today to honor our veterans, the history of this day is important. This is the opening section of the Web page:
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our [...]

Posted in Miscellaneous, Veterans Benefits

Texas Agencies Promise Reform After Alleged Abuse at Veterans Nursing Homes

Written On May 19, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Three state agencies have pledged to improve responses to abuse allegations at nursing homes, after legislators raised pointed questions about safety and management at two state-owned facilities for veterans. That is the story published recently in the Dallas Morning News. Here are excerpts:
One of the main changes is for the state agency in charge of [...]

Posted in Government, Medical Malpractice, Veterans Benefits

VA Limits Surgeries at Some Hospitals After Deaths

Written On May 13, 2010 By Bob Kraft

Because of an alarming report of deaths during or after surgeries at one VA hospital in Illinois, the Veterans Affairs Department is limiting the types of surgeries performed at some of its hospitals.
The VA has now given each hospital a “surgical complexity” level. Because of that, hospitals in at least five states will now perform [...]

Posted in Government, Medical Malpractice, Veterans Benefits

Featured Link — Checks for Vets Blog

Written On January 2, 2010 By Bob Kraft

The Checks for Vets blog is written by Joseph S. McCarthy, who is also the author of the book Checks for Vets. Mr. McCarthy writes about various benefits to which wartime vets are entitled, especially Aid and Attendance benefits. Here are Mr. McCarthy’s goals in writing his book:
Get the word out to wartime service veterans [...]

Posted in Featured Link, Veterans Benefits

Long Term Care for Senior Veterans

Written On November 11, 2009 By Bob Kraft

In the year 1919 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as Armistice Day to honor those Veterans who served during World War I. On November 11, 1954, Armistice Day was proclaimed a legal national holiday and the name was changed to “Veterans Day” to honor all veterans of all wars.
Every November 11, ceremonies are held [...]

Posted in Veterans Benefits

Veterans Day

Written On November 11, 2009 By Bob Kraft

Today is Veterans Day in the United States. Please take the time to thank anyone you know who has served in our armed forces, and also take a few minutes to think about those who served and now are not here with us to be thanked.

Posted in Veterans Benefits

Wounded Troops Face Too Much Bureaucracy

Written On October 29, 2009 By Bob Kraft

In a speech this week Defense Secretary Robert Gates gave his opinion that troops injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to face too many bureaucratic hurdles. This is true of course, but applies equally to all veterans applying for medical care and disability benefits, and not only to those who have served in [...]

Posted in Veterans Benefits

Obama Proposes Extra One-Time Payment to Social Security Recipients

Written On October 15, 2009 By Bob Kraft

As a follow-up to the last post, the press is reporting today that President Obama is proposing a one-time payment of $250 to Social Security recipients and others to partially make up for the lack of a cost-of-living-adjustment in 2010. The payments would be made sometime next year, and would go to all Social Security [...]

Posted in Government, Social Security, Social Security Disability, Veterans Benefits

PTSD and Social Security Disability

Written On September 2, 2009 By Bob Kraft

A number of our Social Security Disability clients suffer from post-traumatic-stress-disorder or PTSD. Individuals suffering from this disorder frequently experience the following symptoms:

re-experiencing symptoms (for example, a car backfire reminds a veteran of gunfire from battle),

avoidance of situations that remind a person of the traumatic event (for example, avoiding television shows with natural disasters [...]

Posted in Disability, Medical and Health Resources, Social Security Disability, Veterans Benefits

Negligence Suits Likely Over VA Procedures

Written On August 24, 2009 By Bob Kraft

As reported today in the Washington Post, the Department of Veterans Affairs is facing the possibility of a series of negligence lawsuits over contaminated medical equipment used in colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures. Here are excerpts:
Army veteran Juan Rivera reported to the veterans hospital in Miami for a routine colonoscopy in May 2008. Almost a year [...]

Posted in Medical Malpractice, Veterans Benefits

Featured Link – NewGIBill.org

Written On August 15, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The Post 9/11 GI Bill is the largest investment in veterans’ education since World War II, covering the full cost of an undergraduate education at any public university or college in the country and many private schools for our nation’s newest generation of veterans. Here is the list of Frequently Asked Questions about this new [...]

Posted in Featured Link, Veterans Benefits

Schumer to Introduce Veterans’ Malpractice Bill in Senate

Written On June 25, 2009 By Bob Kraft

New York state’s Times Herald-Record reports, “Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced Wednesday he is introducing the Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act, which will give military service members the right to pursue civil actions against the military for medical negligence experienced while receiving treatment for injuries unrelated to their service.”
From the American Association for Justice [...]

Posted in Medical Malpractice, Veterans Benefits

Family Fights For Right To Sue Military Over Medical Malpractice

Written On March 25, 2009 By Bob Kraft

The CBS Evening News (3/24, story 5, 3:40, Couric) reported, "About a year ago, we brought you the tragic story of Marine Sergeant Carmelo Rodriguez. Military doctors noticed he had melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, but they left it untreated and Rodriguez died." Under the "Feres Doctrine, a 1950 Supreme Court ruling" his [...]

Posted in Government, Medical Malpractice, Veterans Benefits

Little-Known Government Program Pays the Cost of Elder Care

Written On March 17, 2009 By Bob Kraft

WHAT IF 33% OF ALL SENIORS IN THIS COUNTRY could receive up to $1,949 a month in additional income from the government to help cover their elder care costs? THEY CAN!

Under
the right circumstances, a little-known federal program will pay
additional income to cover long term care costs for at least 1/3 of all
US senior [...]

Posted in Veterans Benefits