Exposure to Agent Orange at US Bases In February of 2024 VA proposed a rule that would compensate Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange at 17 US military bases. Unfortunately, Fort Ord was not included on this list. The Department of Defense's review did not find any evidence that testing or…
PACT Act - Outdated VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester and colleagues are urging VA Secretary Denis McDonough to expedite the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD). Regulations specifically for toxic-exposed Veterans with constrictive bronchiolitis and hypertension. These two service-connected conditions were added to VA's presumptive…
Need to Improve Care and Benefits for Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma Thursday, April 11th there was a Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing. This hearing was focused on the care and resources for women Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska),…
Veterans are using VR to cope with PTSD Many Veterans of all different generations struggle with PTSD. Virtual Reality also known as "VR" is a way to immerse yourself in an environment in a safe way. VR has become a very popular way of playing video games. But due to the increase…
VA’s Access Sprints - VA Healthcare On March 26, 2024, VA announced the new initiative to expand access to care by offering access to clinics on nights and weekends. “Our mission is to provide world-class health care to our Nation’s heroes. When a Veteran comes to VA, we must be able to…
Veterans To Protect Themselves From Scams This Tax Season Veterans are often the target of scams and must stay vigilant to protect their identities and their benefits. VA News recently released an article with great resources for Veterans to protect themselves and their benefits from scams during tax season. It is important…
February 29, 2024 Bergmann & Moore Wins 17-Year Long Appeal for Veteran Earlier this month, Bergmann & Moore won a case at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA), which resulted in more than 12 years of retroactive benefits for the Veteran. The appeal for entitlement to Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability…
Common Levels of Special Monthly Compensation – SMC-K, SMC-S, & SMC-L Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is an additional tax-free monetary benefit paid by VA to Veterans who have a service-connected disability (or disabilities) that is so severe it results in symptoms outside of the normal rating criteria. SMC doesn’t have ratings like…
VA Expands VA Healthcare to More Veterans Exposed to Environmental Hazards On Monday, February 26th, during a VA Secretary press conference, it was announced that VA healthcare would be expanded to eligible Veterans exposed to environmental hazards. This will go into effect on March 5, 2024. During the press conference, Dr. Shereef…
Are Adult Children of Deceased Veterans Eligible for VA Benefits? One of the most common questions we receive is whether adult children of deceased Veterans are eligible for benefits from the VA. VA defines a “child” of a Veteran as one of the following: An unmarried person under the age of…
