Author Archives: ron
VA medical marijuana – VA opposes bills broadening medical marijuana access:
The Trump administration has taken a stance against three separate medical marijuana bills being considered by members of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. Testifying on 30 APR before the House panel’s Subcommittee on Health, officials from the Department of … Continue reading
The Reserve Component DD-214 Act (no number assigned as of this writing):
“This bill will ensure that members of the National Guard and Reserve receive the complete record of their federal and state service currently provided to our active duty service members,” said Senator Lankford. “National Guard and Reserve personnel should be … Continue reading
Vet Toxic Exposure Legislation:
A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers are backing a bill that would repeal a tax increase on benefits paid to families of U.S. service members who died in the line of duty. The 2017 tax reform law increased the taxes on … Continue reading
VA may have incorrect addresses for 25,000 veterans:
The Department of Veterans Affairs has notified veterans in several states that the address the agency has on file for them may have been incorrectly changed. In social media postings and press releases, the VA has stated that both the … Continue reading
• Transition Assistance Program (TAP) update changes coming to TAP this Fall;
Changes are coming to the Pentagon’s program for transitioning troops, which is designed to boost veterans’ chances for success, starting with requirements that must be completed more than a year before a service member plans to leave. Starting 1 OCT, … Continue reading
• VA appeals status tracker – how to check the status of your claim:
Knowing what stage of the appeals process your claim is in can help you avoid missing deadlines and better understand how the VA claims and appeals process works. Generally, there are eight steps that disability claims follow: 1) Claim Received. … Continue reading
Military Survivor Benefits update – H.R.1911 | Gold Star and Military Survivors Act:
When Sgt. 1st Class Ofren Arrechaga was killed in Afghanistan in 2011, his wife Seana vowed to follow the plan the couple had for their family: She would remain a stay-at-home mom to raise their son, now 11. She continues … Continue reading
VA presumptive Agent Orange diseases update – H.R.2201 | Keeping Our Promises Act:
Recent National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine reports have found an association between exposure to Agent Orange and bladder cancer, hypertension, and Parkinson’s-like symptoms. This week, Representatives Westerman (R-AK), Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Tipton (D-CA), Stefanik (R-NY), Cunningham (D-SC), Boyle (D-PA), … Continue reading
VA announces improvements to veteran community care under Mission Act:
The new eligibility criteria will be a major improvement over existing criteria in terms of making things simpler: currently, eligibility criteria vary between VA’s community care programs. When the new criteria go into effect, Veterans can expect better access and … Continue reading
Supreme court delays final ruling on ‘Blue Water’ Vietnam veterans benefits:
As reported by Leo Shane III for Military Times, the Supreme Court this week granted a 30-day extension to Department of Justice officials contemplating an appeal of a lower court ruling in January which extended presumptive benefits to tens of … Continue reading