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Camp Lejeune Medical Reimbursement
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is to implement new statutory authority to provide payment or reimbursement for hospital care and medical services provided to certain veterans' family members who resided at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, for at least 30 days during the period beginning on January 1, 1957, and ending on December 31, 1987. Under this rule, VA will reimburse family members, or pay providers, for medical expenses incurred as a result of certain illnesses and conditions that may be attributed to exposure to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune during this time period. Payment or reimbursement will be made within the limitations set forth in statute and Camp Lejeune family members will receive hospital care and medical services that are consistent with the manner in which the VA provides hospital care and medical services to Camp Lejeune veterans.
Note: This interim final rule is effective October 24, 2014.
Most Veterans Denied Camp Lejeune Benefits
Thousands of Marine Corps veterans in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and Alabama are currently fighting vigorously to get the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) “to do the right thing.”
The veterans are part of nearly a million servicemen and women the VA admits were potentially exposed to contaminated water while stationed at Camp Lejeune.
But, a recent investigation by media outlet, The Reveal, has found despite the federal government promising for years to take care of the servicemen and women impacted by the water contamination, most of the veterans’ claims for medical/health benefits are being denied by the VA – even as many veterans sit close to death.
VA has established a presumptive service connection for Veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members exposed to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune from August 1, 1953 through December 31, 1987 who later developed one of the following eight diseases:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Parkinson's disease
According to VA, these conditions are the only ones for which there is sufficient scientific and medical evidence to support the creation of presumptions.
Michigan Benefits Line
The state of Michigan launched a help line that military veterans can call at any time to get assistance about their government benefits and services. The Veteran Resource Service Center is a partnership between the state Veterans Affairs Agency and the United Way's 211 phone system. Veterans who want help navigating various government agencies are encouraged to call 1-800-MICH-VET during business hours and 211 after hours and on the weekends.
Cash Back to Veterans and Active Duty Troops
Open Mortgage is honoring our Nation’s Veterans by giving back. They offer a $500 lender credit at closing on VA loans and reverse mortgages for applications taken during the entire month of November 2014. Military personnel who are buying homes, refinancing, or using financial strategies such as a reverse mortgage are eligible to benefit from this Special. For more information contact: Diane Creasy, diane@corp.openmtg.com, 512-492-3352.
VA Home Loan Still Possible If You Have Foreclosure or Bankruptcy
These financial setbacks don't automatically put an end to your VA loan chances. It's possible to secure a VA home loan just two years removed from a foreclosure, short sale or bankruptcy. In some cases, veterans who file for Chapter 13 bankruptcy protection can potentially qualify just a year removed from the filing date of either. Homebuyers seeking conventional or FHA financing can find the waiting periods much longer. Even veterans who lose a VA-backed mortgage to foreclosure can still be eligible for another VA loan.
New Court Ruling May Make It Easier For Veterans To Get Disability Increase
The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims issued a decision in September 2017 that could possibly make it much easier for veterans with service-connected disabilities to the upper and lower back, neck, and all joints to obtain a higher disability ratings, even in cases where veterans are already receiving disability benefits for disabling injuries occurred during military service.
Did You Know?
Social Security Benefits
Did you know Social Security Administration (SSA) survivors benefits are paid to widows, widowers, and dependents of eligible workers? You may receive survivors benefits when a family member dies. You and your family could be eligible for benefits based on the earnings of a worker who died. The deceased person must have worked long enough to qualify for social security benefits. If you need to report a death or apply for benefits, call 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) today.
Thank You Card
Did you know a well-timed thank-you card to a medical examiner as a self-interest tool and a critical component of your pursuit for the benefits you've earned? The energy you invest having a well-crafted thank-you card after an examination is time and energy well spent, and it will help you make a positive and lasting impression on those with the power to influence your claim success.
VA Reimbursement
Did you know veterans living or traveling outside the United States can receive reimbursement from VA for a COVID-19 vaccine provided by a local community provider? With enactment of the SAVE LIVES Act on March 24, 2021, veterans eligible for VA’s Foreign Medical Program (FMP) can get reimbursed. VA will pay for a COVID-19 vaccine that is formally approved for use by the national health authorities of the country in which the veteran receives the vaccine. It does not need to be a COVID-19 vaccine authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
COST of War Act of 2021
Did you know there are many provisions in the COST of War Act of 2021? The following represent the provisions to be implemented:
- Ensure that toxic exposure veterans get immediate and lifelong access to VA health care, including up to 3.5 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans;
- Establish a consistent, transparent framework based on medical and scientific evidence to drive the establishment of new presumptions of service connection between a condition and a toxic exposure;
- Reduce the burden on toxic exposure veterans claiming a direct service connection without a presumption, by requiring VA to examine a veteran’s military records for proof of toxic exposure and to consider whether other evidence shows such records are wrong or incomplete.
- Acknowledge that for certain toxic exposure veterans the science supports the creation of new presumptions of service connection, including Agent Orange veterans suffering from hypertension or Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and Burn Pit veterans suffering from various lung-related conditions or glioblastoma;
- Focus federal research to support toxic exposure veterans and ensure that the toxic exposure framework is based on sound science;
- Strengthen VA’s toxic exposure processes from health care to disability benefits, by requiring specialized toxic exposure training for VA health care and disability claims processing personnel; and
- Guarantee toxic exposures are accurately recorded before veterans seek VA health care and benefits, by requiring an independent study on the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record.
VA Considering More Disabilities
Did you know VA is initiating rulemaking to consider adding respiratory conditions, which may include asthma, sinusitis, and rhinitis, to the list of chronic disabilities, based on an association with military service in Southwest Asia, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan during the covered periods of conflict? VA will conduct broad outreach efforts to reach impacted Veterans and encourages them to participate in the rulemaking process.
Conditional Payments
Did you know the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), under the Medicare Secondary Payer Act, state that medical bills paid by Medicare for tort victims are conditional payment? If there is a tort recovery, Medicare is required to be reimbursed.
VA Employs More Audiologists Than Anyone
Did you know the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest employer of audiologists and hearing and balance disorder specialists in the country? The VA says hearing problems are the No. 1 service-related disability reported among veterans and 1.3 million were receiving compensation for tinnitus as of 2020. Between 2001 and 2015, the number of active duty service members with tinnitus grew from 1.8 per every 1,000 members to 6.8.