Category: Health Benefits

One of the most important factors in winning a claim or appeal for VA disability compensation benefits is developing medical evidence in support of your case. There is virtually no way to get your disability claim approved without sufficient medical evidence to support your claim. In this post, I put together some tips about developing […]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is among the most significant injuries former combat veterans suffer. According to health officials, there has been an uptick in TBI in military service members who served in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is because of the enemy’s use of roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs). However, not all TBIs  are caused by […]

Winning a claim for service connection for asbestos-related diseases can be difficult due to the need to prove you were exposed to asbestos. Proving asbestos exposure to receive disability compensation benefits can be a complicated process that is likely to be daunting in the face of the health concerns you’ve been forced to deal with. […]

Each VA benefit – health care, disability, pension, education, housing, etc. – administered by the VA has its own unique eligibility requirements but there are basic eligibility requirements common to all VA benefits. The most common requirement is whether you are a veteran, and some benefits look at whether you had wartime versus peacetime service […]

A VA disability rating is not truly protected until it has been in effect for 20 years or more. At the 20-year mark, the VA cannot reduce a rating unless it determines that the rating was based on fraud. Prior to then, however, there are certain situations where VA can reduce a disability rating if […]

In a change to longstanding policy, the VA will now provide emergency mental health care to veterans with other-than-honorable (OTH) administrative discharges. As of July 2017, all former service members suffering from a mental health emergency may access the VA health care system by visiting a VA emergency room, an outpatient clinic, or a vet […]

After years of pressure from lawmakers in Congress, VA has finally rolled out an open burn pit registry by which veterans can document exposure to airborne hazards, including smoke from burn pits. The potential effects of open air burn pits were first raised in 2008, and since that time, hundreds of veterans have returned home with significant respiratory problems and […]

The VA announced earlier this month the start of the VA Dental Insurance Program (VADIP), which allows veterans who are enrolled in VA health care to purchase dental insurance through Delta Dental or MetLife. VADIP enrollment began November 15th with coverage starting January 1, 2014. Turn the page to see how to calculate your potential premiums for dental […]