Title 38 - Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief
Volume: 1
Date: 2019-07-01
Original Date: 2019-07-01
Title: PART 17 - MEDICAL
The secret truth of the student debt crisis
Most student debt will be canceled sooner or later, because an ever-growing share
of borrowers cannot possibly repay their loans. Ever.
Veterans Affairs:Use of Additional Funding for COVID-19 Relief
As of April 14, 2021, the Department of Veterans Affairs reported 224,538 cumulative
COVID-19 cases among veterans, with 11,366 deaths.
Never Stop Reading
Never Stop Learning
Rates of Parkinson’s disease are exploding.
A common chemical - trichloroethylene (TCE) - may be to blame
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General
COVID-19 fraud is rapidly evolving. This page is frequently updated.
Schedule for Rating Disabilities
"It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired.
You quit when the gorilla is tired." — Robert Straus
How To
When you deal with your VA benefits there are dozens, maybe hundreds of resources on the Internet, usually way too complex
to read or they want your money to open their secrets...how do you choose where to take advice and council? I think I have
the answer. When you want to deal with your VA, whether you're filing a claim or trying to get along with your health care providers,
you need to hear the voice of a veteran who actually uses the VA. I'm in the process of providing that resource for you...for free.
No sign-up, no registration, instant access to reliable information. It's your VA, use it effectively.
This is a Work In Progress throughout 2021. Check back every now and then for updates.
Let's File A Claim
Filing your claim for VAbenefits isn't as hard as some want you to believe. Let's set the effective date of any claim you file in the next year. This one is easy so let's do it right now.
American Rescue Plan Helps Veterans
As part of the American Rescue Plan, the Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program (VRRAP)
provides financial aid to help you recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Medical Experts For Veterans Disability Claims
Serving Veterans, Service Officers, & Attorneys since 2015
Nexus Letters / Medical Opinions - Get Started Now
Veterans Law Attorney Personal Injury Law
Nationwide Representation Free Veterans Consultations
Workers Compensation - Social Security Disability - Pain & Suffering - Emotional & Mental Anguish
Veterans unemployed due to pandemic now eligible for VA job training funds
VRRAP covers education and training programs approved under the GI Bill and Veteran Employment
Through Technology Education Courses, or VET TEC, that lead to high-demand jobs.
These include associate degrees, non-college degrees, and certificate programs.
Alabama
V A Claims Intake Center
PO BOX 4444
JANESVILLE, WI
53547- 4444
Toll Free Fax:
844-531-7818
Gregory Rada Veterans Law Attorney
Military Veteran - Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom
VA disability appeals, TDIU claims, MST, PTSD, other mental health disability claims, appeals and veterans disability claims processes.
Attorney Rada offers free telephone case evaluations and nationwide representation.
Interest rate reduction refinance loan
If you have an existing VA-backed home loan and you want to reduce your monthly mortgage payments—
or make your payments more stable—an interest rate reduction refinance loan (IRRRL) may be right for you.
Veterans Psych Evaluations
Brett Valette, Ph.D.
Providing Military Veterans Personalized Psychological and Medical Evaluations. Complete the Contact form, and you'll get a personal phone call from us. We listen, and want to know what you are going through. We provide Independent Medical Evaluations (IME), Independent Medical Opinions (IMO) and nexus letters for ratings reviews, secondary conditions, medical conditions, discharge upgrades, and many types of denied claims. We also provide Social Security Disability claim reports.
Some Wounds Can't Be Seen Contact Us Today
Jim Strickland is a Vietnam era Army veteran and nationally recognized expert on VA
disability benefits. Jim writes extensively about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
Jim's Mailbag is a regular column featured at Stateside Legal where veterans, servicemembers,
and family members can ask Jim their questions about VA and Social Security disability benefits.
Type your paragraph here.
Marijuana, Drug Testing and VA
Question:
If my Psychology find marijuana in my urine, what will he most like say or do to me concerning illegal marijuana in my urine?
Reply:
In a very broad sense, VA doesn't care if you smoke pot...you won't lose any benefits because you burn some rope. Your mental health provider may object, though, since marijuana is a psychoactive substance. The provider may think that it interferes with other therapy so don't be surprised if you're advised to quit.
Question:
I'm a 100% T&P Vietnam vet. My wife has CHAMPVA. At age 59, she has no other health insurance. Does CHAMPVA have deductibles and co-pay? When she sees a doctor who accepts CHAMPVA, does the doctor file a claim with CHAMPVA or does my wife have to pay the bill first and then file with CHAMPVA for reimbursement?
Jim's Reply:
My wife and I are in your situation. She has used CHAMPVA as her only insurer for years and we're very happy with it.
CHAMPVA health insurance is at once one of the best insurances available and simultaneously the most difficult of the VA's different divisions to deal with. Rather than answering your questions, I think it best to refer you to one or two of the dozens of web sites that CHAMPVA folks have posted to guide and/or confuse you.
You can start here https://www.va.gov/health-care/family-caregiver-benefits/champva/ for example and then head to
https://www.va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/docs/pubfiles/factsheets/FactSheet_01-04.pdf to learn how CHAMPVA pays.
It may be helpful for you to use your Google search engine to look for more of the many bits of info out there that may be helpful. The trick to using CHAMPVA successfully is patience and then some more patience. Phone calls will be put on terminal hold, voice mails will be ignored, faxes will be lost as will certified mail. If you need to call CHAMPVA, get a coffee, find something to distract you while you wait and prepare to sit a while. Once you accept that it is what it is and that getting angry and wanting the system to respond to you won't help, you'll learn that many providers are happy with the payments, pharmacy is really simple and her choice of physicians is pretty great.In fact, she now has better access to health care than you do. Good luck!
For the first time, U.S. panel recommends screening adults for illicit drug use
“We have a pretty high prevalence of adults using illicit drugs and we’re seeing harms every day from that. This is a big change that we’re really excited about. Effective treatment is where we will finally begin to move the needle on the epidemic.”
Substance use, substance abuse, smoking marijuana in a legal state...the rumors and the controversy rage on.
Here are the facts.
VA could care less that you burn rope whether it's legal in your region or not. There is no penalty for using marijuana, you will not lose any disability benefits for abusing any substance. If you test positive during a not-so-random drug screen, your provider may tell you that there won't be any more pain meds prescribed but other than that, there is no penalty. If you test positive for opiates or cola or speed or whatever, you'll get a referral to a rehab program...maybe. That's it, nothing more. Your rights are not being violated by drug screening you. Get over it. Drug abuse, particularly opioids, is a huge health problem in our country and VA is treating that like a health problem...not a criminal issue...and that's a good thing!
I support drug screens of all adults at every encounter. It entertains me when my lab result for marijuana says HIGH.
No, you do not have to submit to
a drug test at VA.
You can tell your provider you do
not want to be screened for drug use...
but that raises the question...why? What are you afraid of?
Lodging & Camping in southern Illinois with access to the Shawnee National
We offer lodging, camping,
stabling, corral, pasture,
access to a hunting lease and
discounts for America's
military veterans!
Download VA benefit letters
To receive some benefits, Veterans need a letter proving their status.
Independent Medical Opinions Nexus Letters
Thomas Grieder, MD PhD
25 Years Service as a VA Psychiatrist
Lead Psychiatrist East Los Angeles
PTSD Clinical Team
I'm Jim Strickland
and I approve of this message.
Welcome to the KnowVA Knowledge Base
Locate information more quickly and efficiently
Veterans Struggle to Get Copies of Needed Service Records Due to Pandemic
Access to some VA benefits, services delayed as backlog of requests hits 500,000
Veterans Law Attorney
Graduate of the US Military Academy West Point, 20 years of active Army service, multiple deployments,
XVIII Airborne Corps, and Third Army, Airborne and Master Explosive Ordnance Disposal badges.
$113.1 Billion Discretionary VA Bill for ’22 Submitted
The Biden administration’s proposed $113.1 billion spending bill for the Department of Veterans Affairs addresses delivery of health-care services, homelessness, suicide prevention, support for caregivers, and technological improvements.
Dependents & Survivor Benefits Specializing In Veterans Law Federal Tort Claims Disability Claims
Free Veterans Case Reviews Nationwide Representation
The NPRC
Military Records
Three Consequences of Using Marijuana After Your State “Legalizes”
1. Marijuana users will fail future NICS firearm background checks.
Jim Strickland
jim912@gmail.com
When You Hit A Dead End
The Department of Veterans Affairs
White House Hotline
855 - 948 - 2311
< Denis.McDonough@va.gov >
Yes, this really works. No, it doesn't ring in the White House. The email address and phone number are staffed by a seemingly serious group of players, many who are veterans, and if you have a legit issue, telling these folks is like bringing in the artillery.
Let's prepare for your call or email. Make some notes before you proceed so you don't forget anything.
I prefer email since there's no waiting for someone to answer and I can take my time to prepare the story in just the right detail.
Be sure to include your DOB, your last 4, contact info...a couple of numbers, your preferred email and such.
Describe the problem as briefly as you can. Less is more. Include the necessary components but don't tell your life story.
Don't rant. Be polite...military courtesy will get you places that hollering IN ALL CAPS won't. Respect!
Don't waste their time with bogus complaints about your feelings being hurt. If you appropriately utilize this
service, I'll vouch that this works like a champ.
Tell them you read about this at The VAWatchdog Dot Org...they know who we are.
New financial tool provides Veterans more control and transparency
Any Veteran with a debt related to VA benefits can now access their debt information online
Where did your claim disappear to?
Veterans hit by huge pandemic-related records backlog
National Archives estimates it will take 18 to 24 months to clear the backlog once the records center is fully staffed
Get Started
Two options explaining the
Benefits you've earned.
Do you need some help with your claim?
I'm accepting limited appointments to talk live on the phone or to videoconference with you. There is no fee for this service.
If you'd like to talk, provide me with some information about who you are and what's up and I'll be in touch. /s/ Jim
You may file claims on eBenefits or you can mail them in using certified mail or you can even fax them in.
Vaccine Eligibility Expanded at DoD Sites
All eligible and authorized TRICARE beneficiaries and Defense Department personnel
can now get vaccinated for Covid-19 at DoD sites.
Fascinating historical documents, reports on items in the news, oddities and fun stuff and government bloopers, they're all here.
Nexus and IMO Letters
Were you hazed while serving in the military? GAO may want to hear from you
The Government Accountability Office is looking for service members who were victims of hazing while they served.
The office is collecting the information for a study on the Defense Department’s efforts to prevent and respond to hazing.
The VA Watchdog Dot Org
Since 2005, We're Keeping An Eye On Your VA
Because Somebody Has To!
Welcome Home! I'm Jim Strickland. I'm an Army vet, I was 91-D20 in USAREUR at the
98th General Hospital near Camp Baumholder 1967 - 1970. I publish the VAWatchdog
Dot Org to help you obtain the benefits you earned by your service to our country.
I'll share what I'm reading today, the important stuff. Feedback is always welcomed.
NO DIGITAL ADVERTISING means no ad-trackers. Nobody is looking at your data here.
CDC updates guidance on how COVID-19 spreads
The CDC updated its guidance on COVID-19 transmission May 7,
underscoring that the virus spreads via small respiratory droplets and particles in the air.
disability claim
Find out how to file a claim for disability compensation
or increased disability compensation.