Department of Veterans Affairs

Forward Observer — Let’s Get the Toxic Exposure Research Act Passed

LVMAC Poster Art 2005The subject of the effect of hazardous, toxic exposures of military veterans has milled around in the houses of Congress for far too many years.  Involved is our our obligation to our veterans to find the root causes of birth defects, learning disabilities, and cancers afflicting too many of their children and grandchildren.  Therefore, “mill around mill” is not a Congressional virtue on such a topic.

Unfortunately, for years certain public officials have insisted and held sway on the issue without sufficient research to back their claim.  Their claim seems to revolve around the assertion that male veterans exposed to Agent Orange can not transmit genetic defects to their children.  While the VA has made provision for the children of Vietnam War Vietnam women veterans for certain diagnoses (without acknowledging the effects of Agent Orange, we might add), it has made absolutely none for the children of its male veterans.  In our opinion that is an awkwardly strange position and a discriminatory one. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Did You File A Claim For Traumatic Brain Injury And Were Denied?

VA LogoOn 1 June 2016 the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert McDonald had granted “equitable relief  to more than 24,000 Veterans following a national review of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) medical examinations conducted in connection with disability compensation claims processed between 2007 and 2015 … Equitable relief is a unique legal remedy that allows the Secretary to correct an injustice to a claimant where VA is not otherwise authorized to do so within the scope of the law.” (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Don’t Know What to Do With Your Loved One’s Funeral Flag?

Use it for a Higher Purpose at the Indiantown Gap National Cemetery

Lehigh County LogoThe Lehigh County Veterans Affairs Office is seeking donations of interment (casket) flags to be flown on the Avenue of Flags at the entrance to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Indiantown Gap National Cemetery located in the vicinity of Annville.  The donations of these flags has dwindled over the years and the continuous need has not been well known. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — The Veterans Choice Program Drama Continues: Getting Bugged by the Private Healthcare’s Debt Collectors?

VA Announces Community Care Call Center to Help Veterans with Choice Program Billing Issues

LVMAC Poster Art 2005The joy of encountering the American private medical systems’  debt collectors has been taken on by the Department of Veterans Affairs in effort to make right with their veterans.  On 14 March 2016, the VA announced the opening of yet another call center – this time to resolve debt collection issues resulting from problems created by the Veterans Choice [Card] program.  Veterans have been experiencing adverse credit reporting or debt collection resulting from inappropriately billed Choice Program claims.  The VA is now acknowledging that delayed payments and inappropriately billed claims are unacceptable and have caused stress for veterans and providers alike. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Out of Bad Comes Good In A Strange Way

New Heptatitis-C Drugs Now Available to All Veterans Who Need It

LVMAC Poster Art 2005In a past articles we have written about the current abortion of a program known as Veterans Choice  which Congress itself helped to create in trying to make the VA’s healthcare system more responsive to veterans living in the current era  (In the coming year we should expect to see major improvement.)   Ironically, an immediate good has resulted from this failure because funds were transferred from the program to overcome a critical budgetary crisis, partially caused by the cost of a certain breakthrough, hepatitis drug.  Furthermore, the issue of hepatitis care was not then forgotten.   This is important news to those among the estimated 200,000 veterans who heretofore have been awaiting the lifesaving medicine now available – sofosbuvir, sold as Sovaldi and Harvoni. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Getting the Right Treatment

Newly Formed Department Steps In

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Earlier this year, the relatively new Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) stepped in and righted a wrong over a matter of significance to those veterans who struggle with alcohol or drug use. Its action should not go unnoticed, for it has a deep impact on the way business has been done in the past. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Announces New One-Number, Call Center

On 17 February, in an effort to improve contact between the serviced veterans and their assigned clinical teams, Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT), the Wilkes-Barre VAMC has announced the opening of a one-stop call center with a one-call number (1-877-928-2621) beginning 19 February 2016.   It is intended to help those using the Medical Center and their Community-Based Outpatient Centers (CBOC) — the Lehigh Valley has two of these, one in Allentown and another in the Bangor area; and it will provide veterans with a direct line of contact to schedule or cancel appointments, relay messages to their provider, request medication refills, or have their calls routed to the appropriate service. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Change 2 to the Veterans Choice Program – Further Tinkering This Time …

But Expect More to Come

LVMAC Poster Art 2005On 1 December, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it again was making changes to its Veterans Choice Program after “learning from our stakeholders what works and what needs to be refined …” It is the second major announcement, since the program began on 5 November 2014.  As previously reported, the “as the crow flies” 40 mile rule was changed to actual driving distance on 24 April 2015.  A back story to this last announcement has been barely noticed. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago