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 Recent News Entries Welcome to the Wisconsin Department Service Office Blog Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans DOD and VA Announce Disability Evaluation System Pilot Expansion OEF/OIF CARE MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK AVAILABLE The Post 9/11 GI Bill |
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Welcome to the Wisconsin Department Service Office Blog
Posted at 5:44 AM on Monday, November 30, 2009 by WiVSO
Welcome to the Wisconsin Veterans of Foreign Wars Department Service Officer's Blog. We hope to use this blog to post timely articles of interest and importance to veterans and answer the questions we may receive from our readers.
If you have a general interest question you'd like us to research for you, CLICK HERE to send us an e-mail.
Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans
Posted at 12:58 PM on Friday, November 20, 2009 by WiVSO
Comprehensive Study Will Help VA Provide High-Quality Care
WASHINGTON (Nov. 19, 2009) -Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching a comprehensive study of women Veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam War to explore the effects of their military service upon their mental and physical health.
"One of my top priorities is to meet the needs of women Veterans," said Secretary Shinseki. "Our Veterans have earned the very best care. VA realizes that women Veterans require specialized programs, and this study will help VA provide high-quality care for women Veterans of the Vietnam era."
The study, which begins in November and lasts more than four years, will contact approximately 10,000 women in a mailed survey, telephone interview and a review of their medical records.
As women Vietnam Veterans approach their mid-sixties, it is important to understand the impact of wartime deployment on health and mental outcomes nearly 40 years later. The study will assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental and physical health conditions for women Vietnam Veterans, and explore the relationship between PTSD and other conditions.
VA will study women Vietnam Veterans who may have had direct exposure to traumatic events, and for the first time, study those who served in facilities near Vietnam. These women may have had similar, but less direct exposures. Both women Veterans who receive their health care from VA and those who receive health care from other providers will be contacted to determine the prevalence of a variety of health conditions.
About 250,000 women Veterans served in the military during the Vietnam War and about 7,000 were in or near Vietnam. Those who were in Vietnam, those who served elsewhere in Southeast Asia and those who served in the United States are potential study participants.
The study represents to date the most comprehensive examination of a group of women Vietnam Veterans, and will be used to shape future research on women Veterans in future wars. Such an understanding will lay the groundwork for planning and providing appropriate services for women Veterans, as well as for the aging Veteran population today.
Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran population. There are approximately 1.8 million women Veterans among the nation's total of 23 million living Veterans. Women comprise 7.8 percent of the total Veteran population and nearly 5.5 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services. VA estimates women Veterans will constitute 10.5 percent of the Veteran population by 2020 and 9.5 percent of all VA patients.
In recent years, VA has undertaken a number of initiatives to create or enhance services for women Veterans, including the implementation of comprehensive primary care throughout the nation, staffing every VA medical center with a women Veterans program manager, supporting a multifaceted research program on women's health, improving communication and outreach to women Veterans, and continuing the operation of organizations like the Center for Women Veterans and the Women Veterans
Health Strategic Healthcare Group.
The study, to be managed by VA's Cooperative Studies Program, is projected to cost $5.6 million.
DOD and VA Announce Disability Evaluation System Pilot Expansion
Posted at 6:25 PM on Monday, November 16, 2009 by WiVSO
The Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that beginning in January 2010, the Disability Evaluation System (DES) pilot will expand to an additional six installations across the country.
The new locations will include: Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Bragg, N.C.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Lewis, Wash.; Fort Riley, Kan.; and Portsmouth Naval Medical Center, Va. This expansion brings the total number of military facilities using the pilot to 27.
"The decision to expand the pilot was based upon favorable reviews focusing on the program's ability to met timeliness, effectiveness, transparency, and customer and stakeholder satisfaction," said Noel Koch, deputy under secretary of defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy.
In November 2007, the DoD and VA implemented the pilot test for disability cases originating at the three major military treatment facilities in the national capital region. The pilot is a test of a new process design eliminating the duplicative, time-consuming, and often confusing elements of the two current disability processes of the departments. Key features of the DES pilot include one medical examination and a single-sourced disability rating. To date, more than 5,431 service members have participated in the pilot since November 2007.
"Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with DoD to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We will never lose sight of the fact that veterans and military personnel have earned their benefits from VA and DoD by virtue of their service to the nation."
In October 2008, DoD and VA approved expansion of the DES pilot to 18 sites beyond the three initial national capital region sites. This process was successfully completed on May 31, 2009. The estimated completion date for the new six site expansion is scheduled for March 31, 2010.
"This expansion encompasses an additional 20 percent of total service member population enrolled in the program to achieve 47 percent overall enrollments, which will allow us to gather and evaluate data from a diverse geographic area, prior to determining worldwide implementation," said Koch.
The pilot was authorized by the Defense Authorization Act of 2008 and stems from the recommendations from the reports of the Task Force on Returning Global War on Terrorism Heroes, the Independent Review Group, the President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors (the Dole/Shalala Commission), and the Commission on Veterans' Disability Benefits.
OEF/OIF CARE MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK AVAILABLE
Posted at 11:31 AM on Tuesday, October 20, 2009 by WiVSO
VHA Handbook 1010.01, Care Management of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Veterans, has been released for publication.
This Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Handbook:
- Establishes procedures in the transition of care, coordination of services, and care management of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom(OIF) active duty service members and Veterans by VHA and Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) staff.
- Describes the partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to transition the health care of severely ill and injured returning combat service members and Veterans from DOD to the VA health care system.
- Outlines the care management process and describes the roles and functions of VA staff working with the care management of OEF-OIF patients across various program areas within VA.
- Establishes a standardized procedures and care management model.
You will also find a direct link on this page under the "District/Other Links", "Our Links" pull-down menu, and also on our VFW Forms Page, accessible under the "Email & Forms" menu, above.
The Post 9/11 GI Bill
Posted at 6:14 AM on Sunday, October 18, 2009 by WiVSO
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is the most comprehensive education benefit package since the original GI Bill was signed into law in 1944. Individuals who are eligible for the new benefit may begin using the benefit August 1, 2009, for training that begins on or after that date. This letter provides a brief overview of the new benefit.
Basic Eligibility
Only active duty service performed after September 10, 2001, may be considered for determining eligibility for this new benefit. To be eligible, a service member or veteran must have served at least 90 aggregate days on active duty. However, individuals honorably discharged for a service-connected disability who served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001, may also establish eligibility.
Basic Benefits
The maximum basic benefit provides the following:
• Cost of tuition and fees, not to exceed the most expensive in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution of higher learning in the state you are attending school;
• Monthly housing allowance equal to the basic allowance for housing payable to an E-5 with dependents, in the same zip code as the school; and
• Yearly books and supplies stipend of up to $1,000 per year.
The maximum basic benefit is earned after serving an aggregate of 36 months of active duty service or after 30 days of continuous service for those individuals who were discharged for a service-connected disability. Individuals serving between 90 days and 36 months of aggregate active duty service will be eligible for a percentage of the maximum benefit.
The percentage level ranges from 40% of the basic benefit for those whose service is between 90 days and 6 months to 90% for those who served between 30 and 36 months. For example, an individual with 5 months of qualifying service could receive 40% of the tuition benefit, 40% of the monthly housing allowance, and a maximum of $400 books and supplies stipend. The following chart represents the maximum percentage payable based on the length of an individual’s aggregate active duty
For those individuals entitled to the maximum tuition and fee benefit and whose tuition and fees exceed the highest in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution (i.e. graduate training or training at a private institution), the amount payable is equal to the highest in-state undergraduate tuition at a public institution, unless benefits under the Yellow Ribbon provision apply. (See "The Yellow Ribbon Program" section below for more information.)
Individuals will generally receive 36 months of full-time education benefits. This should allow an individual to receive benefits for a four-year undergraduate degree based on a nine-month academic year, however, individuals may continue to receive benefits for approved training at an institution of higher learning (degree granting institution), including graduate training, provided they have remaining entitlement. If eligible for more than one VA education program, individuals are limited to a maximum of 48 months of benefits. Those individuals transferring to the Post-9/11 GI Bill from the Montgomery GI Bill (chapter 30) will be limited to the amount of their remaining chapter 30 entitlement. Individuals will remain eligible for benefits for 15 years from the date of their last discharge or release from active duty of at least 90 continuous days.
The monthly housing allowance is equal to the military housing benefit rates of an E-5 with dependents. The housing allowance is based on the location of the school and will be sent directly to the veteran for each month of enrollment in school training at more than half time. Individuals on active duty, anyone training at half time or less, and those solely pursuing distance learning are not eligible for the monthly housing allowance.
The maximum yearly books and supplies stipend is $1,000 and will be paid proportionally for each quarter, semester, or term attended in a school year. Payment will be made to the individual during each term he or she is enrolled.
The Yellow Ribbon Program
The Yellow Ribbon Program provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill allows institutions to enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition costs above the highest in-state undergraduate tuition rate. VA will match each additional dollar that an institution of higher learning (IHL) contributes toward an eligible student’s tuition costs, up to 50 percent of the difference between the tuition and fees covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the total cost of tuition and fees. Only individuals entitled to the maximum benefit rate (based on service requirements) may receive this funding. IHLs will offer this additional benefit to eligible individuals on a first come, first served basis. Detailed information regarding the Yellow Ribbon Program, including a list of participating Yellow Ribbon institutions will be posted on our website.
Prior MGIB Eligibility
Those individuals transferring from the Montgomery GI Bill (chapter 30) will have a proportional amount of their basic $1,200 contribution refunded in the last monthly housing allowance payment when entitlement exhausts. Individuals who do not exhaust entitlement under the Post 9/11 GI Bill will not receive a refund. A refund of the $600 additional contribution is not authorized.
For further information on the new Post 9/11 GI Bill please contact the VFW State Service Office at 414-902-5748.
If you have a general interest question you'd like us to research for you, CLICK HERE to send us an e-mail.
VA Extends “Agent Orange” Benefits to More Veterans
Posted at 6:25 PM on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by WiVSO
Parkinson’s Disease, Two Other Illnesses Recognized
The illnesses affected by the recent decision are B cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson’s disease; and ischemic heart disease.
Used in
In practical terms, Veterans who served in
The Secretary’s decision brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will,” Shinseki added. “Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence.”
Other illnesses previously recognized under VA’s “presumption” rule as being caused by exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War are:
· Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy
· Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
· Respiratory Cancers, and
· Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma or Mesothelioma
If you have a general interest question you'd like us to research for you, CLICK HERE to send us an e-mail.
Agent Orange Linked to New Diseases
Posted at 6:11 PM on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by WiVSO
In its recent review of medical research into the long-term effects of exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that there is a suggestive link between exposure to Agent Orange and Ischemic Heart Disease, Parkinson's Disease and certain rare cancers.
In the same review, the IOM affirmed its earlier conclusion that there is a significantly increased risk of developing hypertension in those who served in Vietnam.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars is calling on the VA to fully recognize these findings and award presumptive service connection for veterans suffering from these diseases who were exposed to Agent Orange.
In 2000, a similar study found a link between Agent Orange and Type II Diabetes. Those findings led the VA to recognize presumptive service connection for Vietnam veterans suffering from the disease.
“Based on this data, the VA should take swift action,” says Gerald Manar, Deputy Director, National Veterans Service. “The VFW is pushing for full recognition of conditions linked to Agent Orange exposure, along with proper medical care and timely compensation.”
If you have a general interest question you'd like us to research for you, CLICK HERE to send us an e-mail.
Injured veterans may be entitled to Special Monthly Compensation from the VA
Posted at 3:15 PM on Monday, September 7, 2009 by WiVSO
Many Veterans may be eligible for special monthly compensation (SMC)
The VA can pay additional compensation to a veteran who, as a result of military service, incurred the loss or loss of use of specific organs or extremities.
What is considered loss or loss of use? Loss, or loss of use, is described as either an amputation or, having no effective remaining function of an extremity or organ. The disabilities VA can consider for SMC include:
Loss, or loss of use, of a hand or foot
Immobility of a joint or paralysis
Loss of sight of an eye (having only light perception)
Loss, or loss of use, of a reproductive organ
Complete loss, or loss of use, of both buttocks
Deafness of both ears (having absence of air and bone conduction)
Inability to communicate by speech
Loss of a percentage of tissue from a single breast, or both breasts, from mastectomy or radiation treatment
What if you have a combination of these disabilities? The VA will pay higher rates for combinations of these disabilities such as loss or loss of use of the feet, legs, hands, and arms, in specific monetary increments, based on the particular combination of the disabilities. There are also higher payments for various combinations of severe deafness with bilateral blindness. In addition, if you have other service-connected disabilities that, in combination with the above special monthly compensation, meet certain criteria, a higher amount of SMC can also be considered.
Can the VA pay SMC for being bedridden, housebound or in need of the aid and attendance of another person? If a veteran is service connected at the 100 percent rate and is housebound, bedridden, or is so helpless to need the aid and attendance of another person, then a claim for payment of additional SMC can be considered. The amount of SMC will vary depending on the level of aid and attendance needed.
Remember, in determining qualifications for SMC, the VA must review the medical evidence regarding the loss or loss of use and then make a decision regarding the level of SMC to be paid. If you are a veteran with service-connected disabilities and think you may be entitled to special monthly compensation, please contact a Veteran Service Office, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars or your local county veterans office for assistance.
If you think you may qualify for SMC or other VA benefits and would like to find out, contact the Wisconsin VFW Veteran Service Office, CLICK HERE to send us an e-mail.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and the Veterans Administration
Posted at 4:10 PM on Friday, September 4, 2009 by WiVSO
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease that affects about 20,000 to 30,000 people of all races and ethnicities in the United States, is often relentlessly progressive, and is almost always fatal.
ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, causes degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that leads to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy and spontaneous muscle activity. Currently, the cause of ALS is unknown, and there is no effective treatment.
Veterans with ALS may receive badly-needed support for themselves and their families after the Department of Veterans Affairs announced in 2008 ALS is now a presumptively compensable illness for all veterans with 90 days or more of continuously active service in the military.
Veterans are developing ALS in rates higher than the general population according to a report, titled Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Veterans which analyzed numerous previous studies on the issue and concluded that there is limited but suggestive evidence of an association between military service and later development of ALS but realizing that ALS progresses so rapidly, once it is diagnosed there simply isn't time to develop the evidence needed to support compensation claims before many veterans become seriously ill.
Researchers have found that men with any history of military service in the last century are at a nearly 60 percent greater risk of being diagnosed with the disease. The decision by the VA will make claims much easier to process and for the veteran and their families to receive the compensation they have earned though their service to our country.
For more information on ALS go to www.alsa.org.
If you have a general interest question you'd like us to research for you, CLICK HERE to send us an e-mail.
What is the Board of Veteran's Appeals?
Posted at 1:07 PM on Tuesday, September 1, 2009 by WiVSO
The Board of Veterans’ Appeals (also known as "the BVA" or "the Board") is a part of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), located in Washington, D.C. "Members of the Board" review benefit claims determinations made by local VA offices and issue decisions on appeals.
These Board members, attorneys experienced in veterans’ law and in reviewing benefit claims, are the only ones who can issue Board decisions. Staff attorneys, referred to as Counsel or Associate Counsel, are also trained in veterans’ law. They review the facts of each appeal and assist Board members.
What is an appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals?
An appeal is a request for a review of a VA determination on a claim for benefits issued by a local VA office.
Who can appeal?
Anyone who has filed a claim for benefits with VA and has received a determination from a local VA office is eligible to appeal to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.
When can I file an appeal?
You may file an appeal up to one year from the date the local VA office mails you its initial determination on your claim. After that, the determination is considered final and cannot be appealed unless it involved clear and unmistakable error by VA.
What can I appeal to the Board?
You may appeal any determination issued by a VA regional office (RO) on a claim for benefits. Some determinations by VA medical facilities, such as eligibility for medical treatment, may also be appealed to the Board. You may appeal a complete or partial denial of your claim or you may appeal the level of benefit granted. For example, if you filed a claim for disability and the local office awarded you a 10% disability, but you feel you deserve more than 10%, you may appeal that determination to the Board.
What can’t I appeal to the Board?
Decisions concerning the need for medical care or the type of medical treatment needed, such as a physician’s decision to prescribe (or not to prescribe) a particular drug or order a specific type of treatment, are not within the Board’s jurisdiction. (Occasionally, the Board receives an appeal of this nature, but since it doesn’t have the legal authority to decide this type of case, the Board must dismiss it.
How do I file an appeal?
No special form is required to begin the appeal process. All that’s needed is a written statement that (1) you disagree with your local VA office’s claim determination and (2) you want to appeal it. This statement is known as the Notice of Disagreement, or NOD. If you received notice of determinations on more than one claim issue, your NOD needs to be specific about which issue or issues you wish to appeal. For example, if you were notified about local VA office determinations on a knee disability and a heart condition, but you only want to appeal the heart condition determination, say that. Being specific helps VA concentrate on what is most important to you and moves your case along more quickly. While the NOD is all that’s needed to begin the appeal process, you will eventually need to complete and file a VA Form 9 to finish your appeal. That’s discussed on the next page.
Where do I file my appeal?
Normally, you file your appeal with the same local VA office that issued the decision you are appealing, because that is where your claims file (also called a claims folder) is kept. However, if you have moved and your claims file is now maintained at a local VA office other than the one where you previously filed your claim, you should file your appeal at the new location.
What happens with the NOD?
When the local VA office receives and reviews your NOD, it is possible that it will change its original determination and allow your claim. If it doesn’t, it will prepare and mail to you a Statement of the Case (SOC) and a blank VA Form 9. (The VA Form 9 is discussed in the next section.) This SOC summarizes the evidence and applicable laws and regulations used in deciding your case and gives you the local VA office’s reasons for making the determination you appealed.
What follows the Statement of the Case?
Within 60 days of the date when the local VA office mails you the SOC, you need to submit a Substantive Appeal. However, if the one-year period from the date the local VA office mailed you its original determination is later than this 60-day period, you have until that later date to file the Substantive Appeal. (See the caution in the information box on the next page.) To file a Substantive Appeal, simply fill out and submit the VA Form 9 that the local VA office sent you. The form comes with detailed instructions that we have tried to write in easy-to-understand language. Please read these instructions carefully before completing the form. An important part of the VA Form 9 is the section used to request a BVA hearing. Hearings are covered in more detail on pages 17 through 19 of this pamphlet. On the VA Form 9, you should make sure that you clearly state the benefit you want and that you point out any mistakes you think VA made when it issued its determination. You should also identify anything in the SOC that you disagree with.
If you submit new information or evidence with your VA Form 9, the local VA office will prepare a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). A SSOC is similar to the SOC, but addresses the new information or evidence you submitted. If you are not satisfied with the SSOC, you have 60 days from date the SSOC was mailed to you to submit, in writing, what you disagree with.
Veterans Administration Moves to Simplify PTSD Compensation Rules
Posted at 8:56 PM on Saturday, August 29, 2009 by WiVSO
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking steps to assist Veterans seeking compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“The hidden wounds of war are being addressed vigorously and comprehensively by this administration as we move VA forward in its transformation to the 21st century,” said Secretary Shinseki.
The VA is publishing a proposed regulation today in the Federal Register to make it easier for a Veteran to claim service connection for PTSD by reducing the evidence needed if the stressor claimed by a Veteran is related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted over the next 60 days. A final regulation will be published after consideration of all comments received.
Under the new rule, VA would not require corroboration of a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the stressful experience recalled by a Veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed stressor.
Previously, claims adjudicators were required to corroborate that a non-combat Veteran actually experienced a stressor related to hostile military activity. This rule would simplify the development that is required for these cases.
PTSD is a recognized anxiety disorder that can follow seeing or experiencing an event that involves actual or threatened death or serious injury to which a person responds with intense fear, helplessness or horror, and is not uncommon in war.
Feelings of fear, confusion or anger often subside, but if the feelings don't go away or get worse, a Veteran may have PTSD.
The VA is bolstering its mental health capacity to serve combat Veterans, adding thousands of new professionals to its rolls in the last four years. The Department also has established a suicide prevention helpline (1-800-273-TALK) and Web site available for online chat in the evenings at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans.
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