Military Families’ Covid-19 Vaccination Status The Defense Health Agency (DHA) has stated that staring in April, the COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be widely available to military families. During a virtual town hall hosted by Blue Star Families and the American Red Cross, Director of DHA Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place discussed the coronavirus and the… Read more »
In a recent article, it has been reported that military families are losing an average of $5,000 in out-of-pocket expenses each time they move, according to survey data just released by a national nonprofit organization. This data comes on the heels of the realization that most service members’ moves were put on hold in March because of concerns about the spreading coronavirus, and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has extended that hold through June 30, while allowing some exceptions.
The VA is renaming the VR&E program from Vocational Rehabilitation (VOC REHAB) and Employment Service to Veteran Readiness and Employment Service. The program formerly known casually as VOC REHAB, will change its name to better align with its mission. The new name puts emphasis on mission of helping veterans reach their employment goals with less stigma associated with the name of the program.
Did you know that the VA is the largest healthcare provider in the US? In any health care system – especially one that serves millions of Veterans – ensuring timely access to high-quality healthcare services is extremely important. Recent research shows that VA healthcare is comparable to healthcare provided at non-VA hospitals.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has improved procedures by incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the time it takes to process in-coming mail from 10 days down to one.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making it easier for veterans and eligible beneficiaries to submit travel claims for traveling to receive medical care. AccessVA will be online filing system for travel reimbursement moving forward.
Beginning on July 31, 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) began issuing a new form of ID for family members and military retirees to access service benefits and privileges. They are transitioning away from the paper-based ID card to a more secure one similar to the Common Access Card (CAC) issued to active military, Selected Reserve, members, and Defense civilian employees.
SEALs Swim for Charity On August 8th of this year, a team of 72 U.S. Navy SEALs, several veterans, and military supporters from all over the United States came together for the second year in a row to swim across the Hudson River to raise funds for the GI Go Fund organization. Although the current… Read more »
On September 14th, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Management announced a data breach involving the personal information of approximately 46,000 Veterans. Here’s what we know.
President Trump signed a memo last month to allow employers to defer payment of employee-side social security payroll taxes, to provide relief to workers during the coronavirus pandemic. Below are the answers to some frequently asked questions.
The new app, Digital Garrison, is connecting those who live near Army installations with information about a variety of programs, services, and offices on the installation.
Watchdog Reports: Troops and Families May Not Be Receiving Adequate Mental Health Care Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, military families were having trouble getting the mental health care they needed, according to new data from an online survey conducted in late 2019. Whether they are active-duty families, military retiree families or veteran families, about half… Read more »
Senators are calling on the House of Representatives to pass the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act. This landmark legislation is named to honor the legacy of retired Navy SEAL Commander John Scott Hannon. The bill is focused on efforts to prevent veteran suicides and improve mental health outcomes through improved access to care, better diagnostic tools, and increased oversight of VA programs.
Largest VA Budget Proposal Passes House On July 24th, legislation providing appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs (HR 7608) passed the House with a contentious vote of 224 in favor and 189 opposed to the legislation. What is remarkable about this bill is that it was only introduced 11 days before it was approved,… Read more »
OCONUS Voting: Resources and “How To” Americans living overseas became eligible to vote years after women and minorities in the United States. Following a successful “teabag campaign” by members of the Association of American Residents Overseas, legislation was passed in 1976 allowing Americans living overseas to vote. Overseas voters – many of whom are military… Read more »
Push for VA to Provide Service Dogs to Veterans with Mental Health Issues, PTSD In February of this year, the House unanimously passed the PAWS (Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers) for Veterans Therapy Act, which would require the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to begin funding a pilot program where service dogs would be trained for… Read more »
COVER Commission Recommends Marijuana & Psychedelic Research for PTSD Treatment The COVER (Creating Options for Veterans Expedited Recover) Commission, which is a federal commission that evaluates mental health treatment options for veterans within the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), released a report in January of this year recommending the VA expand its mental health research… Read more »
New Legislation for Veterans Economic Recovery Introduced In an effort to get veterans and their spouses back to work so they can provide for themselves and their families, top Veterans Affairs lawmakers on Capitol Hill (Phil Roe, R-Tenn., Senate Veterans Affairs Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, Senate ranking member Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Rep. Mike Levin,… Read more »
What is the COVID-19 Stop Movement Order? The original Stop Movement Order, suspending travel for all Department of Defense (DOD) persons and their families, put into effect in March, was recently extended until June 30th. The order applies to both active and non-active duty DOD persons who were scheduled or had planned to travel within… Read more »
With 325 active-duty member suicides in 2018 according to the Defense Department, the U.S. Military as a whole has made it their mission to make that number more manageable. Service member suicides have surpassed the national average year after year as reported by Military Times, making mental health and addiction support resources more necessary. With… Read more »
With COVID-19 affecting the globe, many find themselves in a desperate financial situation. For those currently in the Reserves or National Guard, or retired from either, it’s possible that you may have lost some of your income, especially if you are not currently on active duty and have a civilian job. You may even be… Read more »
Telemedicine for Military Communities In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine is increasingly important and in high demand. Many health programs are temporarily expanding these services, making it easier and safer for people to connect with their healthcare teams. What is Telemedicine? Telemedicine is the use of technology to communicate about health, often without… Read more »
COVID-19: What Veterans Need to Know As a veteran, you might be concerned about COVID-19 and what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and its medical facilities are doing to protect and care for veterans during this pandemic. For up-to-date info on what organizations are doing to help during this unprecedented crisis, please visit –… Read more »
Organizations Supporting Military, Veterans and Their Families During The COVID-19 Pandemic During this time, many military families might be struggling either emotionally or financially. A spouse might have lost their job, they might need to spend more money on childcare, and regular resources could be limited. The good news is that there are different programs… Read more »