Obamacare won't change VA benefits. Hyperlink to Article Athens Banner-Herald: The Department of Veterans Affairs earlier this month sent out a letter to veterans explaining their options under the Affordable Care Act. Nationally, 8.7 million veterans are enrolled in the VA health program.
Butler County vets felt new VA facility unnecessary before irregularities arose. Hyperlink to Article Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: The VA has said it needed to build a facility because the existing one is too old and needs millions in renovations The VA stopped work June 21, saying the inspector general uncovered "misleading statements" Westar made during the bidding process. The VA terminated the Westar lease Aug. 9.
Missing soldier's grandson observes POW/MIA Recognition Day . The Tennessean ... in the waiting area of a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Clarksville, Tenn. ... For one Clarksville family, however, recipients of the news on Tuesday that ... When the Vietnam Veterans of America began in Clarksville in 1986, there ...
Congress, VA engage in dispute over records. San Antonio Express The House Committee on Veterans Affairs called a special hearing Thursday to grill ... some of which relate to investigations into preventable veteran deaths and ...
Congress, VA engage in dispute over records. Milton Daily Standard In an unusual standoff, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has failed for more than a .... Posted in State news on Saturday, September 21, 2013 12:23 pm
Egyptian arrested for naming donkey after general. A farmer in southern Egypt was arrested Saturday after putting the military chief's name and an army-style cap on his donkey, and eight people were detained elsewhere in the country for spraying anti-military graffiti.
Tunisia talks end in stalemate after assassination . The Tunisian political crisis prompted by the assassination of a leading opposition figure deepened on Saturday after the main labor union said talks with the Islamist-led government had failed, casting doubt on the country's ability to emerge from more than two years of turmoil.
Rehab centers struggle to keep drugs out. Hyperlink to Article USA Today (Video): Ehrhart, just days into detox, says she was powerless to resist the pull of her addiction, took the heroin and plunged into relapse, surrounded by the Betty Ford Center counselors paid top dollar to help her Recent examples include: Prosecutors in New Jersey arrested seven men, including five employees, in July on charges of distributing heroin, crack cocaine and painkillers to patients at Veterans Affairs treatment facilities.
Why suicide rate among veterans may be more than 22 a day. Hyperlink to Article CNN.com: Every day, 22 veterans take their own lives. That's a suicide every 65 minutes. As shocking as the number is, it may actually be higher The figure is based on the agency's own data and numbers reported by 21 states from 1999 through 2011. Those states represent about 40% of the U.S. population.
Websites become tool for stopping veteran suicides. Hyperlink to Article CNN.com: But in recent months, Facebook has become an important tool in tackling an alarming number of military suicides. The social networking site has helped shed light on a serious problem plaguing service members and veterans.
Hyperbaric chamber treatments did not help with mild TBI. Hyperlink to Article USA Today: Scientists found no significant benefit to a popular idea of using a pressurized chamber to force oxygen into the brain to heal mild brain injuries suffered by tens of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans, according to a scientific study by the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs published this week.
Congress looking into VA bonuses amid agency problems. Hyperlink to Article FOXNews.com: A Republican-led House committee is looking into the Department of Veterans Affairs awarding roughly $573,000 in bonuses as the agency continues to try to fix a list of problems -- highlighted by a backlog of hundreds of thousands of veterans claims.
After Navy Yard shooting, vets fear crackdown on security clearances will unfairly hurt them. Hyperlink to Article The Washington Post: Many veterans groups and advocates complain that media portrayals of onetime Navy reservist Aaron Alexis as a troubled veteran plays into a stereotype that causes problems for former members of the military In 2012 alone, the VA provided mental health care treatment to 1.2 million veterans, including 502,546 veterans who were treated for PTSD.
Chances to intervene in Navy Yard shooters problems missed for years by various groups. Hyperlink to Article The Washington Post: Aaron Alexis's erratic and violent behavior was ignored, overlooked or dismissed for nine years by police, the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs and his employer, creating a series of missed opportunities that might have stopped the Navy Yard gunman, according to records and interviews with officials close to the investigation.
Wounded veterans find an outlet, and healing, in cycling. Hyperlink to Article Boston Globe: On Saturday morning, [Kathleen] White will continue that journey as she cycles around historic Concord with 50 disabled veterans and about 400 other riders in a display of how camaraderie, competition, and compassion can salve both body and soul.
Community leaders push to help homeless veterans. Hyperlink to Article (KSDK-TV (Video): Today, the city, county, VA, and several other groups came together to offer their help for veterans in need. City leaders say the money and effort they're putting into ending homelessness is working. But, they say they won't stop until the job is done.
This Old Jail In Colorado Now Houses Homeless Veterans. Hyperlink to Article Co.Exist: When it comes to finding a new life for decommissioned prisons, many tend to go the way of the spooky tourist attraction or to the auction block. But when Colorado shut down its 485-bed Fort Lyon prison in the rural southeastern part of the state, the community turned it into a transitional housing facility for the homeless, with a focus on homeless veterans.
VA / VSO-MSO Hearings as September 23, 2013:
October 1, 2013. HVAC, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs is hosting a Member level, Veterans Benefits Appeals roundtable 10:00 12:00 P.M; 334 Cannon
October 9, 2013. Hearing Topic: Broadly, the hearing will build upon the claims hearing SVAC held in March, which examined progress of VA's claims transformation efforts. 2:00 P.M.; 418 Russell.
