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Calling All NY State
Vietnam and Era Veterans!
There is a new program
created to be included
with our "Chapter History Project"
for those who would like
a better understanding
of the what went on
during the Vietnam Era
and those who
served "In" and "Out" of
country. Register to
become a member, add a
recent or older image of
yourself and add your
story.
Click Here to view
the latest stories or
get started with your
own story, this will
open to
a new web
browser window.
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VA Provides Implementation Update on New Law to Improve the Veterans Disability Claims Process
Washington, D.C. – On February 3,
2010, John Hall (D-NY), Chairman of
the Subcommittee on Disability
Assistance and Memorial Affairs,
convened a hearing to assess the
progress of implementing the
Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act,
P.L. 110-389. An omnibus measure,
the law is primarily intended to
modernize the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) disability claims
processing system to ensure the
accurate and timely delivery of
benefits to veterans, their
families, and survivors, and to
transform the VBA into a 21st
Century institution.
In
response to many of the provisions
of P.L. 110-389, the concerns of
stakeholders, and directives from
the Administration, VBA has
undertaken a new information
technology strategy to improve
business processes targeted at
reducing the average days to
complete rating claims and improving
consistency and accuracy. According
to VA, the core of the new strategy
is the Veterans Benefits Management
System (VBMS), which will require
the design of robust and agile
technology and software. The VBMS
initiative is being implemented
under smaller original projects to
transition to a paperless claims
processing environment, update the
mail intake process, perform
end-to-end claims processing in an
electronic environment, and enhance
communication with veterans.
VA claims expected to take longer in 2011
The 2011
Veterans Affairs Department budget unveiled
Monday by the White House includes what VA
officials called an “unprecedented” 27
percent funding increase for the Veterans
Benefits Administration, some of which will
be used to hire 4,000 permanent employees to
process benefits claims.
The
increase does not mean disability, pension
and survivors claims will be processed
faster, however.
In an
admission that comes as no surprise to those
who have been watching VA struggle with a
backlog of benefits claims, Michael Walcoff,
VA’s acting undersecretary for benefits,
said veterans should be prepared for the
average claims processing time to be longer
in fiscal 2011 than it is today.
The
reason? Even though more workers are being
hired, VA officials expect a big jump in the
number of Vietnam-era veterans filing Agent
Orange-related claims due to newly expanded
eligibility.
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New York Governor Proposes Keeping Aid To Local Veterans' Agencies At Current Level
ALBANY, NY (01/30/2010)(readMedia)-- Local Veterans' Service Agencies across New York State will continue to receive state funding in the total amount of $1,177,000 to assist in meeting the needs of veterans and their families. Governor David Paterson's Executive Budget proposes to continue funding at the 2009-10 level, which was a 42% increase from the previous year.
"The City, County and State partnership has made the difference for our veterans and their families," said Governor David A. Paterson. "Local Veterans' Service Agencies provide crucial services and support for New York's veterans and their families, and my budget sustains our commitment to those programs."
"All levels of government are currently facing historic budget difficulties, and maintaining the State's financial assistance for Local Veterans' Service Agencies is just one way we're working to alleviate the fiscal burden on local governments during these challenging economic times," Governor Paterson added
New York State invests $1,177,000 in the veteran service efforts delivered by our state's Counties and Cities. These vital services include benefits counseling, healthcare enrollment, referral to other federal, state and local programs, burial assistance and help with locating veteran's service records.
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Agent Orange/Dioxin
And
Other Toxic Substances Committee
Draft Proposed Position Paper: Birth Defects in Children and Future Generations of Veterans.
Children are our future. We have all heard that common saying. What is the future of the children of Vietnam veterans and other veterans with toxic, service-related exposures? There is a growing realization that both maternal and paternal toxic exposures play a role in the birth defects of the children and future generations of the exposed individuals. Research in the field of epigenetics also points toward toxic exposures turning on or off genes that, when passed on to the child, could lead to the onset of diseases later in life.
We now know that when we send service members in harm’s way, battlefields toxins also place the future offspring of those service members in harm’s way.
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White House Seeks $125 Billion for Veterans in 2011
Homelessness, Claims Increases and Access - Priorities for VA Budget
WASHINGTON – To expand health care
to a record-number of Veterans,
reduce
the number of homeless Veterans and
process a dramatically increased
number of new
disability compensation claims, the
White House has announced a proposed
$125 billion
budget next year for the Department
of Veterans Affairs.
“Our budget proposal provides the
resources necessary to continue our
aggressive
pursuit of President Obama’s two
over-arching goals for Veterans,”
said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
“First, the requested budget will
help transform VA into
a 21st century organization. And
second, it will ensure that we
approach Veterans’ care as a
lifetime initiative, from the day
they take their oaths until the day
they are laid to rest.”
The $125 billion budget request,
which has to be approved by
Congress, includes
$60.3 billion for discretionary
spending (mostly health care) and
$64.7 billion in mandatory funding
(mostly for disability compensation
and pensions).
“VA’s 2011 budget request covers
many areas but focuses on three
central issues
that are of critical importance to
our Veterans – easier access to
benefits and services, faster
disability claims decisions, and
ending the downward spiral that
results in Veterans’ homelessness,”
Shinseki said.
One reason for the increase is VA’s
expansion of the number of Agent
Orangerelated
illnesses that automatically qualify
for disability benefits. Veterans
exposed to the
Agent Orange herbicides during the
Vietnam War are likely to file
additional claims that
will have a substantial impact upon
the processing system for benefits,
the secretary said.
“We project significantly increased
claims inventories in the near term
while we
make fundamental improvements to the
way we process disability
compensation claims,”
Shinseki said.
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Agent Orange
Vietnam Veterans of America
