By Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban | Published March 15, 2019 | Posted in Veterans Benefits | Tagged Tags: Board of Veterans’ Appeals, claims, veterans administration, veterans appeals process | Comments Off on Rapid Appeals Modernization Program Makes Way for New Process
Rapid Appeals Modernization Program Makes Way for New Process
As of February 15, the Rapid Appeals Modernization Program (RAMP) is no longer an option for new appellants, as the Veterans Benefits Administration (VA) has implemented the revised appeals process mandated by legislation passed in 2017. Designed as a transition between the previous procedure and the revised program, RAMP will still be used for claims Read More
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Application Defect Addressed by VA Compensation Service
By: Ryan Spencer, Veterans Disability Benefits Attorney VA Compensation Service addressed an “application defect” that affected uploading of documents on both the eBenefits and SEP portals. Specific details include the following: The defect resulted in users being incorrectly informed that documents were successfully uploaded, when in fact the documents may have been rejected. These errors occurred Read More
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SVAC Announces “Veterans First Act”
By: Ryan Spencer, Veterans Disability Benefits Attorney In a press conference in April, SVAC announced the “Veterans First Act,” an omnibus provision focused primarily on VA accountability for employees and whistleblower protection. The nearly 400-page bill also contains numerous other provisions addressing caregiver benefits, prompt payment under the Choice program, enhanced education benefits, prescription of Read More
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Serving Those Who Served: VA Voluntary Service
One unsung way the Veterans Administration assists vets is by organizing volunteers across the country to serve those who have served the country. VA Voluntary Service matches volunteers to needy vets and collects donations for VA medical centers and hospitals. VAVS reports that more than 140,000 volunteers have given more than 11 million hours of Read More
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Veteran’s Affairs Releases Proposed Budget for 2017
By: Ryan Spencer Yesterday the Department of Veteran’s Affairs released a press document showing a proposed budget for FY 2017 by President Obama. https://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2746 The sum? $182 billion. Of interest to Veterans who have filed claims is the additional money allocated to fix the ailing VBMS system. A system that was introduced years ago to Read More
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Scandal After Scandal at the VA and Nothing Changes
An article titled, “VA Committee Chair: Unions Have ‘Stranglehold’ Over VA Secretary,” published last Thursday, outlines Rep. Jeff Miller’s interview with the Washington Free Beacon. Rep. Jeff Miller states in this interview that, “McDonald has refused to support legislation that would hold VA employees accountable for misconduct because of pressure from labor unions.” The rest Read More
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Apology Issued from Top VA Official for Overly Expensive Hospital Project
A hospital project in Aurora, Colorado has been the subject of national scrutiny since it was made public that it cost more than $1.73 billion and has not even been completed yet. Now, Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson has apologized on behalf of the department for the expense of the project, and gave reassurances Read More
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Virginia’s Hampton Roads VA Continues to Struggle
The Hampton Roads Veterans Administration facility in Virginia has been ranked as one of the worst places in the country for patients to get a timely appointment for a visit with a doctor. Out of all of the country’s VA medical centers, the Hampton Roads location was ranked fourth highest in the percentage of waits Read More
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VA Slow to Dispense Benefits for Camp Lejeune Toxic Victims
In another example of administrative foot-dragging, the Veterans Administration has only now begun to honor the claims authorized in a law the President signed back in 2012. Given that the law was meant to serve veterans who sustained life-threatening illnesses due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, the delay has led to unconscionable and unnecessary Read More
Read MoreVA Fails in Its Commitment to Female Veterans’ Medical Care
In the midst of the controversy surrounding recent revelations regarding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ long wait times for medical care, another problem has surfaced: The organization is falling short of its commitment to provide adequate medical care for its female veterans. While most female veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are of childbearing Read More
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— Alfred Daye
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— Harry Johnson
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— Luther Henderson
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— Michele DeZayas
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— Michele DeZayas
