Senate passes PACT Act; Biden says he'll sign
The Senate voted Tuesday night to pass a long-sought bipartisan legislation to expand health care benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service, sending the bill to President Joe Biden to sign into law. The final vote was 86-11.
Passage of the bill marks the end of a lengthy fight to get the legislation through Congress, as veterans and their advocates had been demonstrating on Capitol Hill for days. Many veterans were allowed into the Senate gallery to watch the final vote on Tuesday evening, CNN reported.
The bill would potentially provide new support for about 3.5 million veterans, about one in every five living in America today, according to Military Times. There are eligibility categories for Vietnam, Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans who faced exposure to toxic fumes.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement after reaching the deal with Republicans who had blocked the bill from advancing last week while they sought to add cost-controlling amendment votes to the package. The bill, called the Honoring our PACT Act, was approved by the House of Representatives in July.
VA Secretary Denis McDonough released the following statement:
"Veterans who were exposed to toxic fumes while fighting for our country are American heroes, and they deserve world-class care and benefits for their selfless service. The bipartisan PACT Act will help VA deliver for those veterans — and their survivors — by empowering us to presumptively provide care and benefits to vets suffering from more than 20 toxic exposure-related conditions."
"To those veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors: you can apply for PACT Act benefits by filing a claim at VA, and you can learn more about the PACT Act at VA.gov/PACT or by calling us at 1-800-MyVA411. We'll be communicating with you every step of the way to make sure that you and your loved ones get the benefits you've earned."
"Once the president signs this bill into law," he concluded, "we at VA will implement it quickly and effectively, delivering the care these veterans need and the benefits they deserve."
BURN PIT IN IRAQ. U.S. Air Force photo: dvidshub.net/image/94984/burning-uniforms. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Interested in working at Ford? This Aug. 9 event is for you
Ford Motor Co. and Hire MI Vet are collaborating to host a virtual event designed to match veterans and their families with jobs at Ford.
The informal networking event is 10-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9 on Zoom. Video is not required to participate. Register here.
Hire MI Vet is a nonprofit organization that holds monthly networking events between veterans and employers in an informal venue permitting veterans to get to know the employers, ask questions and determine which employers are a match for them.
AARP provides valuable resources for veterans
Nearly 4 million AARP members are people who have served in the U.S. military. And many of the issues AARP focuses on for people 55 and older intersect with the critical needs of veterans and their families, as nearly two-thirds of all veterans are over the age of 55.
AARP provides valuable resources to help veterans make informed decisions in their pursuit of health care, employment, financial assistance and other needs that will empower them to live a fulfilling life.
One of the most important documents that AARP publishes is its Military Caregiving Guide. The 42-page document includes information, a glossary of terms, resources and checklists to help veterans, service members and their families find the caregiving support that they may need.
Read more in VA News.
Holland City Council member gives back to her fellow veterans
BRENDA CORONADO. Photo by veteran Mike Banno of Forward Exposure. Courtesy of Gather Magazine.
Belinda Coronado was 34 years old, with two daughters and a son, when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Feeling a call to duty, she joined the Army and would serve from 2003 to 2010, including a tour in Iraq.
"The military cemented values I was already practicing daily," she says, "such as loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and, most important of these, personal courage."
Today, Coronado is a member of the Holland City Council and is an avid volunteer in her west Michigan community. She's particularly active in helping her fellow veterans.
"I want to bring a voice and awareness to taking care of veterans," she says. "They are the ones who volunteered for our freedom, and we all need to stand by the saying, 'No veteran left behind.'"
Read the full story on Coronado in the latest issue of Gather, a Michigan-based magazine focusing on veterans, first responders and others who serve selflessly.
Mental health resources help veterans, families
In partnership with VA, Salesforce has introduced a new training module to Trailhead, its free online learning platform, to give veterans and their families access to mental health research and information.
The new module, Veteran Mental Health and Resiliency Resources, expands on the software company's "Salesforce Military" program. Salesforce Military offers free, online training classes and certification exams at no cost for active-duty military, veterans and military spouses.
This new mental health resources module focuses on educating veterans and their families about suicide risks and suicide prevention, a top clinical priority for VA.
Read more in VA News.
If you're a veteran in crisis, call the new Crisis Line number at 988, and press 1. You can also still reach the Veterans Crisis Line with the previous phone number – 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 – by text (838255), and through chat (VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat).
Learn more at the Veterans Crisis Line hompage.
American veterans captured in Ukraine sent to prison, family says
Two Americans captured while fighting with the Ukrainian Army apparently have been sent to a prison where they are spending all their time together, the family of one of the men said.
Alex Drueke, who was captured with fellow veteran and Alabama resident Andy Huynh in early June, told his mother about the transfer in a telephone call, according to a statement issued late recently by the Drueke family.
"He sounded strong and clear-minded. He said he and Andy have been moved to a traditional prison, that they are no longer in solitary confinement but that they are together now 24/7," said Lois "Bunny" Drueke, his mother.
Read more in the Alabama Daily News.
McDonough sidesteps calls for VA to provide abortion services at medical centers
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough earlier this week would not back calls to provide abortions at department medical centers even as he pledged to find ways to ensure women veterans have access to the services regardless of where they live.
The comments came just two days after 25 Senate lawmakers (all Democrats and independents) urged the department to begin offering abortions at VA medical centers to all veterans and eligible family members, in response to a growing number of states outlawing the procedure.
Since the Supreme Court in June overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which legalized abortion nationwide, at least 23 states have started to place limits or already imposed restrictions on health care workers from providing abortions. Kentucky, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas have near total bans on the procedure.
Read more in Military Times.
IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE
ARE IN CRISIS:The Veterans Crisis Line is staffed by caring, qualified crisis responders who are there to help. Many of these responders are veterans themselves.
Online Resources
LEAN ON US:
Call 1-800-MICH-VET
(1-800-642-4838)
Visit Michigan.gov/MVAA
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This email was sent to jmc001@ameritech.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs · 3411 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. · Lansing, MI 48906
Thursday, August 4, 2022
Mental health resources help veterans, families Michigan Veterans News & Resources for Aug. 4, 2022
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
New partnership means free legal representation for Michigan veterans in high-level VA appeals casesFw: Michigan Veterans News & Resources for July 19, 2022
New partnership means free legal representation for Michigan veterans in high-level VA appeals cases
A new partnership between the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) and the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) will mean free legal representation for Michigan veterans and their families in appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
"Michigan veterans will now have access to an unprecedented level of representation by a national legal team who will defend their rights at the highest legal levels, to ensure fairness in the disability benefit arena," said Zaneta Adams, director of the MVAA, which serves as the central coordinating agency for Michigan's 550,000-plus veterans.
"In addition," Adams said, "our veteran advocates will capitalize on NVLSP's extensive training and professional development portfolio as we continue to serve Michigan veterans and their families, now and in the future."
NVLSP is a national nonprofit organization that works to ensure the government delivers to America's 22 million veterans and active-duty personnel the benefits to which they are entitled because of disabilities resulting from their military service to our country.
"We are delighted to partner with the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency and we look forward to leveraging our shared knowledge to help Michigan veterans and their families access the benefits to which they are entitled," said NVLSP Executive Director Paul Wright.
When disability claims are denied by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veterans have the right to appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). The CAVC provides veterans an impartial judicial forum for review of administrative decisions by the Board of Veterans' Appeals that are adverse to the veteran's claim of entitlement to benefits for service-connected disabilities, survivor benefits and other benefits such as education payments and waiver of indebtedness.
Through the new partnership, NVLSP will provide free legal representation in support of appeals cases. This process begins when NVLSP reviews a case in which a veteran's appeal to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA), the highest authority within the VA, is denied and determines there are grounds for an appeal to the CAVC. When this is the case, NVLSP offers to represent the veteran or the veteran's family at no cost. The partnership between the MVAA and NVLSP makes this free legal service available to veterans in Michigan for the first time.
In addition to NVLSP's assistance to veterans with claims appeals, NVLSP will also assist Michigan veterans with discharge upgrades, which will help veterans access benefits they may be wrongfully denied due to a less than honorable discharge.
Tracking the PACT Act: Military toxic exposure legislation nears the finish line (again)
The Senate is expected to take up major military toxic exposure legislation in coming days after House lawmakers passed corrections to the measure last week, Military Times is reporting.
The bill — the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (or PACT Act) — was expected to be sent to the White House before the July 4 holiday, but was stalled by technical problems with the measure. The House addressed those in a bipartisan vote last Wednesday. Advocates are hopeful that the Senate can move quickly on the issue this week.
The legislation would cost almost $280 billion over the next 10 years and provide new medical and disability benefits for as many as one in every five veterans living in America today. Both veterans groups and lawmakers have called it possibly the most comprehensive effort ever to address toxic exposure issues in the military.
VA focusing on Long COVID care
NURSE PROVIDES PATIENT CARE. U.S. Army photo: dvidshub.net/image/7056169. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
VA has diagnosed more than 620,000 veterans with COVID-19. Of this group, between 4% and 7% may have developed Long COVID symptoms.
While there is no universally agreed-upon definition of Long COVID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines it as long-term health problems following infection with the virus that causes COVID-19.
The condition can be debilitating for patients. That's why VA is focused on research and personalized clinical care for the illness through the Whole Health initiative.
LaTrice Hollomon is a veteran experiencing VA's comprehensive approach to Long COVID. She was working at a homeless shelter in December 2020 when she was first diagnosed with COVID. "I kept coughing and having body aches during rounds," she said. "It is a scary feeling. I didn't know how it was going to affect me, considering I had underlying health issues."
By February 2021, she was experiencing Long COVID. She had a dry cough, fevers that came and went, and memory issues.
Read more in VA's VAntage Point blog.
Congress salutes Marine veteran, the last WWII Medal of Honor recipient
Congress gave its ultimate final salute last week to Hershel W. "Woody" Williams, a hero of the battle for Iwo Jima who was the last remaining Medal of Honor recipient from World War II.
Williams, who died in June at age 98, was lying in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, a tribute reserved for the nation's most distinguished private citizens. Only six others have received the honor: civil rights icon Rosa Parks, the Rev. Billy Graham and four Capitol police officers.
Just 21, Williams was a Marine corporal when U.S. forces came ashore on the strategic Japanese island in early 1945.
Williams moved ahead of his unit and eliminated a series of Japanese machine gun positions. Facing small-arms fire, he fought for four hours, repeatedly returning to prepare demolition charges and obtain flamethrowers. President Harry Truman awarded him the Medal of Honor, the military's highest decoration, later that year.
Read more in Marine Corps Times.
VA changes home pest-inspection rule; Space Force veterans now eligible for VA home loan
VA buyers everywhere can now pay for pest inspections to keep their loan moving forward, according to Military.com.
Veterans buying homes in areas prone to termite infestation typically need a pest inspection to satisfy the VA's property condition guidelines, known as the Minimum Property Requirements. Over the years, only VA buyers in certain areas of the U.S. have been allowed to pay for the inspection. For everyone else, the seller or another party to the transaction had to cover this cost.
That distinction put some buyers at a disadvantage, especially in a competitive housing market where sellers were choosing between multiple offers.
The VA loan program encourages buyers to negotiate with sellers regarding payment of the inspection fee and any repairs needed.
In related news, current and discharged Space Force Guardians finally have liftoff for mortgages backed by the VA.
The VA loan program announced last month that its certificate of eligibility (COE) now includes members and former members of the U.S. Space Force. A COE proves veterans meet the length-of-service and character-of-service requirements to be eligible for a VA loan.
US sends Syracuse-based National Guard soldiers to help train Ukrainian military
More than 100 National Guard soldiers based in Syracuse, New York, are headed to Germany to help train the Ukrainian military, Stars & Stripes is reporting.
Some 140 soldiers from the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team left last week for Fort Bliss, Texas, to prepare for a trip to Europe, according to a news release by the New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs.
The soldiers from Syracuse's 27th Infantry Brigade will replace 160 soldiers from Florida, who have been training Ukrainian military personnel since November — first in western Ukraine and then in Germany in February after Russia began signaling it would invade.
The Syracuse-based soldiers are expected to replace their predecessors in September, after they've completed training in Texas, officials for the Division of Military & Naval Affairs said.
IF YOU OR A LOVED ONE
ARE IN CRISIS:The Veterans Crisis Line is staffed by caring, qualified crisis responders who are there to help. Many of these responders are veterans themselves.
Online Resources
LEAN ON US:
Call 1-800-MICH-VET
(1-800-642-4838)
Visit Michigan.gov/MVAA
Follow Us on Social Media
This email was sent to jmc001@ameritech.net using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Military & Veterans Affairs · 3411 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. · Lansing, MI 48906
Sunday, July 17, 2022
NEW Veterans Crisis Line
Dial 988 then Press 1
The NEW Veterans Crisis Line phone number goes live today!
Dial 988 then Press 1.
This change is a result of the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, which requires all telephone service providers in the U.S. to activate 988 by July 16, 2022 for national suicide prevention support. The transition to a 3-digit number helps make it easier to remember and share the number to access help in times of need. After activation, Veterans will still be able to call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1 to reach responders in addition to using Dial 988 then Press 1.
Keep updated & let us know how we're doing.
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