News
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By Heath Druzin
Stars and Stripes
Published: January 22, 2015
The effort to clear a massive backlog of veteran disability claims is hurting efforts to address a similar backlog in appeals of denied claims, say advocates demanding reforms to an onerous “hamster wheel” system that leaves veterans languishing for years.
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By Emily Wax-Thibodeaux
The Washington Post
Published: November 25, 2014
WASHINGTON — Arguing that medical marijuana may help wounded warriors with anxiety and stress disorders to "survive and thrive," Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., have introduced legislation that would allow Department of Veterans Affairs’ doctors to recommend the drug for some patients.
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By Leo Shane | 3:37 PM, Oct. 21, 2014
All veterans aren’t homeless washouts. But Got Your Six officials worry that many Americans see them that way.
In a new survey by the campaign, almost half of respondents shown a picture of a homeless man identified him as likely a veteran. Researchers say that stereotype is not only misleading, but also indicates a deep and disturbing stereotype of how service members adjust to post-military life.
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Dennis Wagner, The Republic | azcentral.com
3:22 p.m. MST September 10, 2014
A Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general's report on delayed health care at the Phoenix VA medical center used a standard to evaluate patient deaths that would be virtually impossible to meet, according to medical experts.
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By Patricia Kime
Military Times Staff writer
Jul. 30, 2014 - 02:19 PM
Two advocacy groups are suing the Veterans Affairs Department for what they say are the department’s discriminatory practices regarding compensation claims related to service-connected sexual assault.
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I’ve worked at a few VA medical centers, including four years at the Phoenix VA. I’d like to report something missed in the media storm. Before spilling secrets, though, I’ll dispense with the non-secrets. Everyone who has entered a VA hospital knows:
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If you’re getting out of the military and want to go where the jobs are, consider North Dakota.
The oil boom there has created a shortage of employees, and state and companies officials are working hard to recruit more than 25,000 workers. The pay is good – often six figures – and the jobs range from truck drivers to oil field workers to support positions like receptionists and food servers.
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April 4, 2014 by Reynaldo Leal
The headlines circulating the Internet hours after the tragic Fort Hood shooting were vague, but the implications for Veterans who have been diagnosed, or are seeking treatment, for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are not.
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Categories: CompensationBY CHRIS ADAMS
McClatchy Washington Bureau | February 27, 2014
WASHINGTON — The average time for a denied claim to work its way through the cumbersome Department of Veterans Affairs appeals process shot up to more than 900 days last year, double the department’s long-term target.
After hovering between 500 and 750 days for the past decade, what the VA refers to as its “appeals resolution time” hit 923 days in fiscal 2013. That was a 37 percent jump in one year, from 675 in fiscal 2012, according to a review of the department’s annual performance report.