The PACT Act and your VA benefits 2022
The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances.
The PACT Act adds to the list of health conditions that we assume (or “presumeâ€) are caused by exposure to these substances. This law helps us provide generations of Veterans and their survivors with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.
This page will help answer your questions about what the PACT Act means for you or your loved ones. You can also call us at 800-698-2411. And you can file a claim for PACT Act-related disability compensation or apply for VA health care now.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The Military Veterans Coalition of Indiana (TMVCI) – The TMVCI is made up of military, Veterans and uniformed-service organizations who promote Military awareness and advocacy throughout Indiana. Our mission is to promote the needs of the military community of Indiana including Active, National Guard, Reserve, retirees and their families. We will encourage the Indiana government to enact legislation recognizing the honor brought to the state and nation by their service. This will be communicated through personal contact with legislators, via the media and on our website to motivate government representatives of Indiana and other agencies as deemed necessary. TheTMVCI meets on the first Friday of every month 9:30am at
Fort Harrison VFW Post # 7119
6526 North Lee Road
Indianapolis, IN 46236
317-823-6180
Tell every Veteran you know about this wonderful organization’s website.TMVCI is fighting our state legislature to get our Veterans what they deserve.
Please go to TMVCI website http://www.inmilcoal.org/individual_subscriber/ and subscribe so you too may stay informed and help act to take better care of our Veterans in Indiana.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Indiana for Treatment of TBI/PTSD
Indiana Has Signed PL-217 Funding a Pilot Program for the Use of HBOT for Treating TBI/PTSD Plus HBOT Helps Speed Up the Recovery for those Addicted to Drugs Due to the VA Just Slinging Drugs as the Cure.
The presence of the Military/Veterans Coalition of Indiana is continuing to get stronger as they work with our legislators towards improving benefits for our Military, Veterans and their families. They have struggled for years in getting legislation passed for the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) available to Service Members and Veterans who have been diagnosed with TBI/PTSD, but they are making headway!! Indiana just signed PL-217 on April 27, 2017, which establishes a funded pilot program for the use of HBOT for the treatment of traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. As we get details from the State Health Department on how this will be setup and how to get into the program, we will let you know. Please see below;
USMC, Indiana, Texas and Oklahoma Making Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) Available to Service Members with TBI/PTSD/Concussion
Data from over 2,300 subjects, legislative breakthroughs at the state level, and some forward thinking by the US Marines is allowing access to an alternative treatment for “invisible wounds.” HBOT research out of the state of Washington also shows promise for alleviating withdrawal symptoms from drug addiction.
Washington, DC (PRWEB) May 23, 2017 — Camp Lejeune, US Marine Corps, with the cooperation of the US Navy, has agreed to allow active duty Marines to voluntarily participate in an LSU study in New Orleans (http://hbottbistudy.org/). Dr. Paul Harch is investigating the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) at 1.5 ATA in the treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or persistent post-concussion syndrome (PPCS) resulting from either blunt or blast injury in both military and civilians. This action builds on the efforts of Rep Walter Jones (R-NC) and over a dozen other lawmakers demanding access to this safe and effective treatment. Hundreds of thousands of brain-wounded active duty and veteran service members are suffering without alternative treatments that can heal the wound to the brain, rather than merely treating symptoms with ineffective drugs and devices, dangerous opioid, and unproven and potentially dangerous drugs like LSD, ecstasy and other exotics.
In a companion breakthrough, Indiana PL-217, signed 4/27/2017, establishes a funded Pilot Program for the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This legislation follows a long effort by veterans in Indiana to treat brain-wounded Indiana veterans with oxygen-under-pressure, a safe and effective standard of care for brain injuries in numerous countries — but not yet in the US. In addition to the soldier suicide epidemic affecting veterans, Indiana, like numerous other states, is enduring a drug overdose epidemic. HBOT has been shown to dramatically reduce the number of drugs that brain-wounded veterans need to recuperate and return to a more normal quality of life denied them with episodic and ineffective DOD/VA attempts.
And in another multi-year effort, Texas HB-271, the Veterans Recovery Pilot Program, provides Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment to eligible Texas veterans with TBI or PTSD. Approved in the TX House and Senate by near-unanimous vote, the Bill was sent for the Governor’s signature on May 19, 2017.
The Texas and Indiana legislative efforts follow the Oklahoma passage of the Oklahoma Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment and Recovery Act of 2014 on May 6, 2014. All three states have waited in vain for years for the DOD and the Veterans Administration to address the suicide and drug overdose epidemics. None were willing to accept any more waiting amidst the futility of not treating the wounds to the brain of over 600,000 service members with “invisible wounds.”
Two recent studies out of the state of Washington throw more light on a problem directly related to brain injury: drug addiction. Tens of thousands of brain-wounded veterans have drug dependencies. Researchers at Washington State (tinyurl.com/mesc5gu) in an animal study have shown that HBOT can cut in half both the pain of withdrawal and the amount of time required to be rid of drug dependency. The potential impact for the opioid epidemic is profound. University of Washington School of Medicine researchers (tinyurl.com/k6gy4gx), writing in JAMA Neurology, found that after a concussion, symptoms got worse from one to five years following the injury. Patients likely don’t stabilize within one year after injury; psychiatric problems intensify out to five years. The lead authors says that medicine “should not only be working hard to develop therapies that can be administered acutely after injury but also. . . . focus on developing therapies and treatment strategies targeted to the chronic phase of injury.” The Marines, Oklahoma, Texas and Indiana are now on the cutting edge of integrative medicine, allowing use of a safe and effective therapy that has a proven track record with over 2,300 lucky enough to find their way to private HBOT clinics across the US.
These videos give more insight into the potential represented by Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy.
MSGT Scott Roessler [Ranger] http://tinyurl.com/hf3czmw
Joe Namath http://tinyurl.com/kflu9up
MAJ Ben Richards http://tinyurl.com/hd9ahcd
CAPT Smotherman / Rep John Bennett http://tinyurl.com/lvcf22r
The Honorable Patt Maney (BG, USA) http://tinyurl.com/m97x4jp
GnySgt Rotenberry http://tinyurl.com/gpzpxgy
RMHI with Margaux and SGT Ramirez http://vimeo.com/77100044
Contact Information
Robert L Beckman, PhD
TreatNOW Coalition
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
VA Update on Camp Lejeune Water Contamination – In early September 2016, VA proposed a Federal Rule to create presumptive service connection for veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members who served at least 30 days of active duty on Camp Lejeune from August 1, 1953 to December 31, 1987. The rule is open for public comment through October 11, 2016 and if you click HERE you can read it and make a formal comment.
Veterans and their families who lived or worked there during this time were exposed to drinking water contaminated with industrial solvents, benzene, and other chemicals. Let your voice be heard if you or anyone you know served during this time and suffer from the following heath conditions:
- Adult leukemia
- Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- Bladder cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Liver cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
- There is an existing law, established in 2012, where VA provides free health care for other medical conditions to veterans who served at least 30 days of active duty at Camp Lejeune from January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1987:
- Esophageal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Multiple myeloma
- Renal toxicity
- Female infertility
- Scleroderma
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Lung cancer
- Bladder cancer
- Leukemia
- Myelodysplastic syndromes
- Hepatic steatosis
- Miscarriage
- Neurobehavioral effects
- Family members of veterans who also lived on Camp Lejeune during the qualifying period are eligible for reimbursement of out-of-pocket medical expenses related to the 15 covered health conditions.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Agent Orange Presumption and Service in Thailand
November 30, 2015/in Agent Orange, Veterans /by Nicholas Simpson, Attorney
Since passage of the Agent Orange Act of 1991, the VA has acknowledged that veterans of the Vietnam War were exposed to Agent Orange. Furthermore, they have granted a presumption of exposure to veterans who were boots on the ground in Vietnam. This presumption also extends to brown water veterans. Those veterans who went up the inland waterways of Vietnam. The VA has not yet extended this to blue water veterans (those veterans stationed in deep water of the coast, and in a number of harbors) or to veterans of other areas where Agent Orange was used such as Thailand. Today’s article focuses on how to prove Agent Orange exposure for those veterans who are not presumed exposed and in particular those who were stationed in Thailand. Military bases in Thailand were among the first established in the Vietnam War theater of operations. They were subject to many attacks and also to the same chemicals and herbicides as those used in Vietnam itself. Many veterans who served in Thailand can tell stories about the disappearing vegetation around bases and some can even show pictures. For years, the government denied that herbicides were used in Thailand and in the process denied numerous veterans claims for benefits. This changed in 2010. The first question to answer is: What changed? In 2010, the VA released a Compensation and Pension (C&P) Bulletin that allowed the exposure presumption to be extended to veterans of certain Thailand bases during certain periods. A copy of the bulletin can be found here. In essence, the bulletin provided a set of rules which follow:
- Service at U-Tapao, Ubon, – READ MORE
Department of Veterans Affairs New Releases Check here for the latest VA information from Grants for Disabled veterans to Aid and Assistance for Homeless Veterans to….. etc. Check it out monthly/weekly.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2-1-1 is now State-Wide in Indiana!
All 92 counties with all 6,483,802 Hoosiers now have access to the free 24/7/365 service that helps people find the help they need to obtain safe, affordable housing, food and utilities, mental and physical health care, employment, volunteer opportunities and many other things that can lead to happier, healthier, safer individuals and families in our communities.
I cannot come close to expressing my pride in the Indiana 211 Partnership, led by Board Chair Roger Frick of Indiana Association of United Ways, and our System of Centers for bringing us to this point, and my gratitude to our funders and supporters, for your unwavering support. I hope you share our excitement about the potential of 2-1-1 as we go forward into an even brighter future.
DIAL 2-1-1 TODAY IF YOU NEED HELP OR IF YOU WANT TO GIVE HELP.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If You Or Any of Your Family Members Were Stationed at Camp Lejeune from 1957 through 1987, Please Look At the Links Below As The Base Water Was Contaminated Which May Be The Cause of Several Birth Defects/Deaths/Illnesses
This water contamination at Camp Lejuene is suspected of being related to health issues for personnel who worked or resided at the camp before 1987. If you were such an individual you are highly encouraged to visit the following web sites for more information.
Amazon link to a book, ”Semper Fi: Always Faithful”, by a Marine Sgt who lost his daughter due to the water contamination coverup at Camp Lejeune – http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1863372
Fox News Story about the book ”Semper Fi: Always Faithful” – http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/09/02/documentary-film-semper-fi-always-faithful-explores-alleged-water-contamination/
Additionally, please check this link which provides background information and requests individuals to register to assist in the Department of the Navy’s funded independent investigations. https://clnr.hqi.usmc.mil/clwater/
The Few, The Proud, The Forgotten http://www.tftptf.com/ has many links and areas that you should find helpful.
=============================================================================================
VETERANS’ AID AND ATTENDANCE IMPROVED PENSION
The Veterans Administration offers Aid and Attendance as part of an “Improved Pension” Benefit that is largely unknown. This Improved Pension may allow for some Veterans and surviving spouses who require the regular attendance of another person to assist in eating, bathing, dressing, undressing, medication dosing, or taking care of the needs of nature to receive additional monetary benefits. It also includes individuals who are blind or a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity. Assisted care in an Assisted Living facility may also qualifies.
This most important benefit is overlooked by many families with Veterans or surviving spouses who need additional monies to help care for ailing parents or loved ones. This is a “Pension Benefit” and IS NOT dependent upon service-related injuries for compensation. Aid and Attendance may help pay for care in the home, Nursing Home or Assisted Living facility. A Veteran is found to be eligible they may qualify for up to $1,704 per month, while a surviving spouse may qualify for up to $1,094 per month. A Veteran with a Spouse may qualify for up to $2,020 per month and a Veteran with a Sick Spouse may qualify for up to $1,338 per month.
Many families overlook the A&A Pension as it pertains to veterans who are still independent, but have an ill spouse. Keep in mind that in this situation, if the spouse’s medical expenses completely depletes their combined monthly income, the Veteran can file as a Veteran with a sick spouse.
The Aid and Attendance Benefit is considered to be the third tier of the VA’s Improved Pension. The other two tiers are known as “Basic” and “Housebound”. Each tier has its own level of benefits and qualifications. While the objective of this site is to disseminate information, we encourage you to view the other two levels in the event you or your loved one does not qualify for A&A. Click Here for more information about the Basic and Housebound tiers. The Improved Pension is not a new benefit, and has in fact been an entitlement for 60 years sitting idle while millions have and still are missing out on.