Vets gain easier access to non-VA healthcare

Veterans' VA referrals to private medical care will no longer require additional doctor review

Veteran in a doctor exam room being examined by a female doctor listening to his breathing.

The VA has changed its process for veterans to get medical care from non-VA providers, removing a requirement that a referral to community care be reviewed by another VA doctor. The VA announced it is enacting a provision of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, which will help ease veterans' access to medical services from private providers. The law, signed in December by then-President Joe Biden, prohibits VA administrators from overriding a VA doctor's referral for a patient to get outside care.

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Vets disability claims backlog down to 200K cases, a post-pandemic low

United States Capitol building located in Washington, D.C.

Last week, the backlog of veterans disability claims fell to about 200,000 cases, its lowest mark since the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic during President Trump’s first term in office. In testimony before Congress, VA leaders praised the milestone as evidence that new leadership is producing results at the department, noting a drop of more than 50,000 overdue cases since Trump’s second inauguration. However, the numbers have decreased by more than 200,0000 cases over the last 18 months, with most of that improvement coming during the final year of President Biden’s term in office.

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VA to expand online memorial website to include veterans buried overseas

Headstones with an American flag next to them.

The VA has added more than 210,000 veterans to its online veteran memorial project, including pages for Americans buried in cemeteries overseas. Ahead of Memorial Day, the VA announced it has expanded its Veterans Legacy Memorial website to include those interred at locations overseen by the American Battle Monuments Commission, the federal agency that manages U.S. military burial sites in Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa, Asia, and elsewhere.

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VA disability for veterans exposed to asbestos in service

At sea with USS Bataan The amphibious assault ship Bataan conducts training operations in the Atlantic Ocean in preparation for an upcoming maiden deployment.

Because of its prevalence in shipyards and construction materials, many veterans were exposed to asbestos, which is now known to be highly carcinogenic. Veterans with a health condition from military asbestos exposure may be eligible for VA compensation. In this article, we list risk factors for asbestos-related conditions, detail the most common conditions asbestos causes in veterans, and explain how to file for compensation for asbestos exposure.

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Oxbryta® lawsuit

If you or a loved one took Oxbryta® to treat sickle cell disease and later experienced vaso-occlusive crisis that resulted in severe complications such as acute chest syndrome, multi-organ failure, an acute cardiac or pulmonary event, stroke, or death, you may be able to join the Oxbryta lawsuit.