New bill could help make VA sites more accessible for disabled vets

Special committee would give disabled veterans a voice on accessibility challenges at VA facilities

Veteran advocacy groups are urging lawmakers to adopt legislation to review disability accommodations at the VA. Bills under consideration would form a committee to address complaints by veterans’ advocates about barriers to care for veterans incapacitated by catastrophic injuries and illness. The committee would be responsible for evaluating and reporting on the VA’s compliance with federal disability laws. Additionally, disabled veterans and their advocates would be included on the committee to share firsthand insights about persistent problems with accessing VA care and services.

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Senate leaders set May 7 hearing to review VA budget, reform plans

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

Senate lawmakers will get their long-awaited chance to question VA Secretary Doug Collins over his department reform plans on May 7. Since his bipartisan confirmation in February, several senators have disavowed their support for Collins and demanded he return to Capitol Hill to answer for rumored and promised changes at the VA. Those plans include tens of thousands of potential jobs cuts in coming months, as well as significantly restructuring support contracts across the department.

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Honor Flight brings veterans of Vietnam, Korea, and World War II to DC

Charlie Pase was just 17 when he joined the Marine Corps in 1943, hoping to help free his older brother, a POW in Japan. Now 99, Pase was the eldest of the 94 veterans who spent the day visiting memorials in Washington, D.C. honoring those who have served in the U.S. military. He said the experience helped him reflect on his own life and the lives of his fellow veterans as well as their fallen comrades. Honor Flight hubs around the country help hundreds of veterans visit these memorials each year.

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Getting a VA disability rating for shingles

Some veterans who develop shingles may temporarily experience uncomfortable symptoms. Others may suffer from residual effects of shingles that can last for months and have a significant impact on their quality of life. If you think your shingles diagnosis is connected to your military service, or you’ve developed a secondary condition from the infection, you may be eligible for a shingles VA disability rating.

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Chemo port lawsuit

If you or someone you know had a chemo port installed for cancer treatment and the port migrated, fractured, or leaked in the body 90 days or more after it was implanted, you may be eligible to join the lawsuit against Bard.