Three years ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that obesity can be service-connected if it results in a “functional impairment of earning capacity.” That means that even though obesity is not ratable under the VA…
The Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) Act is a crucial piece of legislation that impacts military retirees and addresses the complex relationship between military retirement pay and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This act has…
Introduction A fiduciary, in the context of veterans and their benefits, plays a critical role in managing financial matters on behalf of veterans who may be unable to do so themselves due to various reasons, such as age, disability, or…
A CUE in terms of the VA is a Clear and Unmistakable Error. Everyone makes mistakes, and VA raters are included in that ‘everyone’. They sometimes make honest mistakes, yet these mistakes can cost a Veteran significant amounts of money…
Post-service depression, often referred to as post-military depression, is a mental health condition that can affect veterans after they have completed their military service. It is a subtype of depression characterized by its onset following military discharge or retirement. This…
Veteran benefits do not begin and end with VA disability compensation. That is the one everyone thinks about, but if a Veteran is already receiving disability compensation there are other benefits they may be eligible to receive. Some of these…
As Veterans, we are very blessed to be able to access the services of the VA Medical Care system. I understand that many take that statement with a grain of salt, but for thousands of Veterans who may be on…
September 30 is the next timeline in the PACT Act. This is the last day that veterans who deployed to a combat zone, never enrolled in VA health care, and left active duty between Sept. 11, 2001, and Oct. 1,…
I understand that peripheral neuropathy can be a challenging condition to deal with. It involves damage or dysfunction of the peripheral nerves, which are essential for transmitting signals between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. These…
An Intent to File (ITF) is a formal notification submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by an individual who intends to apply for VA benefits. The ITF serves as a placeholder for a future claim and establishes an…
