Lake County Indiana Veteran Service Office

On Monday, Veterans Affairs Chief Information Officer Kurt DelBene said that further reviews have found about 81,000 dependency claims misdirected within the computer system, as well as several thousand other cases in other categories.

Total number of VA claims lost in online systems tops 120,000 The number of veterans discovered to be affected by the mistakes has grown in recent months.

The Military Family Relief Fund's Operation Holiday Program is back! Spread the news, and visit the IDVA website for more details. https://bddy.me/3fsMTrW The program ends Dec. 31. Want to know more about your State Veteran Benefits? Text VET to 55433

In advance of the upcoming Veterans Day holiday, Lake County has announced the County Courthouse and Hammond Courthouse will be illuminated green November 7 through the 13.

This is part of Operation Green Light, a new national collaborative initiative of the National Association of Counties and the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers to support military veterans. This program is used to raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by many veterans and the resources that are available at the county, state, and federal level to assist veterans and their families.

VA’s 2024 disability payment schedule with a 3.2% Cola increase.

More than 1 million veterans have submitted PACT Act claims in the past year, with a sizable portion filing this summer ahead of an early August deadline to be eligible for a year of retroactive benefits. Those cases, coupled with already high filing levels from veterans on other disability issues, has put the department at record-high work levels. The backlog of first-time disability claims — claims pending for more than 125 days, the standard set by VA to process the files — reached 292,499 this week. It hasn’t been above 300,000 since early 2014.

Total of overdue VA disability claims balloons to almost 300,000 The number of overdue cases hasn't been that high since 2014.

About 32,000 veterans’ disability claims were delayed — some as long as five years — due to a technical flaw in federal filing systems, Veterans Affairs officials acknowledged this week.

In this situation, the 32,000 delayed disability compensation claims filed through online systems were not properly routed to processing staffers, leaving the cases untouched.

Thousands of vets’ disability claims delayed years because of glitch Officials said about 32,000 veterans were affected by the mistake.

Make sure you get your intent to file in before 8/14/23 to establish your effective date.

Link below for more information

https://www.in.gov/dva/about-idva/links/military-family-relief-fund/

See posting for additional details.

In a review of some 1,300 such cases decided over late 2021-early 2022, found that in 760 cases the rated did not have the required designation as a specialized processor, in 780 the rater had not completed all the mandatory training courses concerning the appealed issue, and 820 cases lacked a required second signature. In all, there was one or more of those problems with 1,200 of the 1,300.

Reviewers on Many Complex Claims Cases at VA Not Fully Qualified, Says IG Many benefit claims of the sort that the VA considers to be complex are reviewed by employees who are not fully qualified to handle such cases, an

Spread the word! Operation Stand Down will be held April 22, 2023. This is a free screening event for Lake, Porter and LaPorte County Veterans that do not have dental coverage. Exams and x-rays will be done that day at the IUN Medical/Professional Building in Gary, IN. This event is hosted by the IUN Hygiene Clinic, their students and faculty and local dentists that are all volunteering to help from 8am-12pm. Veterans will then be assigned to a local dentist after the event to get the basic dental care they need at no charge. (Cleanings, fillings & extractions) Please call 219-334-7552 to register for the event.

“These screenings are an important step toward making sure that all toxic exposed veterans get the care and benefits they deserve,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough said in a statement. “At the end of the day, these screenings will improve health outcomes for veterans, and there’s nothing more important than that.”

New VA toxic exposure screening starts Nov. 8 The five-minute series of questions is designed to inform vets of new benefits they may be able to receive.

Indiana University Northwest Veterans resource fair in Savannah Hall. November 9th from 11am to 2pm
Contact Dan Riordan 219-980-6830 for more information

As of October 22, 2022 the VA has 659,924 total claims pending, 171k of those are new entitlements, 479k of them are supplement claims asking for reconsideration.

Nearly 113K claims already filed for PACT Act benefits VA officials have urged all vets who believe they are eligible for the new benefits to apply soon.

American Veterans Collection is looking for Veterans in Northwest Indiana with families that could use a little extra help this holiday season.

Contact James Chancellor from the American Veterans Collection for more information. 219-771-6243

The OIG reviewed a statistical sample of 100 veterans’ rating decisions, from an estimated population of over 24,800 veterans with at least one disability rated at 100 percent as of August 20, 2018, and a P&T status decision issued from October 1, 2017, to September 14, 2018, to determine whether VBA decision makers cited adequate medical evidence to support establishing P&T status.

The OIG found that 61 percent of the rating decisions did not cite adequate evidence showing the disabilities were permanent and estimated that VBA staff established P&T status for about 15,100 veterans without this evidence.
https://www.va.gov/oig/pubs/VAOIG-19-00227-226.pdf

Vets can apply for all PACT Act benefits now after VA speeds up law Congress said officials could wait until 2026 to handle some claims, but White House officials have ordered VA to move faster.

The U.S. Senate issued its final vote on the historic Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, ensuring millions of veterans exposed to noxious fumes emanating from burn pits will have access to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) care and benefits.

What’s the PACT Act and how will it affect my VA benefits and care?
The PACT Act is perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history.

The PACT Act will bring these changes:

Expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf War, and post-9/11 eras
-Adds more than 20 new presumptive conditions for burn pits and other toxic exposures
-Adds more presumptive-exposure locations for Agent Orange and radiation
-Requires VA to provide a toxic exposure screening to every Veteran enrolled in VA health care
-Helps us improve research, staff education, and treatment related to toxic exposures

https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/

The PACT Act And Your VA Benefits | Veterans Affairs The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic 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 question...

Our office will have a representative at the event to answer questions.

This special program can assist qualified veterans with essential school expenses for the children that reside in their homes. The assistance amount would be $500.00 per child residing in the veteran’s household.

This program will begin on July 1, 2022, and end on September 15, 2022. Any applications received after 4PM on September 15th cannot be processed. Any applications that are not complete at 4PM September 15th will be closed.

The veteran must have an honorable, under honorable conditions, or certain other than honorable discharges.

The household income cannot exceed 2 times the US federal poverty guidelines. An eligible child shall be under 18 years of age at the time of the application, or the child is 18 years of age and
still enrolled in high school or a high school equivalently program.

Please note, if you have received a previous award, the maximum lifetime amount an applicant may receive from the fund is two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00), unless a higher amount is approved by the commission.
https://www.in.gov/dva/files/1-MFRF-BTS-App-updated-5-26-22.pdf

Lake County Indiana Veteran Service Office updated their phone number.

The Lake County Veterans Service Office has partnered with the National Association of Counties, Association of Indiana Counties (AIC), and the Lake County Comissioners to provide a flag retirement box at the Government Complex the retirement box is located at the east entrance of the administration building.

This program provides a service to Lake County residents to properly dispose of the U.S. flag when it becomes worn or torn. Flags should be folded respectfully before being placed in the box.

Gulf War Exposures and Health Concerns

May 12, 2022

Register for class here
https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/veteransaffairs/j.php?RGID=r01682b0421ec1d7468efec67a2f4a02c

Immediate Release

Friday, March 18, 2022

Governor Eric Holcomb directs flags to be flown at half-staff
INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Eric J. Holcomb is directing flags to be flown at half-staff in Lake County to honor the life of U.S. Army Captain Andrew W. Laud of Cedar Lake. Captain Laud was in active duty at the time of his death and served as a Captain Company Commander of HHC6 – 101st Aviation in Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

Flags should be flown at half-staff in Lake County from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, March 19. Gov. Holcomb is asking businesses and residents in Lake County to lower their flags.

These are proposed recommendations to the current 38 CFR. Nothing is currently finalized.

VA Proposed Updates to Sleep Apnea, Mental Health, Tinnitus VA Ratings VA has announced proposed changes to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD) specifically pertaining to VA claims for sleep apnea, tinnitus, and ment...

Proposed changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs disability ratings system will mean lower payouts for veterans with sleep apnea and tinnitus in the future but higher payouts for veterans facing mental health challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/veterans-affairs-department?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pi+subscription+mailing+list&utm_source=federalregister.gov

www.federalregister.gov

Lake County Indiana Veteran Service Office updated their address.