Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City, has drafted legislation requesting that Missouri circuit courts create a place specifically for current and former U.S. military who are struggling with substance abuse or mental illness issues. Barnes stated that the country owes it to the veterans to get them the treatment they need to get their lives back on track.

The idea is supported by Rep. Charlie Davis, R-Webb City, who said the vet treatment court would run like a drug courts, where a judge would have the ability sentence a defendant to a rehabilitation facility or to perform some community service, without mandatory prison or jail time. Judges overseeing a veterans court can use the power of the court to force a vet to get treatment; proponents believe that recidivism rates for vets processed through a specialized vet court are lower than for those vets who do not go through a veterans court.

The court would be well-versed in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) issues as well as Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) issues, two conditions which can lead to law-breaking behaviors among military vets back in civilian life. According to a study in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, vets with PTSD or TBI are far more likely than vets without either condition to be arrested. The bill currently proposed would not only help vets get treatment while taking into count their specific circumstances, the court would also be able to more efficiently deal with the backlog of veterans with court issues.

Objections that were previously raised in the Senate when discussing a veterans court included concerns from some that it would be used for veterans accused of committing violent crimes.

The veteran’s court model includes veteran mentors who assist with the program. While some systems vary, generally, a collaborative team made up of the judge, probation officers, a public defender, and a Veterans Administration representative get together to review cases to decide which veterans will be admitted to veterans court for a multi-phase, long-term system.

The first veterans court of this type was put into place in Buffalo, New York, in 2008. As of 2011, there were no reports of recidivism among the vets who completed the Buffalo program. There are now more than 70 veterans courts in the U.S.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

The bill includes education counseling, extensive information about schools, programs, financing, school enrollment and graduation rates, transfer credit opportunities, and what academic, technical and support services are available. The overall plan to make the Post-9/11 GI Bill easily accessible to all who qualify for it.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill also includes education and housing monetary support for military personnel with 90 or more days of service starting after Sept. 10, 2001, and for individuals who were discharged after 30 days of service with a service-connected disability. Students must have been honorably discharge in order to receive the benefit. The benefit covers as much as three years of expenses if they are education-related and approved, and can be used as late as 15 years after active duty has ended.

Another veterans-based bill sent to the President is the Dignified Burial and other Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2012, which allows provisions for burials for veterans who leave behind few or no resources and no family members to oversee their burial. The bill includes instruction for a registry to track the service-related illnesses and symptoms experienced by vets who were exposed to toxic contaminants while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Both bills have been designed to provide support for veterans, from educational opportunities to comprehensive civilian transition programs to services that allow them burial with dignity.

The Dignity bill authorizes the VA to: provide a casket or urn, if needed; follow the wishes of next of kin regarding the funeral or memorial service; claim unclaimed or abandoned veteran remains for proper burial; use $5 million for a military cemetery in the Philippines; and establish an “open burn pit registry” to track vets who were exposed to probable toxic materials from Middle East open burn pits, and track their ongoing health concerns and explore treatment options. Additionally, the bill authorizes the VA to provide transportation of vets to and/or from counseling, vocational and rehabilitation treatment and care.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs does not cover the cost of in vitro fertilization and other fertility services for servicemen and servicewomen. Advocates hope that will soon change, as a growing number of veterans with war wounds that impede their ability to have children without artificial reproductive services are coming home.

Technological advances in medicine are allowing troops who were catastrophically wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan to survive homemade bombs; the bombs target foot patrols and are noted for the damage they cause to lower limbs and the reproductive system. Since 2003, almost 2,000 service members, both men and women, have come home with reproductive system injuries.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray ( D-Wash.) is pushing for coverage for in vitro and other reproductive services support to be covered by the VA. Murray stated that providing artificial reproductive technologies (ART) is just one of the costs of war. As the Chairwoman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Murray introduced legislation which was then passed by the Senate in mid-December, instructing the VA to make available to disabled veterans more advanced fertility techniques, such as like IVF. It is unknown if similar legislation will pass through the House, currently focused on spending cuts.

While the VA does cover some aspects of fertility support, including testing, counseling, and some procedures, it does not usually cover the cost of care for veterans’ spouses or surrogates. For service people who have more severe wounds, where extensive treatment may be needed, the VA falls short. IVF, in which the egg and sperm are combined and then the resulting embryo is transferred in hopes of implantation and pregnancy, is not covered. The cost for IVF, which can take several cycles before success, typically costs more than $10,000 and as much as $20,000, and even then, it may not work.

While the DOD covers the cost of IVF for injured active-duty service members, as of 2010, that does not help many veterans. The policy funds three cycles of treatment for both service members and their spouses, but only is they are active duty. Many service members must wait until they have healed from trauma, and have left the service. For many, it is long after they have left the military before they even know that they face fertility issues.

The Congressional Budget Office currently estimates that the overall cost of fertility services as requested would cost more than $550 million over the next five years. Senator Murray has proposed funding the ART services from money saved via the drawdown of Iraq and Afghanistan troops. The VA has not yet taken a public position on the bill, but has stated that the goal is the VA is to offer services and support to help restore veterans’ capabilities as much as possible.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

Researchers have been working on the medical foam which would dramatically limit the amount of internal bleeding due to injury when injected into the body. The foam is comprised of two separate liquids which, when injected, mix together, expand and harden to become a kind of internal wound dressing. The technology, still in its infancy, would help save the lives of wounded soldiers far from medical facilities by slowing or staunching blood loss. Currently, there is no way to stop or slow internal bleeding in the abdomen other than in-hospital care. Abdominal injuries are considered especially dangerous, as the best methods for treatment at this time to stop blood loss is with compression pads and tourniquets.

The polyurethane polymer foam mix is expected to control internal hemorrhaging for at least one hour and possibly longer, researchers say. The foam is designed to be easily removed by surgeons as a solid mass once the patient is stabilized.

The foam mix was presented to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma annual meeting in Hawaii earlier this year. The study on the foam use estimated that if it is used, there is an expected increase in survival rates for liver injuries from 8 percent to 72 percent and a dramatic reduction in blood loss for more than three hours. The foam may be used in as many as 50 percent of battlefield wounds currently seen, either to control hemorrhaging far from medical care or to manage care when facing multiple injuries, such as both a head injury and major internal bleeding.

The product has yet to be approved by the Federal Drug Administration. It still needs extensive testing to ensure it is safe and effective, and a plan for staff training on use must be developed, researchers caution. Polyurethane foam is widely used for thermal insulation and inside refrigerators.

A loss of blood has long been a major cause of death in war, but battlefields have also been the place where many medical inventions were developed, due to necessity. Though ligatures had been used by Arabs and the Romans in ancient times, the practice had been dropped. It wasn’t until the 1600s when during the Siege of Turin, someone “reinvented” the us of ligatures to stop bleeding arteries. Previously, most battlefield wounds were treated with cauterization and boiling oil.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

Information released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs indicated that almost 350 veterans from Texas with VA benefits died between 2003 and 2011; investigators from the American-Statesman went on to identify those veterans and confirm that 266 of them, 77 percent, died of accidental drug overdoses or from an accidental and toxic combination of prescription drugs.

There is a dramatic lack of research on veterans’ deaths and drug overdoses. According to Amy Bohnert, a researcher at the University of Michigan and Department of Veterans Affairs, the lack of research is a concern. Bohnert recently published the first-ever systemic examination of overdoses and recent veterans.

Bohnert looked at all the veterans nationally who were receiving VA services in 2005. She deduced that more than 1,000 of them died from accidental drug overdoses, which, accounting for age and gender, is double the rate of accidental drug overdoses in the civilian population. Bohnert conclude that accidental drug overdoses are a far greater threat to military veterans than suicidal acts, though suicide is far more often publicized.

Analysis by the Statesman suggests that for veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq, drug overdoses may be even more of an issue than for all military veterans.

A review by the Statesman of autopsy reports for Texas veterans determined that while a few of the overdoses were attributed to illegal drugs, most of the drug-related deaths were due to prescription medications, including pain medication, sleep aids and medication for anxiety and depression. While three out of the 47 listed overdoses were determined to be suicides, the others were accidental miscalculations of toxic drug combinations or dosages. The average age of death for the Texas veterans examined as part of the study was 29, and three of the veterans were women.

Prescription drug addictions, especially addictive opiate painkillers, are at the forefront of the drug issue with recent veterans: nearly half of service people returning from Afghanistan and Iraq reported pain-related issues. Military doctors in 2009 prescribed an estimated 3.8 million narcotic pain pills, an increase of 400 percent since 2001. In addition, the Army reports that amphetamine prescriptions to treat adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder doubled between 2006 and 2009. An Army study from 2010 found that one-third of soldiers were taking prescription meds, and almost 50 percent of those soldiers were taking opiate painkillers.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

The veteran designation on driver’s licenses and other forms of ID is desirable for many reasons, one of which is that many local businesses on New York state offer certain discounts on ticket prices and other items to military veterans. The legislation will allow veterans to show their status in a convenient manner, without having to carry additional forms of ID. The law takes effect in a year, and in order to obtain the veteran mark, applicants must submit proof of honorable discharge to the DMV.

Governor Cuomo stated that veterans have made “invaluable sacrifices” for the state of New York and for the nation and that, in turn, the government wants to do something for them “We are proud to help distinguish them as veterans.”

New York Senator Greg Ball, who co-sponsored the bill, stated that identifying veterans in order to offer services and support is an ongoing issue and he hopes this designation mark will help expedite that process and allow government officials to help connect veterans to a variety of services available to them. The bill was first proposed by Bill Linder of Copiague, Lt. Commander, U.S. Navy (retired).

Though the emblem is just one small mark, it is hoped that veterans will feel the move as a way to acknowledge their sacrifice.

Kentucky currently offers the veteran mark, as does Missouri, where DMV officials report that they have received positive feedback from the veterans who opted to have the emblem placed on their license. They hope more veterans will take advantage of the emblem.

In Kentucky, Governor Steve Beshear directed the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to work to issue new licenses with the emblem without charging for them, allowing vets to get their new license without having to wait until the next renewal period.

The emblem consists of the word “VETERAN” printed vertically on the right border of the driver’s photo. Until the law takes effect, the DMV plans to revise application forms to manage the requests for the veteran status mark. The review of honorable discharge documentation must now be processed manually at the DMV, adding to the backlog at offices statewide.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

In way of an explanation, a spokesperson for the VA hospital stated, “The facility is developing a new Front Drive Plan to alleviate congestion and move veterans and visitors through the area safely. The seating will be replaced once the new design plan is approved and completed.” Why planners did not simply leave the benches in place until the new design plan was implemented is unknown. The new plan is slated to be approved, though not completed, according to reports, by this November.

According to Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, “VA should put the comfort and safety of veterans visiting the DC VA first. If a renovation is being considered to alleviate traffic in that area, then the current seating should remain as long as possible to accommodate veterans using the facility and an alternate entry site, with seating, needs to be planned for in the meantime.”

The local “7 On Your Side” news crew headed out to cover the story on August 29; less than 24 hours later, a forklift appeared, and the benches were reinstalled.

“We understand the hospital’s stance that this was part of an overall renovation plan,” said Ryan Gallucci, Deputy Director of National Legislative Service for the VFW. “We would encourage hospital administrators to quickly come up with an interim solution to make sure veterans – many of whom are at the hospital because they are ill, injured or disabled – have reasonable accommodations while they wait for their ride.”

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

The International Paralympics Committee has reported an increase in news coverage by the U.S., as well as record participation, with more than 4,000 Paralympians, from 165 countries, slated to compete in everything from archery to wheelchair tennis.

The increased audience for the Paralympics may be in part due to a growing awareness by Americans that some military personnel are coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq, among other places, with lasting reminders of their service. It is estimated that more than 47,000 military personnel have been injured in recent conflicts, and as many as 400,000 servicemen and women have some form of combat-related depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.

The public has also been exposed to wounded servicemen by seeing people like Army infantryman J.R. Martinez on the small screen. Martinez, badly burned in Iraq, won 2011’s season of ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars” and was a fixture on daytime TV, playing a wounded veteran on the soap opera “All My Children.” He was just named the 2012 Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year.

Meanwhile, the Wounded Warrior Project, a Jacksonville-based nonprofit organization, works with military veterans to become active in adaptive sports. Activities include abled, disabled and differently-abled participants doing things in communities across the U.S. and internationally; recent outings include scuba diving in an aqua park in Pennsylvania, bike riding in Germany, and surfing off California’s coast.

And in Minnesota, the Minnesota Warriors are a stand up amputee hockey team made up of some 40 disabled men and women who served from Vietnam to Afghanistan. The team was started to help support veterans and get them out on the ice, but now also bringing in community involvement and support.

A more homespun approach has been taken by a number of Pizza Hut franchises in North Carolina. Some 45 of the pizza parlors are placing signage in the parking lot that designates a “Wounded Warrior” parking spot to reserve the place for wounded veterans.

“They are not being thanked or seeing that we appreciate what they have done,” said Virginia Maloyed, the wife of Marine Iraq War veteran. It was Maloyed’s idea to approach Pizza Hut to install the signs. “This is a way to say, we remember – we remember, and we appreciate your sacrifice.”

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

Many veterans returning home from war zones have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury as a result of being exposed to concussive shock waves from IEDs. Like football players and other athletes who sustain multiple concussions, war veterans are at risk of facing long-term cognitive difficulties as a result of being in combat.

University of Michigan researchers are finding differences in electrical activity in the brains of college students who had suffered concussions prior to the testing. Their control group had not sustained head injuries. Along with the differences in electrical activity, researchers also found a change in balance and gait. The interesting thing is that the research team was still able to identify differences up to six years after a concussion, or multiple concussions, had occurred.

The observed changes were subtle, meaning the study participants did not look or act differently, yet the changes were still detectable. However, this does not mean the individuals had Alzheimer’s or would suffer from early onset dementia. It just means that the changes were a possible portent of things to come later in life. The results of this study are still being correlated but are exciting as earlier detection of brain anomalies would help veterans returning from overseas.

The researchers also suggest their findings are predicated on a “dose dependent response.” The more head injuries a person sustains over his or her lifetime, the higher the risk of aging the brain faster, along with the slow disintegration of the brain’s signaling pathways. For those who had a few minor head impacts and one diagnosed concussion, the risks may be low. If you play football or hockey or have done several tours of duty in the war in Iraq or Afghanistan, your risks are infinitely higher, with the cumulative effect of multiple concussions taking a toll on the brain.

Mild concussions may manifest symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness and difficulty concentrating for up to a year in children. No one is absolutely certain how long the effects of a mild concussion will last in adults. The real question is how to effectively identify traumatic brain injury in athletes and military personnel, and from there, determine how they may be treated. If electrical abnormalities are a precursor to more significant damage, and if those changes are caught at an early stage to commence treatment, this can only bode well for veterans.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

It is a record-setting number. In an array of figures disclosed to the Associated Press, of the 1.6 million veterans coming back from those countries, an unprecedented 45 percent have made disability filings. And the backlog of claims throughout the nation is approaching one million, currently at about 864,000.

Further probing makes the statistics even more grim. Vietnam veterans are getting compensation for roughly four injuries, with vets of World War II and Korea only two. Meanwhile, those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are averaging about eight to nine claims each, with a spike up to 11 to 14 most recently.

Tinnitus (noise or ringing in the ears), back pain and post-traumatic stress disorder are the most common maladies. PTSD is a big reason for the hike in compensation, because it is a condition that has only weighed heavily on the national consciousness in the last few years. The same could be said for concussions — or traumatic brain injuries — often suffered during explosions. As is the case with head injuries suffered by former National Football League players and other athletes, nailing down a long-term prognosis is quite difficult, even for the most skilled physician.

It is also likely that these head injuries (and PTSD) went largely unreported by previous veterans returning from service. Close to half the vets back from Iraq and Afghanistan have been treated for mental-health issues.

Regarding other numbers obtained by AP, more than 1,600 of these vets who have sought VA care have lost a limb, many others losing fingers and toes; at least 150 are blind, with thousands of others suffering impaired vision; more than 177,000 have loss of hearing, and more than 350,000 have tinnitus.

Plus, the number of disfigured returnees is in the thousands, with many possibly needing face transplants. Wounds to the face and jaw are commonplace during battle.

Not surprisingly, the cost of taking care of the veterans is mind-boggling. Harvard economist Linda Bilmes told the AP she estimates the health and disability price tag of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to be anywhere from $600-900 billion.

Given that Afghanistan is winding down, that number could eventually be higher. Individual claim payments start at $127 per month up to about $2,800 a month, the latter for a full disability.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

In Northern California, figures from the VA say returning soldiers have to wait an average of 320 days for disability claim decisions. Some 35,000 vets in Northern California are awaiting their fates regarding disability claims, with the overwhelming majority waiting over four months — and counting. Nationwide, some 566,000 veterans are waiting on claims.

The inspector general also said it took a look at a batch of cases and found that claims were handled correctly in the Oakland VA only 61 percent of the time, meaning the process would have to be done all over when mistakes were made.
When it came to cases involving a traumatic brain injury, not uncommon among those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of botched claims soars to 57 percent. It had been previously stated that the Oakland VA made mistakes on 26 percent of all cases. The news is even worse in the Los Angeles and San Diego offices, with error rates of 97 and 77 percent, respectively.

Outrage over the delays in disability claims grew to the point where Reps. Jackie Speier and Barbara Lee held a town hall type meeting at the War Memorial Veterans Building in San Francisco in late May. There, Speier pledged to “fix” the Oakland VA.

This will not be easy. VA Western area director Willie Clark said at the community meeting claims have increased close to 50 percent in the last four years, to a total of about 1.3 million last year. The Oakland VA handles claims from Bakersfield in central California up north to the Oregon border.

In a letter to the VA, Congressman Jerry McNerney urged Secretary Eric Shinseki to do something about the claim backlog.

“The (Inspector General’s) report shows us concretely what we already knew: the backlog of claims at the Oakland regional office is unacceptable,” wrote McNerney, a Bay Area Democrat who sits on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.” I will continue to hold the VA accountable until we see concrete improvements made as a result of the plan. The number of delayed claims simply must be reduced…

“I’ve heard time and time again from veterans in California about the troubling delays they experienced while having their claims processed. These are truly heartbreaking stories, and this is not the way their service and sacrifice should be honored.”

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

A recent study conducted by USAA revealed a 13% increase in at-fault accidents among U.S. troops, compared to their driving record prior to being deployed. The insurance company does not plan to increase rates as a result of the study, but has shared their findings with the military to promote safety.

The Office of the Surgeon General reviewed driving habits of U.S. Army personnel and how their combat driving translates to civilian life at home.

When deployed, troops are trained to stay away from road shoulders to avoid making contact with an IED. When on an Interstate of Highway in their hometown, the soldier may inadvertently straddle lanes or drive in the middle of two lanes.

To avoid making contact with an insurgent, a soldier will make last-minute changes in direction, particularly before entering tunnels or going under overpasses. The Surgeon General saw this driving style translate to not using traffic signals, quickly changing lanes, and avoiding underpasses and tunnels. Speeding is also a common infraction.

While speeding and a failure to use signals may be relatively minor infractions, a lot of these combat driving habits can be very dangerous and lead to serious accidents. In a battle zone, troops assume the right of way, and will not stop for traffic or people. Not yielding to pedestrians, nor stopping at red lights, or driving through stops signs can cause serious harm to others and potentially lead to a catastrophic accident.

As troops make it home from Iraq and Afghanistan, they arrive thankful to return home safely and be with their friends and family. When they return home, it’s important to stay safe, especially on the road.

Getting treatment for anxiety related to time spent in combat, and Post-traumatic stress disorder can help veterans become calmer drivers and adjust to civilian roadways. Visit VA.gov or contact a veterans’ disability attorney.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

So that others can continue to enjoy the American way of life, servicemen and women of the U.S. Military branches volunteer for jobs that separate them from their family and put themselves in harm’s way. When a member of the military is injured, ill, suffers trauma, or is disabled, Veterans Affairs (the VA) is there to provide health benefits and treatment at no cost.

With two wars that drastically increased the number of deployed troops over the last decade, many veterans are coming home to rising healthcare costs and the need to receive treatment.

As more troops are fighting overseas, suffering from serious injuries and illnesses like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), many may find it surprising that 53% of former Active Duty and Reserve/National Guard OEF/OIF/OND Veterans have not applied for VA benefits to get treatment for their duty related illness.

Veteran’s Affairs is making an effort to reach out to these former service members to help connect them with the treatments they need. Their website (va.gov) has made it easy for veterans to submit the form 10-10EZ.

According to the VA, Military Veterans that engaged in combat after Nov. 11, 1998 can receive “enhanced enrollment eligibility” for VA health care services for 5 years. These benefits include cost-free health care from Veteran’s Affairs when treating conditions that were potentially caused during service in their “theater of operations.”

The website offers a PDF to download that can be easily filled out, mailed, or submitted online. Eligible veterans can also apply over the phone by calling the VA at 1-877-222-VETS.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates post deployment treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can cost more than $13,000. Other injuries can far surpass that and none of those expenses should be paid by the veterans. The VA was established to support the men and women that make sacrifices for their country. Those that are part of the 47% of eligible veterans that have not applied should visit the VA website or their local VA hospital to sign up.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and came back from war with PTSD were twice as likely to be given prescriptions for painkillers that have proven to be addictive compared to vets with only physical pain, according to the study.

Caregivers were approximately four times more likely to give the drugs to veterans with PTSD and a history of problems with substance abuse.

The study was paid for by the Department of Veterans Affairs and it was based on the VA’s data. It was published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

All of the veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq who were diagnosed with physical pain between October of 2005 and December of 2010 were involved in the study, which equals 141,029 servicemen and servicewomen.

Vets with PTSD who were given morphine and other strong painkillers had a higher risk of suicide, alcohol and drug overdoses and self-inflicted injuries, according to the study. These consequences were rare, but still notable.

The study shows that it is a difficult task to treat painful injuries as well as painful memories. The study’s authors and other experts indicate other treatments including therapy and other drugs would be less risky, according to FoxNews.

Some doctors could be prescribing powerful, opium-based drugs like hydrocodone and morphine precisely because of their strength to potentially dull extreme physical pain or help reduce emotional distress. Opioids often make psychological problems worse, according to sources speaking to FoxNews.

In 2009, the VA adopted a pain management philosophy that requires opiate prescriptions be accompanied by non-drug mental health care. This came at the end of the study.

The VA distributed a press release about the study indicating that the agency’s pain management approach is a model of effective care, but “…we recognize that more work needs to be done.”

There were 15,676 veterans given opiate prescriptions in the study for physical pain. Those numbers included 18 percent of the vets with PTSD and about 12 percent of those with different mental health diagnoses. The opiate prescriptions were given to only about 7 percent of the veterans without those problems.

Since many veterans coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are young, they are often struggling to find their place in civilian life, according to a Yale University teacher and doctor who spoke with FoxNews. Dr. William Becker works with veterans on substance abuse problems. The best treatment in that environment is therapy and behavioral management for the PTSD and separate chronic pain management for the physical injuries of war. He said the study “…brings much needed attention to the complexity of this problem.”

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

Digital badges have taken on an increased importance recently as more people try to move into the civilian workforce after some time away in the military, taking online classes or even volunteering and doing charity work.

Badges are envisioned as supplements to a traditional resume that have a digital link where prospective employers can determine their authenticity. The MacArthur Foundation in Chicago is leading the badges revolution. The foundation gave a $1 million grant to the Mozilla Foundation to develop a consistent standard for badges that can be used across platforms.

The VA contest winner will design badges to help translate military experience into classroom credit or work-related training, according to a press release from the VA.

“We are looking for ways to make it easy for employers to see Veterans for who they are: highly qualified individuals in any job applicant pool,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said in the release. “We want to help good jobs find Veterans and help Veterans find good jobs.”
Along with the VA, the “Badges for Vets” contest also is being sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Education, Labor and Energy. The contest is part of the larger MacArthur Foundation project called the Badges for Lifelong Learning Competition.
The VA Innovation Initiative announced three finalists in the competition in March.
• TopCoder Inc. is an IT consulting company that developed a way to issue badges representing military experience and training to help qualify veterans for a specific assignment.
• Western Governors University has a program to award transfer credit to veterans who have earned badges for corresponding training in the military.
• The Manufacturing Institute has a plan to use badges to help veterans find jobs on its jobs and talent matching platform online.
A winner from among those three will be announced after Memorial Day, according to the release.

The contest calls for $25,000 in prizes for the winners in five categories for companies to design and deliver badges that are representative of veterans’ transferable skills from the battlefield to the cubicle.

Other industries using badge systems to help bridge people’s skillsets with potential employers include NASA, Disney and the library and manufacturing industries.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

The Department of Veterans Affairs has earmarked about $792 million of the fiscal year 2012 budget toward the final stages of completion for the new hospitals. That is less than one half of a percent of the VA’s massive $140 billion budget.

The new VA Hospital in New Orleans is under construction in the mid-city area of town. Congress appropriated funds for a new VA hospital in New Orleans in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the city’s former facility.

The Replacement Medical Center in New Orleans is a 1.5 million square foot hospital with 120 inpatient beds and 60 beds for transitional care. The new VA hospital is being built to withstand hurricanes like the one that shut down its predecessor. It will be able to run for a week without resupply, it has a heliport and boat docks for evacuations and all mission-critical technologies are stored 20 feet above ground, according to the VA.

The new VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System in Las Vegas is scheduled to open this year. The Vegas VA hospital will have 201 beds in both inpatient and nursing home/extended care. It will be more than 1 million square feet on about 150 acres at 6900 N. Pecos Road in Las Vegas.

The new hospital will have a diagnosis and treatment building, an ambulatory care building, a community center and a mental health building, according to the VA.

In Orlando, Fla., the new VA Medical Center will be co-located with the University of Central Florida College of Medicine, the Nemours Children’s Hospital, the Burnham Institute and the University of Florida College of Medicine in an area known as Medical City.

The 314-bed Orlando VA will have 1.2 million square feet and cost about $665 million. The beds will be split between inpatient services, a community living center and a domiciliary. The Orlando VA hospital is expected to open in 2012.

Finally, the new VA hospital development in Denver, known as Project Eagle, is a $580.2 million facility on the site of the former Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center. The 180-bed Denver VA Medical Center will include a 30-bed center for spinal cord injuries and disorders. Project Eagle is expected to finish in early 2015.

The next four cities on the VA’s list for new medical centers are Seattle, St. Louis, Dallas and Palo Alto, Calif., according to the VA’s 2013 fiscal year budget proposal. All of these centers will be dedicated to the treatment and care of America’s 22 million veterans and more than a million new veterans expected to leave active duty during the next five years.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

This increase in veterans to serve means a larger budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs. President Barack Obama’s proposed budget includes $140.3 billion for the VA to cover the 2012 fiscal year beginning Oct. 1.

The budget proposal now must be approved by Congress. It is about a 10 percent increase over the last VA budget.

The VA must balance their budget while caring for the needs of soldiers returning from more than 10 years of war in the Middle East with the agency’s commitments to veterans from previous conflicts.

The requested budget includes $76 billion for mandatory spending, mostly for pensions and disability compensation. It also includes $64 billion in discretionary funds, most of which goes into medical care, according to the VA.

The VA’s budget supports a health care system with 8.8 million beneficiaries and its programs service 12 million veterans, families and servicemembers. It also supports home loan guarantees, education benefits, the eighth largest program for life insurance in the country, and America’s largest cemetery system.

The VA expects almost 6.5 million patients will use the agency for their health care during the next fiscal year. The President’s budget includes a medical care increase of about 4.1 percent over last year to $52.7 billion. These increases include upgrades in funding for mental health care and gender-specific health care for female veterans coming home from war, according to the VA.

The health care budget also includes $792 million to activate new health care facilities in Orlando, Fla., New Orleans, Denver and Las Vegas. Almost $400 million is flagged for continued construction on medical units in St. Louis, Dallas, Seattle and Palo Alto, Calif.

The proposed VA budget also includes funding for a new jobs program called the Veterans Jobs Corps. This new initiative is designed to leverage skills that veterans attained during military service for a variety of jobs in the United States. The Veterans Jobs Corps could put as many as 20,000 veterans to work here rebuilding or restoring public lands.

The budget also funds efforts to combat veteran homelessness issues. There is almost $1.4 billion set aside for efforts that will treat or prevent homelessness among veterans in the FY 2013 budget. This 33 percent increase represents a commitment to end veteran homelessness by 2015.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

The numbers are falling because of efforts by the military to understand behavior that lead to suicide among soldiers, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Among active-duty soldiers and those in the Reserves and the National Guard, 278 took their own life in 2011. That number is down by nine percent from the 305 in 2010 and finally stops an annual rise in the numbers.

Army officials told the Wall Street Journal they consider the numbers to be “leveling off” in part because of mental health screening and a better understanding of post traumatic stress disorder and concussions. The draw down of troops deployed overseas also is playing a role in the changing statistics, according to the report.

The numbers started to climb in 2005 as troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan became longer and more frequent. Concussions and traumatic brain injuries have been more regular injuries among soldiers because of the roadside bombs that are a signature of the two wars, according to the WSJ.

The suicide rate in the Army, 24 per 100,000, continues to be higher than that of the general population in the United States, about 19 for every 100,000 people. For soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, the rate is about 38 per 100,000.

In studying the suicide rates, the Army found that concussions have become a serious problem among soldiers who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Screening for mental health issues has brought to light a concussion rate that has gone up five times in 10 years. Traumatic brain injuries can be especially difficult on the mental health of the victim.

While announcing the good news about suicide rates, the Army also announced bad news about domestic abuse and child abuse among soldiers.

Soldiers charged with sexual assault jumped 41 percent since 2006 to 2,290. Domestic violence went up 85 percent since 2001 to 2,699 reported occurrences. The Pentagon has proposed a strategy for addressing these crimes.
Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli discussed the numbers in January while announcing the Pentagon’s proposals for addressing gaps in policy that could lead to better mental health care.

Chiarelli also proposed a name change for the often-diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. If the health care community drops the word “disorder” then soldiers and veterans might be more inclined to seek help, he said.

“I just want to get rid of the ‘D,'” Chiarelli said. “You can have the best treatments in the world, but if you can’t get someone to come in and get the treatment because they don’t want to admit that they have a [disorder], they aren’t going to come in.”

Veterans having a difficult time getting the legal help they need to fight for their health care benefits should contact a qualified attorney.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

The VA made the announcement about the deadline extension just before the old deadline expired in December. The VA extended the deadline because the health issues that have come out of the Gulf War have been misunderstood and some are still being researched.

“When there is an uncertainty about the connection between a medical problem and military service, veterans are entitled to the benefit of doubt,” said VA Secretary Eric Shinskei in a press release. “Not all the wounds of war are fully understood.”

Gulf War veterans have reported a variety of ailments that have not always been easy for the medical community to explain. Those illnesses have been everything from pain in muscles and joints to headaches and fatigue.

About 700,000 men and women were deployed to the region during the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991. Studies have linked the mysterious illnesses to the Middle East environment at the time such as blowing sand dust and petroleum smoke and even the inoculations and other preventative measures many took when they deployed, according to the Army Times.

With the new extension, veterans who develop symptoms of war-related illness over the next five years will still be eligible to apply for compensation through the VA. The American Legion has pushed for there to be no deadline for veterans to develop new symptoms of illnesses traced back to the Gulf War, according to the Army Times report.

The new deadline will affect veterans who develop what the VA calls Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illnesses. The government defines this illness as any one or combination of a cluster of unexplained chronic symptoms including “fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders and memory problems,” according to the VA’s public health website.

The VA stays away from the phrase “Gulf War Syndrome” because the health issues veterans have reported since the Gulf War have not met the definition of a syndrome, so the VA uses Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Ilnesses.

Veterans do not need to show a link between their Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illness and the Gulf War. The VA presumes that symptoms that last for six months are related to the service in the war, according to the VA’s website.

Gulf War veterans who show new signs of chronic illness can hire an experienced law firm to represent them in the search for compensation.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.
James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

The VA has gone to great lengths to encourage veterans to seek mental health care to treat post traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related conditions. Since there are thousands of service men and women coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan over then next year, the VA is likely to see an even steeper hike in the number of veterans seeking mental health care.

The Senate’s Committee on Veterans’ Affairs held two hearings last year to investigate why veterans often have to wait far longer than the agency’s maximum of two weeks to be seen by a mental health care professional.

An executive with the Wounded Warrior Project testified that the VA is so understaffed and unprepared for the veterans who need mental health care, it is like watching someone treat an amputation with a band-aid.

In a November committee hearing, Senators heard from professionals within the VA as well as veterans’ advocacy groups who testified that the wait times have not shortened since the issue was brought to the committee in July.

Committee members explored many of the issues that hurt the VA’s ability to deliver appropriate mental health care to veterans. Mental health care carries a stigma among many in the military. It has historically been difficult to get veterans to seek this type of care, so the issue of wait times can compound the difficulty. The committee also explored issues with the number of health care professionals available to treat the veterans at each center and the hours that those doctors can keep in order to be available at the times that the veterans need the care.

Officials from within the VA testified that the agency has the right policies in place, but there is an implementation problem. Sen. John D. Rockefeller, D-W. Va., said he felt like the Office of Management and Budget was restricting what the VA witnesses could say in their testimony. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said he thinks the VA’s focus on process instead of outcome restricts the agency’s ability to serve veterans.

The Committee’s chairwoman Patty Murray said mental health care is an area where the VA cannot afford to fail.
“Especially at a time when we are seeing record suicides among our veterans – we need to meet the veteran’s desire for care with the immediate assurance that it will be provided – and provided quickly,” she told the committee.

A qualified attorney can help veterans make sure they get the proper mental health care from the VA.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

The CAVC heard oral arguments in a case at the law school as part of Mercy’s Veterans Appellate Clinic in October. The clinic gives students an opportunity to represent veterans in their service-related disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The court heard the case of Michele D. Burden in her claim against the VA, which denied her widow’s benefits in a dispute over the validity of her common law marriage in Alabama. The claimant was married to the veteran at the time of his death in 2004, but they had not been married for a full year. Since she was not married to the deceased before or during his service, she claimed that, under Alabama law, they had a common law marriage. The VA disagreed and so the appeal brought the case before the CAVC.

The court has a narrow jurisdiction. Its job is to review final decisions from the VA’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals. The court gives veterans judicial overview of their benefit claims with the VA.

When the court visited Detroit for the oral arguments, it stayed for two days, spending one day leading a class and teaching students how to prosecute claims. The law school limits the class to six students per term, so there was plenty of access to the judges.

Congress created the CVAC in 1988 when an influx of claims by Vietnam veterans made it clear that the VA’s process needed updating. Until then, there was no access to judicial review for veterans’ claims, according to the CVAC website. Since then, Congress has lifted restrictions on veterans who wanted paid legal representation in their claims against the VA. First, service members and veterans were allowed paid representation in claims before the CVAC and then later they were allowed to hire a lawyer at the beginning of the process.

The Veterans Appellate Clinic at Mercy includes classes in issue framing and appellate strategy. The students also learn about electronic case filing and conformance to court rules, according to the curriculum.

The school has another Veterans Clinic class in conjunction with its Mobile Law Office called Project SALUTE. Students in this class get to help veterans and their families gain benefits in claims with the VA.

Project SALUTE is an RV that travels to work with lower-income veterans mostly in the school’s home state of Michigan.

The oral arguments heard at the University of Detroit’s law school by the CVAC were open to the public and local attorneys who practice veteran’s disability law came to the school to watch the proceedings.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

As of October, the Department of Defense’s PDBR had taken fewer than 3,000 applications out of more than 77,000 troops that qualify, according to the Military Times website.

Congress created the PDBR to serve veterans with combined disability ratings of 20 percent or less who were discharged from Sept. 11, 2001 to the end of 2009.

The board’s president, Ret. Air Force Col. Michael LoGrande told the Military Times that about half of those veterans reviewed so far have had their ratings upgraded to more than 30 percent.

Completed reviews with recommendations are sent to the correct service branch. The service branches make the final decision on each case.

The applications and supporting documentation is processed and digitized in San Antonio, Texas, before being sent to Arlington, Va., for processing by PDBR.

If a PDBR is successful and a veteran’s rating is increased, monthly disability retirement pay will be applied retroactively to the date of the original disability. An updated disability rating may also mean that a veteran could be eligible for the DoD’s health care coverage called TRICARE and Survivor’s Benefit Plan insurance, according to the DoD’s Military Health System.

Veterans do not need to prove any errors or injustices to have their status reviewed, LoGrande told the U.S. Army website news service. The PDBR looks at everything that could be relevant to see what can be rated.

Each board includes a medical officer and two senior line officers in the veteran’s service branch. The board cannot recommend a reduction in status.

A veteran can send as much or as little supporting documentation as he or she likes. The process only requires an application and a privacy statement.

The board of review will look at physical evaluation board records and medical records from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Applications are currently taking more than a year to process, according to LoGrande, because of the backlog the PDBR had when it started in January 2009.

Long processing times and a low number of applicants so far mean the wait for review could get longer before it gets shorter. LoGrande told the Military Times the turnout for review has been slow because his department has not been getting the word out well enough. As the process continues to yield positive results, outreach has become a bigger priority, he said.

A qualified veterans disability lawyer can help veterans get the maximum disability payments.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

The new HCE is charged with creating a database of military hearing-related injuries and care management to help create best practices among VA caregivers.

In an interview with the Military Officers Association of America, the center’s interim director Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Packer said the HCE is at initial operational capability and should be completely operational by 2013.

The HCE will create a registry of every case of acoustic injury to service members, Packer told the MOAA. Service members suffer hearing loss in a variety of ways – from IEDs to ship engine noise and ship gunfire to aircraft noise.

“Data available from the Registry will spur a research agenda leading to better prevention, optimal diagnosis, best practice guidelines and optimal rehabilitation strategies,” said Air Force Surgeon General Charles B. Green in a speech on the HCE to the House Committee on Armed Services in 2010.

By creating the HCE, the DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs is responding to alarming statistics on hearing-related injuries among service members.

The VA’s annual report indicates that since 1998, hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing in the ears) are the most prevalent cases, Packer said. There are about a million unique cases of auditory system disabilities among veterans since 2001, he said.

The HCE’s registry will have two main objectives. The first will be to identify cases of hearing damage among veterans. The second objective is to collect hearing conservation information, Packer said. The VA does not currently have access to any of this information in order to provide the quality of care it wants for veterans.

Instead of a brick and mortar building, the HCE is a virtual office. Its headquarters is at Lackland Air Force Base’s Wilford Hall Medical Center in Texas.

The HCE will work with military medical centers in Washington, D.C., San Diego, Hawaii, Portsmouth, Va., and at Ft. Lewis in Washington and San Antonio, Packer said.

The new center will be fully operational when it achieves the goal of a fully functional registry of injuries that serves to guide care among medical centers. Packer told the MOAA, the HCE strives “…to standardize the care and the management of the hearing-related events in the Department of Defense.”

In his overview of the HCE to congress, Green said “…the Hearing Center of Excellence will provide policy oversight and will coordinate the sharing of information and clinical advances in all areas of auditory system injury to optimize prevention, clinical care and research.”

Veterans who suffer from hearing loss after serving should contact an attorney who can help them access the VA’s benefits and care. Legal Help for Veterans PLLC has experienced professionals on staff.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

Patty Murray, the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs sent a letter to the VA in October insisting that the department improve to meet the needs of veterans with mental health treatment requests.

The Senate committee requested the survey after a summer hearing in which they heard testimony from veterans and caregivers documenting unacceptable wait times for mental health treatment at VA centers, according to an Oct. 4 press release from the committee.

The survey revealed that 70 percent of the nurses, doctors and social workers who work for the VA say the department does not have enough space or enough staff to handle the cases, according to the Washington Post.

The department mandates no more than 14-day wait times for these cases, but the survey found that more than a third of the respondents said they cannot make that time frame.

Added wait times for mental health care are feared to increase the risk of suicide among veterans. The VA estimated about 18 veterans commit suicide every day, according to the Washington Post.

Committee Chairwoman Murray, D. Wash., and Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr, R., N.C., both expressed concerns after the July hearings that inspired the survey. At the hearing, the testimonials had an impact.

Retired Army Spec. Daniel Williams suffered a brain injury in Iraq and has post traumatic stress disorder. After failing to find psychiatric help, he survived a suicide attempt in 2004 when his gun misfired. He testified at the hearing that when he tried to change his appointment to come to Washington D.C., to testify, he was told it would be four months before he could get a new date, according to the Washington Post.

During the hearing, Sen. Burr said these concerns are not new and “…this is the third hearing in four years conducting oversight examining the gaps that exist in VA’s mental health care program. And yet, gauging from testimony we will hear from the first panel, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.”

Murray’s letter was sent to Dr. Robert Petzel, the VA’s undersecretary for health. She called for immediate attention to the gaps in service to the veterans.

The VA’s response to the report, according to the Washington Post, is that the department “…is taking the findings of this query seriously and is working to better understand where service gaps exist.”

There is not yet any word from the VA about what specific actions might be taken to address the committee’s concerns.

A qualified veterans disability attorney can help a veteran get the mental health care he or she needs. Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC has experienced professionals on staff who have worked in the mental health field. They have experience handling difficult mental health care claims.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

“Posting of the ships list is an important recognition of the sacrifices U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Veterans made for this Nation,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “It provides an easier path for Veterans who served in Vietnam to get the benefits and services they are entitled to under the law.”

Herbicide exposure from Agent Orange has been found to cause 14 different medical conditions. Veterans who served in Vietnam from early 1962 to May 7, 1975 do not have to medically prove their illness is a result of military service. Thus, Veterans can get quicker access to much-needed, monthly benefits. A surviving spouse or child can also seek survivors’ benefits if their loved one passed away from diseases connected to Agent Orange exposure. Benefits can include compensation and health care benefits.

The VA determines eligibility based on the ship’s operations and official records of where it was based. Currently, 183 ships from the Mobile Riverine Force, ISF Division 93, and other boats on the inland waterways are associated with possible exposure to the herbicide. An experienced Veterans disability attorney can help a former service member or their loved ones to ensure that the VA Regional Office has a complete file and your case is presented in the strongest way. If your disability claim is already at the Board of Veterans Appeals or the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, it is even more critical to have legal representation to uphold your rights to service-related medical issues that deserve disability benefits.

Medical records are still important to include in a fast-track case involving Agent Orange. The VA will want to see one of the 14 conditions already connected to the herbicide in an individual’s medical records along with sufficient courses of attempted treatment. The nature and extent of the disability along with clear evidence is crucial for a successful disability claim.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at Legalhelpforveterans.com.

This stems from a recent study by a leading Veterans Administration doctor and other notable colleagues in The Journal of the American Medical Association that showed risperidone was no more effective than the placebo sugar pill at treating PTSD. In fact, the study showed individuals also experienced weight gain, fatigue, sleepiness, and hypersalivation over the course of a six-month treatment. Individuals from various wars – Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan – still experienced depression, paranoia, anxiety, and a diminished quality of life while using risperidone.

“Overall, the data do not provide strong support for the current widespread prescription of risperidone to patients with . . . military-related PTSD symptoms, and these findings should stimulate careful review of the benefits of these medications in patients with chronic PTSD,” said Dr. John H. Krystal, director of the clinical neurosciences division of the VA’s National Center for PTSD.

From October 2000 to June 2010, Veterans Affairs physicians wrote five million-plus prescriptions of risperidone totaling $717 million. Risperidone is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat schizophrenia, bipolar conditions, and irritability in autistic youth. Using risperidone for PTSD is considered “off-label” use. Even the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, does not suggest using the drug for PTSD.

“PTSD is associated with dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, compounded in the combat environment by prolonged extreme stress and chronic sleep restriction,” said Dr. Charles W. Hoge, from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. More studies and research is needed to address this problem that affects thousands of servicemen and women.

For service members, it is important to note how your treatments for PTSD have addressed the problem. If you are unable to work or interact with others, or have the reduced ability to do so, your disability rating should be evaluated. VA regulations allow service members to seek new evaluations for their mental health concerns. PTSD varies for each person, and could have started while in the service, or only shown up years later. In any case, it is best to seek medical advice and get legal counsel to represent your claims.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at Legalhelpforveterans.com.

A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims found that Secretary Shinseki to have broken federal law when he did not review Cleveland Harvey’s benefits as ordered in a reasonable amount of time. Harvey waited more than two years before he was given a full review of his benefits.

This marks the first time that the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims found that the VA was in civil contempt for failing to handle a benefit review in due time, according to the lawyer involved in the case. She hoped that the case would ensure that veterans would be given reviews more quickly in the future.

The Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims found “a parade of administrative miseries” in the case.

They found that the Board of Veterans Appeals did not request to see Harvey’s veteran’s claims file until four months after the court order to review Harvey’s benefits was issued in 2008. The file was then transferred multiple times, ending up in the wrong regional office at least once. The court also found that the Board showed poor electronic record keeping while monitoring the claim and that the staff had failed to pay attention to a letter that had most of the information necessary to calculate Harvey’s benefits.

After Harvey had not heard anything for a full year, he filed a petition in early 2010 and provided an oral argument later that year.

The VA currently has about 785,000 pending compensation and pension claims, and is expected to receive more as veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan return home and seek benefits. Secretary Shinseki, who took his current position in 2009, has stated that VA claim reviews will be processed in 125 days maximum and that the waiting list will be reduced dramatically by 2016. The VA has hired additional staffers and is employing new technology in an effort to achieve these goals.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at Legalhelpforveterans.com.

Democrat Sen. Kay Hagan and Republican Sen. Richard Burr have both made moves to help the veterans, who were exposed to over 70 chemicals – including trichloroethylene (TCE), a degreaser, perchloroethylene (PCE), a dry cleaning solvent, and benzene – between the 1950s and 1980s.

The Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, in Onslow County, North Carolina, was originally contaminated when solvents were dumped near wells that held water used for drinking and bathing. The government had previously tried to deny a link between the toxins in the water and various illnesses that sprung up in veterans, but the denial was withdrawn in 2009.

In early February, Sen. Hagan sent a letter to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki asking him to speed up the claims process for veterans seeking disability claims related to the contaminated drinking water, and to install new training guidelines for the workers who process the claims. The VA currently uses a 2009 National Research Council study to process Camp Lejeune-related claims, even though the study has been heavily criticized for what Hagan referred to as “scientific shortcomings and inaccurate conclusions.”

The same day that Sen. Hagan sent the letter, Sen. Burr resubmitted a piece of legislation seeking to require the VA to provide health care for the veterans who drank the contaminated water, as well as their families.

Several illnesses have been anecdotally linked to the contaminated water. A woman named Laura Jones filed a suit against the government claiming that the water gave her lymphoma. Twenty men formerly based at Camp Lejeune developed breast cancer, which generally occurs very infrequently in men. Veterans who were based in the camp also suffer from an increased rate of cancer and other diseases.

No study has officially connected the contamination with illness, but the U.S. government is also no longer attempting to disprove that the two are linked. In what may be the first case where the government admitted a link between the water and illness, in early 2010 a man named Paul Buckley received a 100 percent disability from the VA for cancer that was tied to the contaminated water.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer, Veterans disability attorney, Veterans lawyer, or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit Legalhelpforveterans.com

The study, conducted on the newest generation of veterans enrolled with the VA, is no surprise to researchers, who have known for years that there is a strong link between mental wellbeing and physical wellbeing.

“We need to ensure that veterans receive ample physical and emotional care,” said James G. Fausone, a lawyer who works for Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC. “The VA has been treating mental and physical injuries for a long time, but it needs to understand the link between the two when caring for veterans.”

The records of more than 90,000 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who used VA outpatient care in fiscal year 2006-2007 were involved in the study, the majority of whom had a diagnosed mental condition.

The study found that the link between PTSD and physical injuries was stronger among women than men. Women with PTSD had a median of seven medical conditions, while men had a median of five. Women without a mental health condition had a median of 4.5 medical conditions, while men without a mental health condition had four.

“Posttraumatic stress disorder is a very serious problem that veterans need to be aware of and the VA needs to examine,” Fausone said. “This study did not find that PTSD causes physical conditions or vice versa, but it did find that there is a link between the two. All veterans who suffered from minor to major physical injuries should be carefully screened for PTSD and treated appropriately.”

Susan Frayne, MD, MPH, with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University and the lead author of the study, suggested what the findings could mean.

She said that PTSD could increase the risk of medical conditions. “One way this could happen is that PTSD can cause changes in the neuroendocrine system in the body, which might affect other biological processes,” she said in a VA article.

She said another possibility is that “PTSD itself does not cause medical conditions, but that whatever caused the PTSD also simultaneously caused the medical condition.” A roadside bomb that injures a solider, for example, could simultaneously cause PTSD and a medical condition.

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

The researchers found that many of the veterans who committed suicide were suffering from a mental health disorder. Among men, the most at-risk group was those afflicted with bipolar disorder. This was followed by followed by depression, substance abuse disorders, schizophrenia, other anxiety disorders and PTSD. Among females, substance abuse disorders were linked with higher suicide rates, followed by bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, PTSD and other anxiety disorders.

In total, bipolar disorder was the psychiatric disorder most closely linked with suicide. Bipolar disorder accounts for nine percent of all psychiatric disorders suffered by veterans. However, all psychiatric disorders included in the study were linked to an increased risk of suicide, including depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders.

The VA may be able to use the data to help prevent veteran suicides. Researchers wrote that bipolar disorder was “particularly appropriate for targeted intervention efforts or attempts to improve medication adherence” because of its prevalence. The study also found that the VA failed to recognize many of the psychological disorders that afflicted veterans, perhaps due to the fact that soldiers often hide their psychological problems for fear of harming their careers.

“This could be owing to stigma, which may have made individuals less likely to report their mental health symptoms to physicians, an effect that could be more pronounced among men with military experience,” the researchers wrote.

Beyond the estimated $1 trillion cost just to pay for the war, researchers believe that the costs to cover the medical benefits needed for veterans will be astronomical. In a 2008 study, RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research firm, found that one third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans were suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder, a traumatic brain injury, or major depression.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com

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At the end of August, the VA added ischemic heart disease, Parkinson’s disease and B-cell leukemia to the list of diseases connected to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War. The VA announced that sufferers of those diseases may now be eligible for additional benefits because of their exposure.

More than 163,000 veterans or survivors of veterans have a pending claim related to these diseases. The VA hopes to have them all paid out by October of 2011. To meet this goal, some believe the VA has given special attention to the new cases and other veterans may see longer waiting times as a result.

“We have been hearing from the VA that the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has told it to process these claims prior to ruling on other claims,” said James G. Fausone, a lawyer who works for Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC. “As a result, we have been receiving word from local Regional Offices that the normal ‘slow’ process at VA has been slowed even further because the VA has been focusing on these claims and not working on the other claims.”

Prior to the announcement, 93,000 previously denied claims hung in limbo in the system. After the announcement, 70,000 more veterans stormed the system, claiming that they suffered from the new diseases covered under the announcement. The VA expects five to 10 percent of the previously denied claims to be rejected once again due to “imprecision” in diagnostic codes and because they simply cannot reach many veterans due to movings or death.

“This announcement is great for the veterans who put their lives on the line in Vietnam, were exposed to dangerous herbicides without knowledge that they were harmful, and suffered negative health effects as a consequence,” Fausone said. “It is unfortunate that many who have suffered because of Agent Orange had to wait so long for care. It is equally unfortunate that the system cannot handle all of these claims more quickly and efficiently, so veterans can move on with their lives.”

To learn more or to contact a Veterans disability lawyer or Veterans attorney call 1.800.693.4800 or visit http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.

Tinnitus – which is more commonly referred to as simply “a ringing in the ears” – is common among adults and a major health issue for veterans returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. Statistically, one in 10 adults have tinnitus, and the number is much higher among veterans. During the 2009-10 fiscal year, it was the most claimed disability connected to service, according to VA records.

For most soldiers, tinnitus results from exposure to extremely loud noises, often from improvised explosive devices or gunfire. Most sufferers describe it as an auditory sensation that comes from within the ear, sort of a constant ringing noise. Tinnitus results when tiny hairs inside the ear that normally create electrical signals in response to sound waves begin to produce signals without corresponding external sounds.

Loudness varies between patients. Those who describe theirs as a “soft” noise may be able to ignore it, but those who have extreme tinnitus often cannot. Many suffer from lack of concentration, difficulty sleeping and emotional reactions due to their tinnitus. It is also associated with hearing loss.

The auditory clinic in the Phoenix VA system previously added staff and hours because of the increased numbers of soldiers returning from Afghanistan and Iraq complaining of tinnitus. Starting in January, however, it will begin a national tinnitus program called Progressive Tinnitus Management to help all veterans suffering from tinnitus.

Hearing specialists and mental health specialists will work to treat soldiers. Tinnitus treatment can be complex to treat, as many react differently to the constant ringing tone. Some can be treated with special sounds, hearing aids and in-ear devices, while others will nee to undergo training and mental health sessions to help them deal with their tinnitus. The clinic also can suggest a variety of self-help techniques, which can be very helpful for those who are having trouble handling the constant noise.

There is currently no surgery available to treat tinnitus, so management is the only way to help those afflicted.

The VA had been conducting extensive research regarding tinnitus for five years before the opening of the clinic.

James G. Fausone is a Veterans disability lawyer and Veterans attorney with Legal Help for Veterans, PLLC. Learn more at http://www.legalhelpforveterans.com.