If you’re a retired military member who served your country for 20 years or more, choosing where to live after leaving active duty is a mission critical decision for you and your family. So, what are the best states to live in for military retirement? The bottom line is this: Texas and Florida are by far the top two states for military retirees (and it’s not even close…) Why? Because the benefits to retired military in Texas and Florida are simply unmatched by the other 48 states. Table of Contents Key Findings of Our Research 5 Best Cities for Veterans to Live In: The top cities for vetera ..read more

If you receive VA health care, you’ll have the option for a toxic exposure screening.   A toxic exposure screening, sometimes referred to as a VA PACT Act Screening, is vital in identifying whether you were exposed to toxins while on active duty.   Is it required? No.   Should you get it? Most likely.  A toxic exposure screening helps identify whether you were exposed to toxins while on active duty, including access to ongoing care and an early diagnosis.   If you believe your toxic exposure has caused VA-ratable conditions—you may qualify for additional ..read more

As a military veteran, you sacrificed a lot for us, giving up many of your personal freedoms to defend our country. So, it might seem strange to suddenly have control over where you’re going to live. Finding the right place to settle down after the military is critical for you and your family. Whether it’s access to quality healthcare, affordable housing, educational opportunities, job prospects, or a supportive community, veterans deserve to live in cities that honor their service and sacrifice. In this guide, we’ll explore the 25 best places for veterans to live right now, rank ordered from ..read more

In this article, VA disability expert Brian Reese reveals and explains the 10 Best States for Veterans to Buy a House in 2024! We have ranked these states from 1 to 10, based on home values, cost of living, quality of life, economic opportunities, veteran population, and veteran benefits availability. With the average home value in the U.S. currently at $354,179, it’s important to consider cost-effective options for veterans to buy homes without compromising quality of life. Even though these 10 states present a variety of housing options catering to diverse lifestyles and preference ..read more

Living with an autoimmune disease can affect not only your health but also your ability to work and carry out daily activities. In this post, we’ll explore how you can get a VA disability rating for autoimmune diseases. We’ll also zoom in on the VA rating process, eligibility criteria, and specific VA ratings for common autoimmune conditions like: Sjogren’s syndrome Lupus Hashimoto’s disease Myasthenia gravis, and Scleroderma Let’s take a look. Table of Contents What is an Autoimmune Disease? VA Disability Ratings for Autoimmune Diseases Common Autoimmune Disease VA Ratings Sjogren’s syn ..read more

In this article, VA disability expert Brian Reese reveals and explains how to get a VA rating for seizures. The VA rates all types of seizures under “epilepsy” with ratings from 10% to 100% with breaks at 20%, 40%, 60%, and 80% depending on the diagnosis, severity of symptoms, and whether you have major (Grand Mal) or minor (Petit Mal) seizures. Pro Tip: In accordance with § 4.121 identification of epilepsy, to warrant a VA rating for epilepsy, the seizures must be witnessed or verified by a physician. As to frequency, lay testimony emphasizing convulsive and immediate post-convulsive symptoms ..read more

This is your Insider’s Guide to the 18 most common secondary conditions to sleep apnea for VA disability benefits. Service connected sleep apnea can cause or aggravate a variety of other conditions including, cardiovascular diseases, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), mental health conditions, neurological disorders, and type 2 diabetes. Note: This article is for a list of secondary conditions that can be caused or aggravated by your sleep apnea. If you’re trying to connect your sleep apnea secondary to another service connected disability, click here. Tab ..read more

Current medical research indicates strong connections and aggravating factors for sleep apnea secondary to sinusitis, rhinitis, deviated septum, and weight gain or obesity.   Thus, sleep apnea secondary to sinusitis is one of the most likely secondary VA claims you can file to get service connected VA disability benefits. In this article, we’ll explore the connection between sinusitis and sleep apnea, evidence requirements for secondary service connection, the rating criteria for sleep apnea secondary to sinusitis, and an example nexus letter between the two conditions (available for down ..read more

Anxiety and depression are very common in military veterans. In fact, both are among the top 50 VA disability claims. But did you know there are also a bunch of secondary claims you can file to your service-connected mental health conditions? In this post, Brian Reese the VA Claims Insider will reveal the Insider’s Guide to the 10 most likely VA secondary conditions to anxiety and depression along with detailed explanations and medical research for each condition and connection. If you’d prefer a shorter version of this post, here’s the top 5 secondary conditions to depression. Let’s begin! T ..read more

Today, Brian Reese the VA Claims Insider reveals and explains 14 VA secondary conditions to hypertension (high blood pressure) for secondary service connection. What’s the bottom line? Hypertension is very common in veterans; in fact, it’s #28 on our list of the top 50 most common VA claims. There’s also a variety of VA claims secondary to high blood pressure, which we’ll explore in this article. Let’s begin! Table of Contents List of the 14 Most Common VA Secondary Conditions to Hypertension What are the Most Likely Secondary Conditions to Hypertension? #1. Aneurysm Secondary to Hypertens ..read more