PACT Act – Outdated VA Schedule of Rating Disabilities Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester and colleagues are urging VA Secretary Denis McDonough to expedite the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD). Regulations specifically for toxic-exposed Veterans with constrictive bronchiolitis and hypertension. These two service-connected conditions were added to VA’s presumptive list under the […] The post PACT Act – Outdated VA Regulations appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

Need to Improve Care and Benefits for Survivors of Military Sexual Trauma Thursday, April 11th there was a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing. This hearing was focused on the care and resources for women Veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST).  Committee Chairman Jon Tester (D-Mont.), U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Congresswoman Chellie […] The post MST Care at VA appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

Veterans are using VR to cope with PTSD Many Veterans of all different generations struggle with PTSD. Virtual Reality also known as “VR” is a way to immerse yourself in an environment in a safe way. VR has become a very popular way of playing video games. But due to the increase in graphics, the […] The post Virtual Reality and PTSD appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

VA’s Access Sprints – VA Healthcare On March 26, 2024, VA announced the new initiative to expand access to care by offering access to clinics on nights and weekends.  “Our mission is to provide world-class health care to our Nation’s heroes. When a Veteran comes to VA, we must be able to give them the […] The post VA Increases Access to Healthcare appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

Veterans To Protect Themselves From Scams This Tax Season Veterans are often the target of scams and must stay vigilant to protect their identities and their benefits. VA News recently released an article with great resources for Veterans to protect themselves and their benefits from scams during tax season.  It is important for Veterans to […] The post Veterans to avoid scams appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

February 29, 2024 Bergmann & Moore Wins 17-Year Long Appeal for Veteran Earlier this month, Bergmann & Moore won a case at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA), which resulted in more than 12 years of retroactive benefits for the Veteran. The appeal for entitlement to Total Disability Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) was pending […] The post Bergmann & Moore Wins Recent Case appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

Common Levels of Special Monthly Compensation – SMC-K, SMC-S, & SMC-L Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) is an additional tax-free monetary benefit paid by VA to Veterans who have a service-connected disability (or disabilities) that is so severe it results in symptoms outside of the normal rating criteria. SMC doesn’t have ratings like VA disability compensation. […] The post SMC-K, SMC-S, and SMC-L appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

VA Expands VA Healthcare to More Veterans Exposed to Environmental Hazards On Monday, February 26th, during a VA Secretary press conference, it was announced that VA healthcare would be expanded to eligible Veterans exposed to environmental hazards. This will go into effect on March 5, 2024. During the press conference, Dr. Shereef Elnahal explained, “we’re […] The post March 5th Healthcare appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

Are Adult Children of Deceased Veterans Eligible for VA Benefits? One of the most common questions we receive is whether adult children of deceased Veterans are eligible for benefits from the VA.   VA defines a “child” of a Veteran as one of the following: An unmarried person under the age of 18 years old; […] The post Are Adult Children of Deceased Veterans Eligible for VA Benefits? appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more

VA Plans to Expand Presumed Areas of Exposure to Herbicides February 9, 2024 the Department of Veteran Affairs issued an outlined plan to expand the locations and time frames of VA presumptive exposure to herbicides. “If this proposed rule becomes final, VA will implement a new presumption of exposure to locations where herbicides were tested, […] The post VA Plans to Expand Presumptives appeared first on Bergmann & Moore ..read more