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Military Times
In his second plea to Congress in a week, Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald recently said his department's benefits appeals process is "failing veterans" and asked lawmakers for a massive overhaul to fix the process. "Decades worth of law and policy layered upon each other have become cumbersome and clunky," McDonald said in a statement to House lawmakers and the press. "Most importantly, it is now so antiquated that it no longer serves veterans well as many find it confusing and are frustrated by the endless process and the associated length of time it can take to get an answer."
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Veterans Association of America wants to know...
If you had an opportunity to make residual income for the rest of your life by putting a little effort in each day, would you do it?
- Yes, I would immediately depending on what it was.
- No, I just want to get a regular job and work for someone else.
- I'm not sure since I'd have to know all the parameters to acquire this.
- The devil's in the details of knowing the business.
Click here to give Veterans Association of America your answer.
Respond today — survey results revealed in next week's VAA Dispatch.
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Military Times
Twenty-one lawmakers have written Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald urging him to let VA doctors discuss and recommend marijuana as a potential medical treatment in states where it is legal. Under a VA policy that expires on Jan. 31, VA doctors are not allowed to discuss medical marijuana with their patients or recommend it as a treatment. Senators and representatives want a new policy that "removes barriers that would interfere with the doctor-patient relationship" in states where medical marijuana is legal.
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University of Buffalo via Science 2.0
Health care systems and providers need to understand the unique realities of military culture in order to work effectively with veterans and military families, according to the findings of a study by a University at Buffalo research team. Results of the paper, published in the journal Military Behavioral Health, suggest that health care and mental health care providers and staff should receive training that provides them with enough knowledge to understand the military's culture and values and how that belief system also affects the veterans' transition from a service member identity to a civilian identity.
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The Business Journals
Increased access to technology and funding are fueling an entrepreneurial renaissance of sorts. In fact, according to the Kauffman Index of Entrepreneurship, small business activity is on the rise in 49 of the 50 U.S. states. Here's what you might not know: Veterans are twice as likely to take the leap into entrepreneurship as civilians.
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Military Times
Congress passed legislation for a new veterans ID card last summer, but it will likely be another year before any are issued. The Department of Veterans Affairs has begun drafting regulations for production and issuing of the ID cards, designed to give veterans easy proof of their military service for nonfederal activities.
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The Norman Transcript
The battle doesn't always end on the battlefield. For some veterans and their families, returning home is just the first step in a long journey. Some face severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. If untreated, those cases can lead to a spiraling path of self-medication, drug and alcohol abuse. Sooner or later, many find themselves in the criminal justice system. "The VA has the most comprehensive health care in the nation," said Veterans Justice Outreach Specialist Omar Rashidzada. "The benefits for veterans are pretty endless." Still, Rashidzada said the biggest challenge is finding them. Rashidzada works to help find veterans who landed in the criminal justice system and get them the treatment they need.
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The Huffington Post
In a well-publicized 2012 action, the attorneys general of 20 U.S. states stopped a company called QuinStreet from using a military-branded website, GIBill.com, to steer American veterans to controversial for-profit colleges. But it turns out that marketers, including QuinStreet itself, have continued to engage in similar practices since then.
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Task & Purpose
Military service is certainly not a sufficient reason to elect a candidate, nor does it guarantee that he or she will remain honorable once in Washington, D.C. Still, if we want a Congress that truly inspires our trust and confidence, why wouldn't we want more representatives from the most trusted sector of our society?
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Military Times
VA disability compensation is a monthly payment to veterans with disabilities resulting from disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. The Veterans Affairs Department pays the tax-free compensation based on a veteran's disability rating and dependent status. Veterans must have a disability rating of 30 percent or higher to be eligible for higher payments based on whether they have a spouse or children.
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