By Andrew P. Napolitano
The president's men trash the Constitution to pursue antagonists
New government figures underscore the staggering long-term consequences of military sexual assaults: More than 85,000 veterans were treated last year for injuries or illness linked to the abuse, and 4,000 sought disability benefits.
House Republicans said Wednesday that the Veterans Affairs Department may not be ready to handle hundreds of thousands of veterans who may sign up for health benefits next year to meet the new individual mandate under President Obama's health-care law.
Dear Sgt. Shaft: I need your assistance with my VA claim for heart disease, which was denied by VA for reasons that are not at all clear to me. Thanks for whatever you can do.
The Education and Energy departments are among the big winners in President Obama's fiscal 2014 budget, with each agency receiving a substantial boost in proposed funding.Mr. Obama plans to increase the Education Department by 4.6 percent, to $31.8 billion, including $750 million for expanded universal pre-school services. That initiative would be funded by a new tobacco tax.
Dear Sgt. Shaft: My VA claim has been pending in some form or another since November of 1977. It has been remanded back to Detroit from the VBA (Veterans Benefits Administration) in D.C. This remand was sent back in August of 2012. Is there any way to find out if it is in the expedited status as per U.S. Code, Title 38, and Section 5109B?
Health officials are warning of the rise of the "superbugs" — bacteria and other pathogens that cannot be killed by modern medicine.
Already saddled with long waits and a massive backlog of beneficiary claims, the Department of Veterans Affairs is also struggling to manage its money properly, handing out an astounding $2.2 billion in mistaken payments last year.
"His care was exceptional and his passing was peaceful. They respected him till the very end and continued to support me in my grief." When my father, an 85-year-old World War II veteran, died following two years of treatment for terminal cancer, my caregiving mother praised his Veterans Affairs hospital treatment and the support given her.
Dear Sgt. Shaft: Once a person turns 65, their TRICARE Prime or Standard coverage stops by law as TRICARE Prime and Standard have to stop after age 64. That means to continue TRICARE coverage, a person has to enroll in TRICARE for Life (TFL). TFL is a partnership between Medicare and TRICARE with Medicare acting as the primary payer and TRICARE acting as a Medicare Supplement. My husband is approaching his 65th birthday and with being priority "1" in the VA Heath Care System, I am wondering what your take is on Medicare B?
Dear Sgt. Shaft: My father has applied for VA benefits and is currently waiting for a response. It's been a few months now, and he's starting to worry. If there's any way you could check on the status of the application or find out if there's a processing problem of any kind, we would both be most grateful.
The Navy SEAL who reportedly killed Osama bin Laden is now without health insurance and says he feels abandoned by his government.
Dear Sgt. Shaft: My husband received DD256 when he was discharged from active duty in 1954. It is our understanding that the DD256 form is only for discharge from inactive reserves. He should have a DD214 from active duty according to our information. Could you please clarify? If he sends a copy his DD256 to the proper place, can he obtain the correct DD214?
Dear Sgt. Shaft: My name is Rochelle, my husband was rated 100 percent about eight years ago, which made me eligible for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA). ... We are now living in Savannah Ga., which seems to me to be a military town. We live up the road from Hunter Army Air force and just a few miles from Fort Stewart, yet I can find no provider willing to accept CHAMPVA.
The Pentagon is pushing ahead with its campaign to move women closer to the battlefield, despite a series of sex scandals involving senior officers and a report showing an increase in sexual assaults among the troops.
Dear Sgt. Shaft: I need to renew my dependent ID and would like to know if there is somewhere near Harrison, Ark., we can go.
