Whether you are a Veteran, related to one or count a Veteran as a good friend, here are some valuable suggestions for New Year’s Resolutions in 2016 for America’s Veterans.
We hope you put this at the top of your Favorites list, save it in the device of your choice or maybe just print it out and hang it on the fridge. It could come in handy many times in 2016.
1. Sign Up For VA Health Benefits
This is an easy guide to VA’s comprehensive medical benefits package. It includes helpful instructions on how to apply.
Did you know there are 300 Vet Centers across the U.S. and surrounding territories? They are for Veterans who have served in any combat zone and offer a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services.
3. Learn About VA Mental Health Resources
The Guide to VA Mental Health Services for Veterans and Families is intended for Veterans, Veteran family members, members of Veteran Service Organizations, or members of other groups interested in VA mental health care.
4. Help a Homeless Vet Find a Home
VA is committed to ending Veteran homelessness. No one who has served our country should ever go without a safe, stable place to call home.
5. Watch Veterans Share Their PTSD Experiences
Brave Veterans with PTSD tell their stories, hoping it will help other Vets — a compelling VA online resource.
6. Discover The Many Ways VA Is Helping Women Veterans
VA has made tremendous progress improving services for women by redesigning the delivery of comprehensive primary care for women and training VA providers in women’s health.
7. Enroll in the MyHealtheVet Online Program
My HealtheVet is VA’s online personal health record. It was designed for Veterans, active duty Servicemembers, their dependents and caregivers. My HealtheVet helps you partner with your health care team. It provides you opportunities and tools to make informed decisions and manage your health care.
8. Stop Smoking and Binge Eating
Here’s help to quit smoking, lose weight, and a lot more to keep your healthy.
9. Take Advantage Of The Veterans Crisis Line
The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.
10. Save These Links To VA Services
This is a quick list of links to the many health support services available to Veterans. Have a happy, healthy 2016!
This article was originally published on Inside Veterans Health.
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The VA outpatient clinic in Keene,NH has been wonderful. All I need to do is call and they respond almost immediately. It is very well run. The Doctor and all the staff there are unbelievable helpful and for that I am extremely Thankful! deb d
ebenefits account was hacked,No check fot Jan 2016.Facing homelessness. No money for food or rent.
The VA outpatient center in Wilmington NC has been wonderful. The VA in Fayettevillie and services at Camp Lejune have also been helpful and friendly. It does take a long time to get an appointment but hopefully that will get better in the future now that the VA has been put in the spotlight. To all my brothers and sisters in arms Thanks for your service..
I live in central Illinoisan and our clinic has not had a Doctor for a year and we used to have two ,Congressmen don’t care VSO does;t care as usual no one cares and the service goes down
Ive been homeless for seven months ive been out sourced to an organization that took 3 months just to approve me to get help then once approved im told i have figure it all out find a place with an eviction no way to get a landlord to rent to me. Its 4 months trying with no help im told if i get a land lord to do it they will pay up to 12 months rent and utilities. But i cant get them to help get the place seems like a bunch of bs mean while im on the street my kids are in 2 different places its a mess 10 years active Marine Corps 2 combat tours and im on the streets while refugees get food shelter all the help they need this is bs
What can you tell us about adding more Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors in the VA?
Simply stated…I hate them.
My Primary was killed in an accident 4 months ago. I am 100 T&P and the VA cannot find a doctor to replace him at the Clinic in Port Charlotte, Florida. I been there 3 times asking for a primary. The doctors that are there are not taking any new patients being overloaded with patients. I heard that doctors have to see around 10 Veterans a day for 25 minutes. They get 30 minutes for lunch and no breaks and when there shift is over they have paperwork to do on there own time. I can see why doctors don’t want to work for the VA. I asked to sign at Cape Coral Clinic same thing no doctors. I don’t understand. I sprained my right ankle and they have me for x rays on the 26th of January. Shame isn’t it. Why do we have to put up with this?? Thanks VA and our Goverment
Where is the help for Non-Va Emergency care for senior citizens?? After the VA shoos the bill off to Medicare for 80% coverage, the other 20% is left for the veteran to hold the huge bill. Is that fair, leaving our veteran’s holding the bag for emergency care? Leaving them years in debt?
Contact your state Senator/aide, and give them your story of non-va emergency non-coverage. They should work to change the law for veteran’s, that’s their job, they’re happy to do it.
VA medical care management is pathetic; long waits for non-effective solutions. In the past, needed Senatorial assistance to get what was promised. Now, even that option appears to be non-functional. Was promised a call by Orrin Hatch’s office sixteen days ago; total silence. Shot down twice in Vietnam. 14 air-medals, and five others have been trashed!
The misappropriation of funds by the Department of Veterans Affairs to these bogus, “for profit” orginizations that have the audacity to have, or claim to be a veteran resource,i.e. Volunteers of America-Louisville, KY. I have been dealing with these sorry ass excuses for citizens of America and wish I would have never served in any capacity to protect them or ensure that they sleep at night in peace and safely! They are not what they say they are.
I have enjoyed Excellent care by the VA since 2005, both in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Posting so interested readers will not just hear criticisms.
I too get great care. VA Hosp, Providence, Rhode Island.
I too am posting “so interested readers will not just hear criticisms.”
I have been refused care by the VA because I was told, “Just be a use you served 20 years in the service, that doesn’t qualify you for VA benefits.” I am a female who served my country in the U.S. Navy, having.g come in during the Viet Nam conflict and even served during Operation Desert Shield. I had cancer at the time and was seeking treatment through the VA and was denied. I wrote my U.S. State Senator who told me I was more than eligible for these benefits, yet I still can’t get in because now I make too much money! Since when did one’s income determine if you were eligible for benefits or not! Also, I have known people who made much more than I and have VA accessibility. It I s a joke and I am glad that it has been exposed for what they are.
When are you going to add kidney cancer to your list. There are too many veterans that have this disease to just sit back and ignore.
How about if you complain about your treatment, or get falsely accused by a nurse. Your red flagged and treated like your an ISIS member and have to check in with VA serurity everytime you go to any VA facility.They then treat you like you show be locked up and throw away the key there after.I even have reports they’ve called people at home and threaten them.But once your red flagged there’s no way off the list. The nurse got fired for mistreatment of patients, but that doesn’t make a difference. I thought it was just me, but other local veterans have come forward telling of the same mistreatment. We have a right to complain about poor sloppy care, hour wait on hold to make an appointment or talk to your doctor nurse. There is no need to be treated as poorly as we do for defending our country. Returning War veterans waiting over a year to get an appointment, then told to just to take a handful of drugs you become addicted too as an answer to fix the problem. But don’t speak up or a family member then you’re on the list. It’s our lives and our family who have to live with it everyday and not someone getting a big paycheck and large bonuses for killing veterans, bad care, years waiting for surgeries.
There are a few people who really care about veterans. But even they will admit the system is so messed up and no matter how hard they try, they can’t help most of the time. I think we need a group of outside lawyers to help us fight for better care and help fire the ones mistreating and killing the veterans with no connections to the VA.
I sometimes think my waiting for V.A. aid and attendance benefits to resolve is driving me to crisis
Having to use Congressman to get the VA to pay DIC and Comp for death of my husband in 2013. Won case for AO in US Appeals Court for him this past August. What a joke the VA has been.
I am a Vietnam veteran,and served with the USMC,from 1962-1969.
Been with the V.A many years and I have nothing but good things to say of there work!
I go to the VA Hospital in Providence, R.I. Great care.
What should be done for veterans that have homes, disabled but mobile and needs grant money to assist in the up keep or repairs of there home. VA hospital have new addition s done, Beautiful. Veterans enjoy the great new addition and have to go home to bad conditions where they live. Let me hear from some that will help. My motto; DON’T JUST TALK ABOUT IT, BE ABOUT IT. It’s been done for the hospital, why not for the veterans home?????????? GRANT MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ONLY NEEDED.
Give 5.9 million to HUD for 26 tribes for homeless, they get more than a white person on top they don’t pay taxes, we do, drug is number one problem in these tribes, and get billion from gambling place on thier land, no taxes to us goverme from them, so you can stay 5.9 m x 2 there fund goes go to other things other helping a vet out.
I am a 100% svc-cnctd, drug & alcohol free Native American veteran who gets NONE of the benefits you mentioned, yet am very happy for those that do! Your stereotypical & prejudicial comments are OUT OF LINE & DISRESPECTFUL!
I do agree that is a lot of money for a few vets, & could be used to help a great many more veterans in need.
I inherited a business. I have no working capital. As a active duty service member is there anyone who can give me a business loan or line of credit.
We have the VA Home Loan for Veterans. We should have something similar in place for Veterans that own their own business or inspire to have a business.
Please Help,
Shane
It’s not a comment, but more of a question and the thing that I wish to know is the truth about what did happened at. The VA in Ohio?
VA PROPAGANDA, WILL NEVER TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT ABUSE OF VETERANS AT THE CLEVELAND, OHIO VAH.
Will I feel this is full of bs 99% of the 10 items said here. Can take month to cc a doctor, if u get cc a doctor the nurse screen all calls cc if u really need cc a doc, or she will tell. What get over the counter drug store, it ur lucky u may cc were doc within 30 days, it wide spread on these services what on here. So why did take 4 months to cc a surgery dept???? Nurse keep play doc on on me . so what said on here. 99% false bs I can’t get help for headaches, send to quacks nonstop bs .
At VA.gov/ HEALTH/ /patientadvocate, there is a Patient Advocacy program
that is for veterans and their families.
I’m a college graduate and just successfully completed a Patient Navigation
(Advocate) program at Georgetown University.
If possible, I would appreciate being considered for a Patient Advocate position
at the VA. hospital in Lyons, N.J.
I process a strong desire to be of service to Service Members and their families.
I would be extremely grateful if I can receive guidance regarding my request.
Thank you.
Gerald Tevrow
You can find all of the information you need at http://mycareeratva.va.gov/, http://www.usajobs.gov/, https://mycareeratva.va.gov/library/55, and http://jobsearch.mycareeratva.va.gov/search.aspx?jbf574=VA*&fedemp=y&fedpub=y . You may also want to contact the VA human relations office near you , they can assist you by telling you how to contact a recruiter in your area your skills may apply to more than one area or job the recruiter will help you find a good fit for you. One more tip you should always proof read your post or at the very least use spell check.
Good Luck.
Are you out of your mind? The VA patient advocates are a joke. They are housed and supervised by the same doctors/admin they are supposedly to advocate against… unless the va patient advocates are actually advocates for the
VA? Turn and run as fast as you can from this broken group of puppets who are stuck under the control of one of the most ineffective, wasteful and dangerous agencies the Federal Government funds! Unless of course you would like to ignore phone calls from veterans, fill out forms saying you did your job when you did not, and mostly visit with your friends all day and get bored while waiting for your check.