“The VA is committed to protecting veterans and their families from scammers who are trying to steal those hard-earned benefits,” Amerson said. “We have these two main goals with this partnership. The first is to develop — with the VA — and conduct training either in person or online. ... Second, we really want to encourage veterans and families to report cybercrime ... it's so important to report because that's what helps allocate resources.”
“We believe, as of January, some of the claims will start being adjudicated,” Schwartfigure said. “The VA’s hiring several hundred new employees in order to combat the increase in the claims. Already, they’re seeing a heavy increase.”
The significance of the CJLA is twofold. First, this is a monumental win for those seeking restitution for disabilities and diseases caused by wrongful exposure at Camp Lejeune and beyond. It is particularly helpful for those suffering latent diseases – or diseases that onset at a later date.
The screening takes around five to 10 minutes and begins by asking Veterans if they believe they experienced any toxic exposures while serving in the armed forces. Veterans who answer “yes” will then be asked about specific exposures, including open burn pits/airborne hazards, Gulf War-related exposures, Agent Orange, radiation, Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure and other exposures.
“When it comes to benefits vets have earned and deserve, we’re processing their claims faster than ever before,” McDonough said during the NPC Headliners Luncheon Monday. “[VA is] making sure we’re delivering for vets on time, every time, through initiatives like claims automation—cutting claims processing time for certain conditions from several months, to several days.”
With the passage of the PACT Act, more than 20 medical conditions are considered presumptive conditions. These conditions include many different types of cancer — such as brain, gastrointestinal, kidney and melanoma — as well as conditions like chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic rhinitis.
“We’ll bring generations of new vets into VA health care and increase the health care benefits of many more, and this will result in better health outcomes across the board,” said McDonough.
“We’ll deliver benefits to more survivors of vets who passes away from toxic exposures, and we’ll invest in our workforce and our infrastructure to deliver those additional services, modernizing 31 healthcare facilities. This is a great thing.”
"I'm proud to announce for the first time today, on National Cancer Awareness Day, that we're expediting benefits delivery for veterans with cancer conditions covered in this law," VA Secretary Denis McDonough said during a speech at the National Press Club.
"Our office is the hub for county, state and federal benefits, and Diane and Tammie do tremendous work helping veterans," DiGiacomo said. "They do a lot of research to try to get them the claim they should get, and more importantly, the maximum amount of percentage (of affliction) for that illness."
The latest scam targeting veterans involves offering help getting benefits (for a fee) from the “Camp Lejeune Settlement.” The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, part of the PACT Act that became law in August, allows vets and their survivors to pursue compensation if they developed serious illnesses from water contamination at Camp Lejeune. You don’t need to pay someone to help you receive benefits.