Blog: News & Insights

Applications for new government -supported health insurance plans are online today. Some people refer to the Affordable Care Act as “Obamacare.” If you have no health insurance or you cannot afford the premiums on insurance offered by your employer, go to http://www.healthcare.gov   to start your investigation. You will set up an account and a password. You’ll be asked to...

For those veterans who have already contacted me, and those about to, I have provided a link to the VA’s Veterans Field Guide to Government Shutdown at http://www.va.gov/opa/docs/Field_Guide_20130927.pdf. Foremost, it is important to note that most services provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will remain unaffected by the federal government shutdown.  This includes...

On September 30, 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Fed. Cir.) issued a published opinion on two consolidated appeals, AZ and AY v. Shinseki.  A link to the opinion can be found at AZ and AY v. Shinseki. Both cases stemmed from disability claims for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that related to sexual assaults that occurred while in the military .  The...

As the following NJ.com article documents, Governor Christie signed a new law into effect last week ordering the NJ Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to include veteran status on driver’s licenses and license plates upon request.  I’ll provide additional information once the DMV enacts the procedures necessary to implement the law.  

Yesterday’s USA Today highlighted a public campaign to educate patients, their families and the medical community about common but unneeded and possibly harmful medical treatments and tests, especially in the area of psychotropic drugs in children and the elderly.  Look at these two “top five” lists from long-term care and geriatric physicians about what tests, meds and...

While medical and scientific research cannot replace a nexus opinion from a licensed physician, it is an important tool for veterans to both understand the nature of their disability and advance their disability compensation claim before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  VA disability claims commonly address difficult issues regarding etiology for a disability or differential...

With the news that Pennsylvania will be joining the ranks of states taking the federal Medicaid expansion, New Jerseyan can breathe easy that their neighbors on all sides will have expanded Medicaid just like they will.  The ACA and the Medicaid program’s expansion will start open enrollment on October 1st for January 1st eligibility.  Have questions about the Affordable Care Act and how...

As the linked ParamusPatch article documents, a not-for-profit organization, Honor Flight Philadelphia, is offering a free trip to Washington, DC, for World War II veterans.  The trip will include transportation, breakfast/lunch/dinner, visiting the WWII memorials, and a 1940s-style USO show.  Contact information can be found in the above link.

Many Vietnam veterans are unaware that they may be entitled to an earlier effective date of award for presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange exposure pursuant to Nehmer v. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 712 F. Supp. 1404, 1409 (N.D. Cal. 1989).  If a veteran filed a claim between September 25, 1985 and the date the VA published a presumption of service connection for one of...

As the linked NJ101.5 article documents, Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law to provide supplemental unemployment benefits to veterans who have exhausted their federal unemployment benefits. The law can extend unemployment benefits for an additional twenty-six weeks.