U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Recent News About U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
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VA announces life insurance premium cuts effective spring 2025
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a reduction in life insurance premiums for over 3 million veterans, service members, and their spouses.
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VA proposes expansion of caregiver support program
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a proposal to expand access to its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC).
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VA launches outreach campaign encouraging veteran enrollment amid blast exposure concerns
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has initiated a new outreach campaign to encourage eligible veterans, including approximately one million who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to enroll in VA health care.
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VA funds first study on psychedelic therapy for veterans
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced funding for a study on Methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted (MDMA-assisted) therapy aimed at treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) among veterans.
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VA allocates $44 million for state veterans' cemetery enhancements
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Cemetery Administration has announced the allocation of $44,553,338 in grants for the fiscal year 2024 to expand and improve state Veterans' cemeteries. The grants aim to enhance burial and memorial services accessibility for Veterans.
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VA proposes grant program for veteran legal services
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has proposed a new grant program to assist veterans and former service members in upgrading their military discharge status and accessing VA benefits. This initiative aims to fund entities that provide legal support, helping veterans improve their military records or seek a review before correction boards.
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VA awards nearly $16 million for veterans' adaptive sports programs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the allocation of $15.9 million in grants to support adaptive sports, recreational activities, and equine therapy for Veterans and service members with disabilities. The VA’s Adaptive Sports Grant Program will distribute these funds to 91 national, regional, and community-based programs across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico for fiscal year 2024. These initiatives aim to benefit over 15,000 Veterans and Armed Forces members.
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VA awards $4.3M in cooperative agreements for veteran suicide prevention
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will award over $4.3 million in cooperative agreements to states and territories. These funds aim to support suicide mortality review committees, which seek to understand and prevent Veteran suicide by identifying and analyzing local suicide deaths.
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VA expands tele-emergency care nationwide for veterans
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the nationwide availability of tele-emergency care (tele-EC), enhancing virtual emergency care options for Veterans enrolled in VA health care. This initiative, piloted recently, has already assisted over 61,182 callers with a 59.4% case resolution rate, allowing many Veterans to receive necessary care without leaving their homes.
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VA reviews link between PFAS exposure during service and kidney cancer
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will conduct a scientific assessment to determine if there is a relationship between exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) during military service and kidney cancer among veterans.
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VA surpasses goal: Over 43K veterans housed this fiscal year
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has housed 43,116 veterans experiencing homelessness between October 2023 and August 2024. This achievement surpasses its fiscal year 2024 goal of housing 41,000 veterans, one month before the end of the fiscal year. Additionally, VA reported that 96.3% of these veterans have not returned to homelessness and engaged with 38,476 unsheltered veterans to provide necessary housing and services.
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Veterans Affairs officials call for improvements at judicial conference
The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims held its 16th Judicial Conference, bringing together various stakeholders to discuss the current state and future improvements in Veterans law. Secretary McDonough addressed the attendees, reflecting on significant changes and ongoing challenges within the system.
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VA awards $5M in grants to aid veterans' transition from military service
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that it will award $5 million in grants to organizations providing employment-based resources and tools for recently separated members of the Armed Forces and their spouses.
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VA awards $52.5M grant funding aimed at preventing veteran suicides
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today the allocation of $52.5 million in grants to community organizations as part of its ongoing efforts to prevent Veteran suicide. The funds will support tailored suicide prevention programs and services for Veterans and their families.
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VA announces National Day of Service events to honor 9/11 anniversary
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it will host over 60 National Day of Service and Remembrance events on September 11 at VA national cemeteries across 34 states and Puerto Rico. These events are open to the public and aim to honor veterans, service members, law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and other first responders who served on September 11, 2001, and in the years since.
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VA hospitals outperform non-VA facilities in national quality reviews
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that VA hospitals have outperformed non-VA hospitals in two major independent, nationwide reviews for patient satisfaction and care quality.
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Gathering focuses on preventing suicide among native american service members
Matt Miller, Director of the VA Office of Suicide Prevention, extended his gratitude for the opportunity to participate in Day 2 of the Gathering to Prevent Suicide Among American Indian & Alaska Native Service Members, Veterans, & their Families. "Thank you for the critical work you and your team in the VA Office of Suicide Prevention are doing every day," he stated.
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VA awards over $800 million in grants for veteran homelessness prevention
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the allocation of $806.4 million in grants aimed at supporting homeless and at-risk veterans through its Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem (GPD) programs.
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New website launched by VA aims to protect veterans from scams
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Biden-Harris Administration have announced the launch of VSAFE.gov and 1-833-38V-SAFE (1-833-388-7233), a new government-wide website and call center aimed at protecting veterans, service members, and their families from fraud and scams.
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PACT Act boosts veteran care with $6.8 billion in benefits delivered
On the eve of the second anniversary of President Biden signing the PACT Act into law, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a new dashboard to highlight the impact of this legislation on veterans and their survivors. The PACT Act has significantly expanded care and benefits for toxic-exposed veterans.