End urban violence: Veterans have endured the violence of combat and know that it has no place in our communities. We have a special role to play in ending the violence on our streets. We support local and national efforts to end the violence in our cities.
Category Archives: CVO Issues
Full federal funding of VA health care – including mental health care for all veterans without further payment.
Mandatory VA Healthcare Funding: Currently, VA healthcare is funded through a process that requires Congressional debate every year. This means that the VA healthcare budget is a political football tossed back and forth year after year. Over the last five years, a movement has grown to make VA healthcare funding what is called an “entitlement.” In Congressional jargon, an entitlement is something that is automatically funded unless Congress takes action, the exact opposite of what happens now. Instead of being an annual political football, VA healthcare would be funded by a formula. Read more [...]
Ending veteran homelessness
Amend the Per Diem Grant to allocate funding to each state annually to care for their homeless Veterans: Currently each year grant proposals from all over the nation are submitted for approval. Only a small number of states are awarded funds. This process fails to meet the needs of more than half the nation’s homeless Veterans.
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Ending the backlog of veterans’ and survivors’ benefits through Presumptive Benefits
Congress must direct the VA to immediately fund benefits for all veterans applying for VA disability.
Veterans that have medical diagnosis supported by military records or who have valid Social Security claims that have been approved should be granted VA benefits when they apply without further development. Veterans who lack Social Security validation of disabilities or military records should be provided a disability stipend that would be recouped from benefits awarded once claim has been fully developed. A duplication of connecting system to local government i.e. IRS, SS and local state agencies would prevent duplication of benefit assistance. There should be no repayment if benefits are denied. Such a policy would end the government backlog and the financial hardship of veterans and survivors. Read more [...]
Equality of women’s benefits and healthcare
1. Methods to outreach to women veterans are ineffective without public advertisement. Congress must create legislation that allows the VA to conduct public outreach to the underserved women veterans.
• Thousands of women nationwide are unaware of their VA status. Due to limited healthcareenrollment of women veterans; gender specific healthcare services i.e. mammograms are out sourced to private facilities.
2. VA must do more to provide women veterans with preventive heath care education and increase services for awareness and care for reproductive concerns.
3. VA must do more prevention care for older women veterans. Read more [...]