Veterans who are currently enrolled in VA health care are now eligible for dental insurance. The new health care program – VA Dental Insurance Program, or VADIP – launched its purchasing period Nov. 15, with coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2014, according to the department's website. Through the new system, interested individuals will be able to purchase dental insurance through MetLife and Delta Dental at a lower cost.
"This new dental program is another example of VA creating partnerships with the private sector to deliver a range of high-quality care at an affordable cost, for our nation's veterans," VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said in a statement.
Under the new dental insurance package, veterans will receive a variety of comprehensive services, including preventative, diagnostic, surgical and restorative treatment.
According to the VA, family members of veterans are not eligible to enroll in the plan unless they are currently covered by the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Veterans Affairs Department, or CHAMPVA. To be eligible for CHAMPVA, one must be the spouse or child of a veteran who is permanently disabled, or the surviving spouse or child of a veteran who passed away due to a permanent disability.
Are long waits and delays in treatment at VA hospitals putting veterans at risk? A recent investigation conducted by CNN showed that just might be the case.
The investigation looked into the deaths of veterans at VA hospitals across the country, finding that a majority of them could have been prevented with timely diagnosis and treatment. According to the news source, the worst culprit is Williams Jennings Bryan Dorn Veterans Medical Center in Columbia, S.C., where an estimated 20 veterans passed away from cancer due to either a late diagnosis or a delay in simple, yet potentially life-saving, procedures.
"(Veterans) paid the ultimate price," Columbia-based physician Stephen Lloyd told the news source. "People that had appointments had their appointments canceled and rescheduled much later. … In some cases, that made an impact where they went into a later stage (of illness) and therefore lost the battle to live."
According to the report, the waiting list at Dorn included more than 3,800 patients by the end of 2011, even though funding was granted to the VA to treat those on the waiting list. Long waits and canceled appointments, however, are not only limited to the Dorn VA. The investigation also found that the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta, Ga., had a waiting list with more than 4,000 patients and three deaths attributed to delays in treatment.
A newly opened outreach center in Fitchburg, Mass., is lending a helping hand to veterans with the help of those who've been through it before.
According to the Sentinel & Enterprise, the New Patriots Veteran Outreach Center was started by a group of parishioners of the New Patriots Christian Congregation Church after plans to partner with the Montachusett Veterans Outreach Center in Gardner, Mass., fell through. The parishioners – most of whom are former servicemembers – were determined to start a center of their own for veterans seeking assistance with health care, education and finances.
"It took me a long time to figure out what was going on, so if I was out there for that amount of time, I know there's a lot of other people out there that just won't discuss anything, they won't come out of that shell that they're in," John Lyle, one of the center's founding members, told the newspaper.
An Air Force veteran who served in the Vietnam War, Lyle was brought to the group through his father, Robert, a Korean War veteran. Together, they hope to reach out to former servicemembers who are either unaware of the benefits available to them or afraid to ask for help.
The news source stated that the group will hold meetings on the fourth Friday of each month at the local church, where veterans can come and receive support. Plans to move the center into its own building are currently in the works, according to the news outlet.
Both the VA and nonprofit organizations provide many health care options for veterans, yet oftentimes, those who need assistance the most do not ask for help.
According to the The Daily Mail – Charleston, a recent report presented to the state's legislative committee found that at-risk veterans were the least likely to seek medical assistance. The news source stated that the primary reason these veterans – particularly those who were most likely to commit suicide – did not receive counseling or treatment was because of the stigma attached to mental illness.
The research presented to the committee was compiled from a 2012 survey of more than 1,200 former servicemembers residing in West Virginia, the news outlet reported. Many of the veterans responded that they ignored medical assistance because they believed treatment wouldn't help or that others wouldn't comprehend their needs.
About 40 percent of the veterans surveyed have symptoms of depression, the report stated, while 25 percent have post-traumatic stress disorder. Another 20 percent were at-risk for inflicting self-harm. None of these former servicemembers have sought assistance for their mental illnesses.
In 2012, the Department of Veterans Affair released a report stating that nearly 30 percent of Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans treated in VA hospitals and medical centers had PTSD.
A North Carolina hospice held a memorial service this week for current veterans and those the facility once cared for.
The Daily News, Jacksonville reported that family members, area residents and caregivers at the Onslow County Home Health and Hospice gathered at a local cemetery for a Veterans Day ceremony that honored veterans by sharing memories of the late servicemembers while also recognizing the county's aging veterans population.
"Some veterans made the ultimate sacrifice so we can do things in life that we probably take for granted," staff member Joseph Durgin told the news source. "I think it's important that the veterans be honored and shown the respect they deserve because they provided us all with the freedom to be able to take those things for granted."
According to the news outlet, former servicemembers who fought in World War II and the Vietnam War attended the ceremony.
While the average age of veterans in the U.S. is 58, data from the Department of Veterans Affairs shows that more than 35 percent of the veteran population is over the age of 65. Currently, several organizations, such as We Honor Veterans, connect hospices and home-health workers with aging veterans to provide them with the proper care.
In a partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, NBCUniversal launched a new career website designed specifically for former servicemembers. Called Next Steps for Vets, the website will provide veterans – especially those who are recently transitioning into civilian life – and military spouses with a variety of employment and educational resources.
According to NBC News, which is also hosting the website, the online portal features a resume builder on its front page, designed to help former servicemembers figure out where and how their past military experience and skills can be applied to the civilian workforce. The website also includes a searchable job-finder index, listing openings culled from the National Resource Directory's Veteran's Job Bank.
"Our returning servicemen and women can be a vital part of the U.S. workforce, putting the skills they've learned in the military to work for companies or their own business enterprise," Beth Colleton, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility at NBCUniversal, told the news source.
Next Steps for Vets comes at a crucial time for just-returning servicemembers. According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for Gulf War era-II veterans is more than 11 percent – much higher than the overall national unemployment average.
In time for Veterans Day, Victory Media released its 11th annual report of the most military-friendly private-sector companies in the U.S. According to Forbes, the index takes into account the long-term hiring practices of more than 5,000 companies, as well as veterans, military spouses and National Guard and Reserve members recruiting programs.
"We hear from veterans that it's impossible to research the thousands of companies that might be military-friendly," Victory Media CEO Sean Collins told the news source. "Our objective is to present a transparent, data-driven list of pre-vetted institutions for service members to start their job search and find the best fit for them."
The news source stated that to make the list, private companies must have a yearly revenue over $500 million.
Union Pacific Railroad, Verizon Communications, ManTech International Corporation and AlliedBarton Security Services were among the top 10 most military-friendly companies. According to the news outlet, about 20 percent of the Union Pacific Railroad workforce is made up of veterans. Meanwhile, a statement released by Verizon claims that it currently employees 12,000 veterans. The company has also set up a special website equipped with a military skill matcher for former servicemembers looking for employment opportunities.
Victory Media's military-friendly index can be beneficial for veterans attempting to re-enter the workforce, considering that the unemployment rate for Gulf War era-II veterans is currently at 11.6 percent, according to data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In honor of Veterans Day, first lady Michelle Obama, along with Dr. Jill Biden, thanked members of the military for their service in an Op-Ed featured in several military newspapers. According to the Department of Defense, the article, titled "Joining Forces with you on Veterans Day," addresses how the military, federal government and private sector can work together to expand the first lady's veterans initiative.
Obama launched the "Joining Forces" initiative more than two years ago as a way to bridge the gap between veterans, nonprofits and private businesses through employment directives, educational programs and wellness and care services.
"We've been overwhelmed by the courage of our wounded warriors and the devotion of the caregivers who stand by their side," Obama and Biden wrote in the Op-Ed. We've been inspired by the military spouses and children who've endured move after move, deployment after deployment with such strength and grace."
Veterans unemployment remains one of the initiative's largest concerns. The first lady stated that while major companies such as Starbucks, AT&T and Facebook have hired thousands of veterans over the last two years, many veterans still face obstacles when it comes to credentials and training. According to the Op-Ed, Obama and the "Joining Forces" initiative is currently working with politicians at the state level to streamline the credentialing process.
While the unemployment rate for veterans is lower than that of the overall population, certain states are faring better than others when it comes to hiring former servicemembers. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals some staggering variations in veterans unemployment rates, USA Today reported.
Numerous states have a veterans unemployment rate that's higher than the state average. For instance, 10 percent of former servicemembers in New Jersey are unemployed, compared to the state's 8.5 percent nonveterans unemployment number, according to BLS. New Jersey currently has the highest veterans unemployment rate in the nation, followed closely by Massachusetts at 9.9 percent and Arizona at 9.3 percent.
The news source reported that the states with the highest veterans unemployment rates had lower numbers of unemployment for nonveterans, with the exception of California, which has an 8.9 percent unemployment rate for both veterans and nonveterans.
Conversely, Virginia and Oklahoma have the lowest unemployment numbers for veterans, at 4.1 percent. According to the news outlet, Virginia veterans most likely benefit from the state's many military installations and facilities, including the Pentagon, which is located in Arlington County.
Starbucks announced a new plan this week that will help servicemembers returning from active duty, as well as their spouses, find steady employment.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the coffeehouse franchise plans to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses in the next five years, thanks in part to an initiative developed by current Starbucks board member and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Through the directive, special recruiting events and processes will be held specifically for veterans, while the company will continue to track veterans hiring at their stores throughout the U.S.
Starbucks Chief Community Officer Blair Taylor told the news source that the new hiring plan is not a "charity initiative," but a way to ease the high unemployment rates of veterans who have just returned from service.
"This is an endeavor predicated on us genuinely needing the skills veterans offer," Taylor said.
The coffee giant is also preparing to open five community stores at U.S. military installations within the next five years. Community stores are special establishments that partner with nonprofits, and the ones at the military bases will share their profits with local organizations that service veterans.