The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) is a health care benefits plan for veterans’ beneficiaries (spouse, surviving spouse, under age 18 dependents, those over 18 who are in school) who meet certain criteria. Eligibility depends on one of the following criteria: 1) The individual must be a spouse or a dependent child of a veteran who has been totally and permanently disabled from a service-connected disability, or 2) […]

Armed Forces Day, falling tomorrow (May 17), will see celebrations of all six branches of the U.S. Military: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force. The day is now always recognized as the third Saturday in May and honors all currently serving or who have served in the Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserve components. Originally, there were single day celebrations for the Army, Navy and Air Force. This […]

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As is true for physical health, mental health is connected to a combination of factors. Stress levels, physical comfort, relationships at home, work, or school—all these and many more affect how we feel every day. VA’s Million Veterans Program (MVP), supported in concept by BVA, recognizes the important role that mental well-being plays in our overall health. Accordingly, during this month, MVP is sharing its studies on how genes, […]

Even after enrolling in VA health care, some veterans remain unaware of the wide range of assistance available to buy, retain, or modify their home; earn a college degree; start a career; stay healthy; and build on the foundations of financial health, physical health, and emotional health that they have established for their lives during their military service. A few forms of specific assistance are included in the following. Each of the points includes at […]

Four bright and ambitious Biomedical Engineering students at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, recently completed a capstone Senior Design Project focusing on the issue of overhead detection for visually impaired individuals. At the heart of their efforts was a desire and a commitment to make a difference in others’ lives and to give something back.  Led by Adjunct Professor and veteran Ryan Ona, the Sight Assist Technologies team consisting of Abigail Fernandez, […]

Today, May 9, is National Military Spouse Appreciation Day, appropriately observed annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day. In Proclamation 5184 of April 17, 1984, President Ronald Reagan acknowledged the countless sacrifices and contributions made by military spouses since the days of the Continental Army and Navy in putting aside their personal and professional aspirations for a spouse service member. In 1999, Congress made Military Spouse Appreciation Day part of National Military Appreciation Month throughout […]

This Sunday, May 11, is a day to celebrate moms nationwide and in several other parts of the world. First and foremost, don’t forget the day and its importance! For those with mothers still living, this holiday offers opportunities to share heartfelt thoughts and feelings that hopefully extend beyond merely wishing them a Happy Mother’s Day. Some tips for putting these thoughts into words include being specific when mentioning a particular memory or quality you […]

BVA is excited to share an innovative new service from Uber that aims to enhance accessibility for individuals with visual impairments: the Uber Call to Ride option. This initiative is designed to provide a more straightforward and user-friendly way for blind and low vision veterans to access rides without the need to navigate the Uber mobile application. What is the Call to Ride Option? Uber’s Call to Ride option allows users to request a ride […]