If your vision is 20/400 or worse, you may be eligible to take part in a patient focus group organized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and American Institutes for Research (AIR). The interactions last about one hour and will take place at an accessible location in your area or via Zoom. Participants will receive $75. The purpose of the research is to understand the experiences of individuals with profound sight loss—occurrences following […]

Seven years in the making, “Unconditional” is the first-of-its-kind film from award-winning filmmaker and journalist Richard Lui on a topic affecting an estimated 100 million Americans—physical and mental health. The film has a particular focus on mental health for those living with a disability.  “Unconditional” has special screenings scheduled at select theaters throughout the country today through May 9 but will be shown more widely this spring and summer. Richard Lui also produced the award-winning […]

The VA Health and Benefits Mobile Application added last month a Prescription Refill feature allowing veterans to conveniently view, refill, and check the status of their VA-dispensed prescriptions from their mobile devices. As is the case with each new feature, existing users must download the latest version of the app to gain access to the Prescription Refill function. If veterans do not see the prescriptions feature in the Health Care tab after they download the […]

VA’s Office of Connected Care has announced a new mobile app that allows veterans, wherever they are, to exchange text messages with a VA health care team. The platform is a user-friendly one in which veterans can receive virtual health care from caring staff.  Functions include medical advice regarding minor illnesses or injuries such as congestion, rashes, or stomach aches. Also possible are the scheduling of appointments, questions about prescriptions or refilling them, and deliberations […]

BVA Convention Coordinator Meredith Buono-DaGrossa continues to urge BVA members and their families to register as soon as possible for the convention and to make reservations with the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel for the Association’s 78th National Convention August 14-18, 2023, in the Gateway City. She also recommends making flight or other travel arrangements now.  Individuals and families planning to attend this year’s activities—highlighted by educational sessions, an increasingly popular and busy Exhibit Hall, […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, May 10, at 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Time as we welcome Liz Whitaker, Vispero’s Product Manager for User Education and Outreach. Liz will focus on the capabilities of Freedom Scientific products Fusion and JAWS in accessing Microsoft Teams. Administrative responsibilities or tasks that require the sharing of documents, collaboration on projects, the management of calendars, or participation in virtual meetings are greatly aided by use of Microsoft Teams software. Accessing […]

This Monday, May 8, is the 78th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, the day German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms unconditionally and surrendered their military forces to the Allies, including the United States. Celebrations erupted around the world on that same day in 1945 including, as reported by the New York Times, “wild crowds with unrestrained vigor” in New York City’s Times Square.  Not more than three weeks […]

Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to ensure that the country demonstrate publicly its appreciation for troops past and present. The month is usually marked also by a Presidential Proclamation. The selection of May for this designation seems especially appropriate given the individual days during the month that note U.S. military achievements—Loyalty Day (May 1), established in 1921; anniversary of the death of Osama Bin Laden (May 2); V-E Day (May […]

This week’s BVA Happenings elaborates on a frequently underrated feature of the legislative process, that of Congressional Committees and supporting staff personnel who perform much of their work. BVA Deputy Director of Government Relations Alek Libbin opens the curtain that often obscures the power of such Committees and of the Members of Congress assigned to them.  Committees serve an important role in any Congressional matter. Their every aspect possesses layers of complexity. A good Committee […]

VA announced earlier this week that veterans and their survivors have filed more than 500,000 claims for toxic exposure-related benefits under the PACT Act since President Biden signed it into law on August 10 of last year. To date, VA has awarded more than $1 billion in earned benefits to veterans and their families who have filed a claim.  The announcement also revealed that more than 3 million veterans have received VA’s new toxic exposure […]