In the February 27, 2015 Federal Register, Vol. 80, No. 39, the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) proposed to amend the diagnostic used for ratings for veterans with gynecological disorders and breast disorders. The amendments recognize the changing role women are playing in the military. For example, this month a female pilot of Apache attack […]
Archives for February 2015
CAVC Panel Hears Argument on Important Agent Orange Issue
The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has agreed to review, by a panel of three judges, the issue of whether veterans who served aboard vessels in Da Nang Harbor during the Vietnam War are entitled to a presumption of exposure to Agent Orange. VA rules allow veterans who served either on land in […]
New Name and Diagnostic Criteria May be Coming for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
In a development that may help veterans seeking service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome, the Institute of Medicine has proposed a new name and new diagnostic criteria for this condition. The group proposes renaming the condition “systemic exertion intolerance disease.” It seems to me that doctors occasionally struggle to grasp precisely what criteria must be […]
Andrew Rutz Testifies Before Indiana Senate Judiciary on PTSD and Veterans Courts
Last week, Andrew Rutz, as the Chairman of the Indiana State Bar Association (ISBA) Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Senate Bill (SB) 547 and PTSD. SB 547 establishes a veterans problem solving court in every judicial district in Indiana. There are 26 judicial districts, and a veterans court […]