Latest news with #HealthandBenefits
Newsweek
12-08-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
VA Announces Change to Veteran Reimbursements
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced an update on Tuesday that allows eligible Veterans to submit and track mileage-only travel claims directly through the VA Health and Benefits mobile app. Why It Matters The Health and Benefits app, which has been downloaded more than 3 million times according to the VA, is available on smartphones and other mobile devices. The new functionality is expected to significantly reduce the number of paper claim submissions, which often take longer for the department to process. What To Know According to a VA news release, the new app feature automatically detects when a veteran's appointment may qualify for mileage reimbursement and prompts the user to begin a claim on the home screen. Under current VA policy, veterans who meet specific eligibility criteria—including those with a service-connected disability rating of 30 percent or higher—can receive travel reimbursement if they drive from their home to a VA medical appointment using their personal vehicle. The VA currently pays 41.5 cents per mile for health-related travel costs and may also reimburse claimants for various travel-related expenses associated with their medical care. These include bridge, road and tunnel tolls; parking fees; taxi and plane fares; and ticket costs for public transportation such as trains, subways, buses, ferries or rail. If medically necessary and approved, transportation by a specially equipped vehicle—such as an ambulance or wheelchair van—may also be covered. In some cases, the VA may additionally reimburse costs for meals and lodging when required. Stock image/file photo: Two people looking at a phone screen. Stock image/file photo: Two people looking at a phone screen. GETTY What Is the VA Health and Benefits App? The VA Health and Benefits mobile app offers a wide range of tools to help Veterans manage their health care, benefits and services more easily. Through the app, veterans can refill and track prescriptions, communicate securely with their VA health care team, review upcoming appointments and access vaccination records. It provides benefits features such as checking disability ratings, monitoring the status of claims or appeals, submitting supporting documents, and downloading commonly requested VA letters. For financial matters, users can review payments sent by the VA and update direct deposit information. It also includes a facility locator to find nearby VA services, quick access to the Veterans Crisis Line and the ability to show proof of Veteran status directly from a mobile device. What People Are Saying VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a news release on Monday: "VA is evolving to meet the needs of today's Veterans, and this new feature is proof of that. We look forward to rolling out many more improvements in the future as we continue to make the department work better for the Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors we serve."
Miami Herald
09-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
VA Marks Benefits Milestone For Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that its mobile app has now accumulated more than 3 million downloads since its launch in 2021. The Health and Benefits app, which has 1.4 million active users, provides veterans access to information on health care and benefits. It allows users to refill and track VA prescriptions, review appointments, review claims and appeals status, submit evidence for claims and appeals, review VA payment and direct deposit information, locate the closest VA facilities, access the Veterans Crisis Line and show proof of Veteran status. VA Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Acting Chief Information Officer Eddie Pool said: "VA's Health and Benefits app gives Veterans fast and convenient access to a host of important information, from appointments to prescriptions and benefits. We encourage all VA-enrolled Veterans to stay connected and informed by downloading the app." This story will be updated. Related Articles How Veteran's Benefits Are Impacted by Trump's Tax Bill: What to KnowHegseth Joins Veterans in Normandy to Mark 81st Anniversary of D-DayList of Cities Hosting 50501 Protests on June 6Harvey Milk Navy Ship To Be Renamed-Vets Call It 'Insult to LGBTQ Troops' 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
09-06-2025
- Health
- Newsweek
VA Marks Benefits Milestone For Veterans
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that its mobile app has now accumulated more than 3 million downloads since its launch in 2021. The Health and Benefits app, which has 1.4 million active users, provides veterans access to information on health care and benefits. It allows users to refill and track VA prescriptions, review appointments, review claims and appeals status, submit evidence for claims and appeals, review VA payment and direct deposit information, locate the closest VA facilities, access the Veterans Crisis Line and show proof of Veteran status. VA Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Acting Chief Information Officer Eddie Pool said: "VA's Health and Benefits app gives Veterans fast and convenient access to a host of important information, from appointments to prescriptions and benefits. We encourage all VA-enrolled Veterans to stay connected and informed by downloading the app." File photo: the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington. File photo: the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington. Charles Dharapak/AP This story will be updated.
UPI
06-06-2025
- Health
- UPI
Veterans Affairs' health, benefits app passes 3 million downloads
1 of 2 | The Department of Veterans Affairs, headquartered in Washington, D.C., announced its Health and Benefits mobile app has achieved more than 3 million downloads since its launch in 2021. File Photo by Annabelle Gordon/UPI | License Photo June 6 (UPI) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs' Health and Benefits mobile app has achieved more than 3 million downloads, or nearly 20% of all veterans, since its launch in 2021. The app has 1.4 million active users, according to an agency news release Friday on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, which was the Allies' amphibious invasion of German-occupied France. The app provides veterans access to healthcare and benefits information from their mobile phones, and features fingerprint and face recognition. Users can refill and track VA prescriptions, review appointments, review claims and appeals status, submit evidence for claims and appeals, review VA payment and direct deposit information, locate the closest VA facilities, access the Veterans Crisis Line and show proof of veteran status. "We encourage all VA-enrolled Veterans to stay connected and informed by downloading the app," Eddie Pool, acting assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and acting chief information officer, said in a news release. In all, there are 15.8 million veterans, which represents 6.1% of the civilian population 18 year and older. Of those, 7.8 million served in the Gulf War era between 1990 and now, 5.6 million during the Vietnam era from 1950 to 1073, 767,000 during the Korean conflict in the 1940s and 1950s, and less than 120,000 World War II veterans, according to Pew Research in 2023. As of 2023, 78% of veterans served during wartime. The Department of Veterans Affairs employs approximately 482,000 people, including 500,000 workers at 170 hospitals and 1,200 local clinics in the nation's largest health care system. Like with other agencies, the agency is being downsized with plans to cut 83,000 jobs.
