Bill would let VA buy advertising for benefits

[unhappycamper]

Bill would let VA buy advertising for benefits
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 1, 2007 10:20:01 EDT

In a move almost certain to increase the backlog of pending veterans’ disability benefits claims, two key lawmakers are pushing for the Department of Veterans Affairs to advertise the availability of benefits.

Reps. John Boozman, R-Ark., and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., are co-sponsors of what they call the Veterans Benefits Awareness Act of 2007, which would authorize VA to buy advertising from national media outlets to tell veterans and their families about available assistance.

The only novel aspect of the idea is that it would allow VA to spend money on advertising; VA has already been making a big outreach push in recent years to make more people aware they could be eligible for disability or survivors’ benefits, pensions and health care.

Earlier this week, VA announced a nationwide effort to try to contact former prisoners of war and their families who may not be aware of available government help, including changes in law that would make former POWs eligible for disability benefits for some common illnesses such as heart disease and strokes.

~snip~

The VA has a backlog of about 600,000 veterans’ claims, a pile that has been growing in recent years.

VA officials have told Congress there are several reasons for the increase; one is that the government is doing a much better job of telling separating service members about veterans’ benefits, which has led more of them to immediately file claims when they leave service.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/10/military_advertise_va_071001w/


uhc comment: Any bets on how many of those commercials would be on Faux Noise?

[robinlynne]

1. You'd think they would have the addresses of the vets, and could mail them the info....

or the gov't could just do the ads for free. I believe they used to be called public service announcements. Remember those?

[unhappycamper]

2. One of the problems they have with mailing is about 1/3

of all veterans are homeless.

[NYVet]

4. Can you share with us where you got this info? (NT)

[unhappycamper]

5. Google is your friend.

http://www.google.com/search?q=veteran%2Bhomeless&hl=en&start=0&sa=N



http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=1

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0208/p02s01-ussc.html

http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/veterans.pdf

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,104184,00.html

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=04/12/23/1541248

http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/veterans/homeless/howmany.asp

http://www.homelessveteransfoundation.org/

http://www.veteransassistance.org/ez.php?Page=3191

http://www.dignitymemorial.com/DignityMemorial/HomelessVets.aspx?id=COR

[jody]

6. Veterans include those from WWI on. I don't know of any credible source that claims 1/3 are homeless

[Arkansas Granny]

3. I don't know how much the VA has in their budget for advertising,

but I would think that something like this would be more along the lines of a public service announcement.