Articles Posted in Health Law

Adult female healthcare professional dressed in her scrubs receiMission focus is why we justly admire our active-duty and Veteran military personnel. Unfortunately for our service members and Veterans, “Playing with pain” often evolves from a mantra to a way of life.  This means that injuries and ailments are pushed aside and visiting the doctor is even viewed as a deplorable sign of weakness.

Even the most fit person should take preventive health measures.  And there is one simple step all active-duty military personnel should take before leaving service. Failure to take this step can have traumatic results for you and your family.  To protect yourself and your loved ones, before leaving service, all active-duty military personnel should make it their mission to take this one crucial step, preferably in the year before they separate.  Here’s the step: get a pre-discharge physical. Continue reading

RBGWe at the Law Office of Robert B. Goss, P.C. are delighted to announce that our principal and founder, Bob Goss, has been recognized by Avvo, the well-known attorney rating and review site, with Avvo’s “Clients’ Choice 2015.”

Avvo’s attorney rating system identifies rankings of 10.0 – 9.0 as “Superb.” Based on Avvo’s mathematical model, which includes input from hundreds of attorneys, thousands of consumers, and legal professionals who understand the work attorneys perform, Bob received a perfect Avvo “10.0” score.

This is the second year in a row that Bob (pictured at right) has been recognized by Avvo as a “Clients’ Choice” attorney. Continue reading

RubensSmallK-Graves4Then-Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Eric Shinseki, resigned in May 2014 after a shocking season of revelations regarding Veteran deaths at the hands of VA.  On October 16, 2015, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, Allison Hickey  resigned in the wake of a pay fraud scandal involving senior bureaucrats Diana Rubens (pictured left) and Kim Graves (pictured right).  Rubens and Graves – ironically – were put in place by Hickey in 2014 to clean up following the international news coverage of Veteran deaths and VA’s back-log of benefits claims.  World-wide exposure of VA’s actions highlighted the shameful treatment U.S. Veterans suffer at the hands of the very agency that supposedly is dedicated to Veterans’ well-being. Continue reading

gasmasks-twoThe 2010 Census offers unique insight to U.S. Veterans.  Over 835,000 Americans are Veterans who served during both Gulf War eras.  Almost 50,000 more American Veterans served in Vietnam era and both Gulf War eras.  This means the United States has almost 1 million Veterans potentially suffering from serious service-connected injuries.

If you are a Gulf War-era Veteran, how can you recognize a service-connected medical condition?  Among the most common types of service-connected health problems now suffered by Gulf War-era Veterans are: Continue reading

Medical ExamTexas has more female Veterans than any other state.   According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as of October 2, 2015, Texas is represented by 180,286 women Veterans.  While VA and the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) offer health, counseling, and other programs designed to meet the unique needs of our Nation’s women Veterans, women Veterans often feel like – and are – “invisible” when it comes to VA disability benefits and healthcare.

The fact of “invisibility” for VA disability benefits and healthcare is especially concerning because women represent approximately 10-percent of the U.S. Veteran population.  Moreover, the number of female Veterans is expected to rise -even though the overall population of Veterans is likely to decline.  This means more services, not fewer, must be made available for our Nation’s women Veterans. Continue reading

Bob Goss, founder of the Law Office of Robert B. Goss, P.C.

Bob Goss, founder of the Law Office of Robert B. Goss, P.C.

Back in September, we posted a blog about VA’s handling of the “Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014,” P.L. 113-146 (“Choice Act”).   The “Choice Act” was intended to improve Veterans’ access to medical services – especially private-physician-services – provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

We informed you that Congress passed the Choice Act to allow Veterans access to private physicians when VA is unable to schedule an appointment at a VA medical facility within specified wait-time limits, or when the Veteran lives more than 40 miles from a VA medical facility or meets other eligibility criteria for using a private physician.  We also alerted you to the fact that, more than a year after Congress passed the Choice Act, VA’s handling of referrals to private physicians created more confusion and difficulties for Veterans without providing better care.

Well – on October 29, 2015 – VA published a notice titled “Expanded Access to Non-VA Care Through the Veterans Choice Program.”  What does this mean?  It means we’ve been heard!  VA’s “expanded access” isn’t a huge victory, but some of the improvements are those we called for and discussed in our September blog.

Continue reading

Clinicians_in_Intensive_Care_UnitYou are not a medical professional.  But, you’re a smart person with at least average ability to understand instructions and information.  Guess what?  If you blindly sign all those forms they give you at the doctor’s office, your intelligence will be used to pin all the risks from any medical procedure on you.  This article explain how patients are duped with administrative forms and what you can do to avoid being a victim. Continue reading

gasmasks-twoThe 2010 Census offers unique insight to U.S. Veterans.  Over 835,000 Americans are Veterans who served during both Gulf War eras.  Almost 50,000 more American Veterans served in Vietnam era and both Gulf War eras.  Clearly, there is a large population of Veterans who likely have service-connected injuries which manifest themselves more painfully as time goes on.

If you are a Gulf War-era Veteran, would you recognize a service-connected medical condition?  Among the most common types of service-connected health problems now suffered by Gulf War-era Veterans are: Continue reading

homeless-1254833Fortunately, today our understanding of combat and war-induced trauma, together with a healthy societal openness about diagnosis and treatment, means now is as good a time as any to obtain assistance for your Veteran.  When it comes to applying for and obtaining service-connected mental disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the key is having a knowledgeable advocate on your side.

VA largely relies on the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders when evaluating mental disabilities.  The manual was most recently updated in 2013 and is referred to as “DSM-5,” meaning the fifth edition of the manual.  You don’t need to know all the details of DSM-5.  That’s why you have a VA-accredited representative.  What is important is that you (the Veteran) or you (the loved one of a Veteran) recognize signs of possible service-connected mental disorder.  Continue reading

megaphone-50092_640On October 26th and 27th, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is holding an Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation meeting.  The meeting is open to the public.  Last year, not one member of the public attended the meeting…probably because it was in Washington, D.C.   This year, the Advisory Committee meeting is still in D.C. and still NOT SCHEDULED FOR BROADCAST to the public.  Sounds like VA really wants the Advisory Committee to hear from you about problems with disability compensation.

Date & Time:  Monday, October 26, 2015 & Tuesday, October 27, 2015.  The meeting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. both days. Continue reading

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