VFW Action Corps Weekly
VFW Advocates for Written Informed Consent: The VFW joined forces at a press conference on Capitol Hill with Grunt Style Foundation and 34 organizations representing the military and veteran communities to urge Congress to pass H.R.4837 / S.3314, Written Informed Consent Act. This legislation would expand requirements so veterans receive easily understood written information to discuss with their VA health care providers regarding the long-term use of psychiatric medications. VFW National Legislative Service Associate Director Meggan Coleman stated, “The Written Informed Consent Act addresses this by ensuring veterans have clear conversations about risks, benefits and medication interactions. It does not restrict care, it strengthens understanding.”
Senate Committee Pending Legislation Hearing: VFW National Legislative Service Director Kristina Keenan submitted testimony for the record for a Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs pending legislation hearing covering 25 bills that would directly impact veterans and their families. She stated VFW support on a wide range of legislation that is aligned with our top priorities including reducing fraud in VA disability claims and modernizing the appeals process. She urged Congress to expand and improve benefits for survivors of veterans who succumb to rapidly progressing terminal illnesses, health care programs for women veterans and access to cutting-edge medical treatments and technologies for veterans living with spinal cord, brain, bowel and bladder injuries. She also highlighted the need to remove barriers that limit access to key economic opportunity programs. Read the testimony or watch the hearing, which starts at the 9:20 mark.
VFW Holds Accredited Service Officer Training: The VFW’s National Veterans Service recently hosted its annual Proficiency Training Conference in Annapolis, Md., bringing together more than 120 accredited representatives in person and over 100 participants virtually. This event serves as an important forum for sharing updates from VA leadership while also delivering a wide range of training sessions to our accredited representatives. Attendees engaged in meaningful discussions, explored evolving policies and sharpened their ability to navigate the VA claims process with confidence. We were honored to welcome VFW National Senior Vice Commander Cory Geisler and keynote speaker retired Maj. Joel Del Rosario, whose remarks highlighted the importance of staying informed, prepared and committed to serving veterans.
VFW Podcast on Location at Service Officer Training: In this episode of Still Serving: The VFW Podcast, host Rob Couture reports from Annapolis, Md., during the VFW National Veterans Service Proficiency Training Conference. Joined by VFW National Senior Vice Commander Cory Geisler and VFW Washington Office leadership, the group highlights how the VFW trains accredited representatives to better assist veterans with VA claims. They discuss the rigorous training required to stay current on laws and policies and how that expertise improves access to earned benefits. The team also clarifies common misconceptions about VA disability claims, including “VA math,” the BDD program and the claims backlog, while examining key policy updates affecting veterans and VA’s Federal Electronic Health Record rollout. Listen to episode 63, "Is the VA Math Mathing?,” on your favorite podcast platform or watch it on YouTube.