Hill & Ponton Attorney Kate Kovarovic is conducting a short, anonymous survey on how the VA disability claims process affects veterans’ mental health and well-being. The survey takes about 15-30 minutes and will help inform a presentation for military psychologists on how advocates can better support Veterans throughout the claims process.

If you’ve gone through the VA disability claims process, please consider sharing your experience and encouraging fellow veterans to participate. The survey closes on October 23.

Take the survey here

In the early morning hours of October 15, 1967, a North Vietnamese Army unit broke through the perimeter of an artillery battery near Tam Ky, South Vietnam. Staff Sergeant Webster Anderson, a section chief with the 101st Airborne Division, climbed onto the exposed parapet of his howitzer position and directed fire against the assault. Two enemy grenades exploded at his feet, severely wounding his legs.

Unable to stand, he propped himself up on the parapet and kept directing fire and encouraging his men. When another grenade landed in the gun pit near a wounded member of his crew, Anderson grabbed it and tried to throw it clear. It exploded as it left the position, wounding him again. Only partly conscious, he refused medical evacuation and kept urging his men on until the position was held. Anderson survived as a triple amputee and received the Medal of Honor from President Nixon in 1969. His courage is a reminder of what wartime service has asked of so many veterans, and why the benefits that service earned are worth claiming.

Read Webster Anderson's full story at the Congressional Medal of Honor Society below.

Select any condition below, and we'll send a detailed information packet to your email, covering your diagnosis and how it may affect your VA claim.

Most veterans mix up these two, and it keeps many of them from applying.

Pension exists for wartime veterans with limited income who are either:

A veteran managing diabetes, heart failure, or severe arthritis that developed entirely after service could still qualify. The condition doesn't have to trace back to the military. The service does.

To be eligible, you generally need:

That includes the Gulf War era, which technically runs from August 2, 1990, to the present. Veterans who served during that window may qualify even if they never deployed to a combat zone. The VA's definition of wartime service is broader than most people assume. For a deeper breakdown of what qualifies, this explanation of the non-service-connected pension clearly lays out the criteria.

VA pension is income-based, but the net worth limit is more generous than most veterans realize.

What the pension actually pays: It isn't a flat check added on top of your other income. The VA sets a maximum annual amount ($17,441 for a veteran with no dependents), and the pension only fills the gap between that number and your countable income, including Social Security.

For example, if you already bring in $12,000 a year, the pension brings your total up to $17,441, not $17,441 more.

This is where many veterans get into trouble. They expect the full amount on top of everything else, or don't report a change in income, and end up paying the VA back. If you're wondering whether your financial situation fits the picture, this eligibility guide walks through the specifics in plain language.

Aid and Attendance is an additional layer for veterans whose health has declined to the point where they need help with daily living, such as:

It isn't a separate program so much as an enhancement to the pension that accounts for the real cost of needing care.

The full breakdown of Aid and Attendance is worth reading if you or someone you care for is in that situation.

Pull out your discharge paperwork, specifically your DD-214, and check your dates of service against the VA's wartime periods. If both of these are true, you may already meet the two hardest requirements without knowing it:

If you’re facing challenges with your claim and need assistance, reach out for a free case evaluation.

If you or someone in your family needs help with daily care, watch this before you file anything. In about 14 minutes, it walks through what the VA looks for in an Aid and Attendance claim, including the medical criteria many veterans and surviving spouses don't realize they need to document.

You'll come away knowing how approval really works and where most claims fall apart before anyone even reviews them.

The Omnipod is a tubeless, wearable insulin pump sold in three versions: the Omnipod 5, the Omnipod DASH, and the original Omnipod Eros. Each “Pod” is a single-use, disposable unit that adheres directly to the skin, holds a reservoir of rapid-acting insulin, and delivers it subcutaneously through a small, soft cannula that is automatically inserted upon activation. A Pod is worn continuously for up to 72 hours, then discarded and replaced.

In 2026, Insulet initiated two separate voluntary Medical Device Corrections after discovering that Pods were leaving its manufacturing line with damaged insulin-delivery tubing. The first covered certain Omnipod 5 Pods, and the second expanded to Omnipod 5, DASH, and Eros Pods.

Both were ultimately classified by the FDA as Class I recalls, the agency’s most serious designation, reserved for situations in which use of the product may cause serious injury or death. In the aggregate, the two actions cover more than 8.2 million Pods. Damaged tubing can cause Pods to under-deliver insulin, sometimes without triggering an alarm, which can lead to dangerously high blood sugar and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Act now. You may qualify if you were using an Omnipod 5, DASH, or Eros Pod and were treated in an emergency room or admitted to the hospital for DKA on or after July 1, 2024.

Contact us today at (855) 494-1298 to learn more about your options or to begin your claim.