Recent VA News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 18, 2011                        

VA Adds Chat Feature to Online Application for Health Benefits

WASHINGTON – Veterans will find it easier and faster to apply for their health care benefits now that the Department of Veterans Affairs has enhanced and streamlined its online Form 10-10EZ, “Application for Health Benefits.” 

“VA is committed to tapping into the best that technology has to offer to ensure Veterans receive the benefits they have earned,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We continue to look for new ways to improve access to care and benefits and engage Veterans.”

This revised online application now features a chat function which will allow Veterans to receive live assistance while they are filling out the form. Additional enhancements to the process include simplification of questions relating to military service in Southeast Asia during the Gulf and in the Vietnam wars.  Several additional minor enhancements make the application easier and faster for Veterans to complete.

The 10-10EZ application is divided into six different sets of information, including personal information, insurance information, employment, military service, and a financial assessment.  Since November 2000, nearly 400,000 Veterans have already used the online 10-10EZ to start receiving health care benefits from VA. 

Future enhancements to the online application will include a 10-10 EZR Health Benefits Renewal Form for Veterans to update their personal information and a special 10-10EZ designed specifically for demobilizing military service members. 

Veterans may complete or download the 10-10EZ form at the VA health eligibility Web site at www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez.  

Veterans may also contact VA at 1 (877) 222-8387 (VETS), visit the VA health eligibility Web site at www.va.gov/healtheligibility or apply for health care benefits at any VA medical center at http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp with the help of a VA health care eligibility specialist.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       

January 3, 2011

VA Set to Verify Veteran Small Businesses

Washington – To further advocate for Veterans, VA announced that companies identifying themselves as small businesses or Veteran-owned businesses to gain priority for some Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contracts must now provide documentation verifying their status within 90 days of receiving notice from the agency.

“VA is committed to doing business with as well as supporting and protecting Veteran-owned small businesses,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Although the verification process may initially be a challenge to some small business owners and to VA, it’s a necessary step to eliminate misrepresentation by firms trying to receive contracts that should go to service-disabled and other Veteran-owned vendors.”

The Veterans Benefits Act of 2010, signed by the President Oct. 13, expanded VA’s requirement to verify the status of businesses claiming Veterans preference to compete for VA contracts by being listed in VA's VetBiz.gov “Vendor Information Pages” (VIP) database.  Companies will have to submit an application to substantiate their status as owned and controlled by Veterans, service-disabled Veterans or eligible surviving spouses.  Only companies that submit the information will be listed in the VIP database.

The law requires VA to notify currently listed businesses that within 90 days of the Veteran-owned business receiving the notice they must submit certain business documents. VA sent notices to more than 13,000 listed businesses by email and mail Dec. 10-11.   Other companies, wanting to be listed in the database and considered for future set-aside VA contracts, also have to submit application packages. VA will work on those verifications after the existing listings are verified. 

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Veteran Businesses  2/2/2/2

The department plans to post additional information at www.VetBiz.gov in early February informing applicants how to submit their documents electronically.  In the meantime, VA’s notice to currently listed businesses encourages them to submit their information on CD-ROM.

Priority processing will be given to those Veteran-owned firms that are in line to receive a set-aside contract from VA, those that already conduct business with VA, and those that have already filed an application for verification. 

For more information, visit the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization’s website at www.va.gov/OSDBU/veteran/verification.asp or the main page at www.va.gov/osdbu/.