Health Law Issues Affecting Veterans

Approximately 700,000 Veterans reside in the State of New York. Many of these Veterans have chronic health conditions related to their military service, yet face significant barriers in securing vital culturally competent healthcare fair compensation for their service-related injuries and illnesses. Mythology is rampant regarding who “is” and “is not” eligible for these benefits and services only serves to compound these problems.

Additionally, a surprisingly large number of Veterans receive less-than-honorable discharges from their branch of the military due not to their own willful misconduct but due to misconceptions and injustices related to their medical conditions — particularly mental health conditions —caused by the traumas that can arise from military service. These Veterans commonly face barriers in accessing benefits, employment, housing, and more — even though their character of discharge unfairly reflects the manifestation of a medical condition brought on by their military experiences rather than any sort of willful misbehavior.

Speakers

Ben Pomerance, Deputy Commissioner for Program Development and Training, New York State Department of Veterans' Services, Albany, NY

Heather Butts, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management, Columbia University, New York, NY