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• VA’s Newest Life Insurance Program Celebrates One Year
• Partnerships Empower Military Spouses with Successful Careers
• The VA Offers to Help Make Your Dream of Homeownership a Reality
• Services Available to Help Disabled Veterans with Employment
• At-home Primary Care Available Through the VA
• What are Vet Centers?
• Who is Eligible to Receive Services at Vet Centers?
• Contacting Your Local Vet Center

VA’s Newest Life Insurance Program Celebrates One Year

The VA’s newest life insurance program and first such program in nearly 50 years, VALife, has been accepting veterans since Jan. 1, 2023, with more than 31,000 having signed up during the past year.

The goal of VALife is to provide veterans with the peace of mind that comes from knowing loved ones will have some funds after their departure. The program increases access to more veterans than ever before by eliminating time limits to apply and offering guaranteed acceptance, whole life insurance to veterans aged 80 or under with any level of service-connected disability. Veterans aged 81 or over may qualify if they meet certain criteria and apply within a certain timeframe.

Life insurance offers financial security for veterans, their spouses, and dependent children. Learn more about VALife here.

Partnerships Empower Military Spouses with Successful Careers

Despite possessing valuable skills, many military spouses often face limited employment opportunities.

To help address that challenge, the VA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) is working collaboratively to bring partnerships and health care innovations to veterans and their spouses.

HAP facilitates the partnership between the Veterans Health Administration and Salesforce, which offers free training, exams, certifications, and career opportunities for high-paying, tech-related jobs.

The VA-Salesforce partnership supports the needs of service members, veterans, and their families as they transition out of active duty and into the civilian workforce. The partnership helps connect veterans and their spouses with career and employment resources, such as training, networking events, job boards, and educational opportunities. Since its launch in 2014, the VA-Salesforce partnership has connected 3,150 veterans, spouses, and other eligible enrollees to Salesforce Military’s free resources and provided training to more than 30,000 military trailblazers.

The VA offers a variety of resources to support military spouses and help them find meaningful careers. Other programs and partnerships include the VA Veterans and Military Spouse Talent Engagement Program, the VA Caregiver Support Program, Onward Ops, and the Daniel and Salvador Montoya Heroes Foundation.

The VA Offers Help to Make Your Dream of Homeownership a Reality

With the current economy, homeownership has become a more difficult proposition. It can be even more daunting as a veteran or active member of the military.

Securing the best possible loan is key to ensuring you don’t cost yourself additional money now and in the future, or possibly prevent your ability to purchase your dream home.

To navigate the complex process of applying for a home loan, you need to be informed and prepared. Understanding why loan applications are denied can save you from disappointment and keep your homeownership dreams alive.

Common reasons for a loan application denial are application errors, credit rating, job stability, and home appraisal issues.

If you are denied, you should seek a clarification for the denial from your lender. You can also apply with other VA-approved lenders. The VA urges loan applicants to not be disheartened should an application be denied. Instead, they suggest you take the time to understand why, remedy the issues, and explore your options.

For additional guidance, the VA offers plenty of resources here. You can also call for assistance at 877-827-3702 or seek online help here.

Services Available to Help Disabled Veterans with Employment

If you have a service-connected disability that limits your ability to work or prevents you from working at all, the VA’s Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), formerly called Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, is available to offer assistance.

The program is designed to help you explore employment options and address education or training needs. In some cases, your family members may also qualify for certain benefits.

You can apply online here (the process also offers an online orientation to help you decide if VR&E is right for you), or you can apply by mail (mailing an application to the VA) or in person at a VA regional office.

At-home Primary Care Available Through the VA

Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) is a unique VA program that provides comprehensive, interdisciplinary, primary care in the homes of veterans.

The program is for veterans who need team-based, in-home support for ongoing diseases and illnesses that affect their health and daily activities. It is one of several VA programs designed to enable all veterans to age in their homes.

An HBPC team involves veterans working with health care professionals to plan comprehensive care and lifelong health and wellness. An HBPC team also expands to include family caregivers and community-based services, with everyone working toward the goal of offering care in a comfortable, familiar setting.

Learn more about this health care program here.

What are Vet Centers?

VA vet centers provide free and confidential readjustment counseling for war-zone veterans and their families, from World War II to the current Global War on Terror.

Vet centers are small, non-medical, counseling centers conveniently located in our region. They’re staffed by highly trained counselors and team members dedicated to seeing you through the challenges that come with managing life during and after the military.

Our region is served by the Lancaster Vet Center, which is one of 12 vet centers in Pennsylvania and more than 300 across the country. Whether you come in for one-on-one counseling or to participate in a group session, at vet centers you can form social connections, try new things and build a support system with people who understand you and want to help you succeed.

Who is Eligible to Receive Services at Vet Centers?

Vet center services are available to veterans at no cost, regardless of discharge character, and without the need to be enrolled in VA health care or having a service-connected disability. If you are a veteran or service member, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, you can access vet center services if you:

• Served on active military duty in any combat theater or area of hostility.
• Experienced military sexual trauma (regardless of gender or service era).
• Provided mortuary services or direct emergent medical care to treat the casualties of war while serving on active military duty.
• Performed as a member of an unmanned aerial vehicle crew that provided direct support to operations in a combat theater or area of hostility.
• Accessed care at a Vet Center prior to Jan. 2, 2013 as a Vietnam-era veteran.
• Served on active military duty in response to a national emergency or major disaster declared by the president, or under orders of the governor or chief executive of a state in response to a disaster or civil disorder in that state.
• Are a current or former member of the Coast Guard who participated in a drug interdiction operation, regardless of the location.

Contacting Your Local Vet Center

Even if you are unsure if you meet the criteria to receive services from a vet center, please contact a center.

Center services are also available to family members when their participation would support the growth and goals of the veteran or active-duty service member. If you consider them family, so does your local center. Bereavement services are also available to family members of veterans who were receiving vet center services at the time of the veteran’s death, and to the families of service members who died while serving on active duty.

The Lancaster Vet Center, located at 1817 Olde Homestead Lane, Suite 207, Lancaster, PA 17601, can be contacted at 717-283-0735 or toll free 24/7 at 1-877-WAR-VETS (927-8387).

The other vet center locations in Pennsylvania are:

• Bucks County Vet Center, 2 Canals End Road, Suite 201B, Bristol, PA 19007, 215-823-4590
• DuBois Vet Center, 100 Meadow Lane, Suite 8, DuBois, PA 15801, 814-372-2095
• Erie Vet Center, 240 West 11th Street, Suite 105, Erie, PA 16501, 814-453-7955
• Harrisburg Vet Center, 1500 N. Second Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102, 717-782-3954
• Norristown Vet Center, 320 East Johnson Highway, Suite 201, Norristown, PA 19401, 215-823-5245
• City Center Philadelphia Vet Center, 801 Arch Street, Suite 502, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-627-0238
• Northeast Philadelphia Vet Center, 101 East Olney Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19120, 215-924-4670
• Pittsburgh Vet Center, 2500 Baldwick Road, Suite 15, Pittsburgh, PA 15205, 412-920-1765
• Scranton Vet Center, 1002 Pittston Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505, 570-344-2676
• White Oak Vet Center, 2001 Lincoln Way, Suite 280, White Oak, PA 15131, 412-678-7704
• Williamsport Vet Center, 49 East Fourth Street, Suite 104, Williamsport, PA 17701, 570-327-5281

For more information, please visit www.vetcenter.va.gov.

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