Blue Button
downloads
Some veterans with an upgraded My HealtheVet can now gain access to key portions of their Department of Defense Military Service Information.
The MSI is available via the website’s Blue Button feature, which allows veterans to view, print or download the information, which can include Military Occupational Specialty codes, pay details, service dates, deployment periods and retirement period.
The MOS codes feature can help veterans in their civilian job search by mapping their military skills and credentials to private sector employment opportunities.
The Blue Button also has links to a few online skills translators to convert MOS codes into general skill sets.
To make use of the Blue Button, veterans must have an account on My HealtheVet and complete the in-person authentication process, which will give them an upgraded account. That process can be completed by going to a veteran’s nearest VA medical center or Community-Based Outpatient Clinic to fill out a form. Their My HealtheVet account will be upgraded shortly after that.
New health
handbook
Veterans enrolled in the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs will be seeing a new Health Benefits Handbook in their mailboxes one day soon.
The personalized booklets explain each veteran’s health care benefits and contain other useful information.
“VA is committed to providing our nation’s veterans with consistent, clear information about the services available to them,” said Eric Shinseki, Secretay of Veterans Affairs.
The booklet will include a listing of health benefits based on each veteran’s specific eligibility. The handbook will also contain information about local VA medical facilities, information on scheduling appointments, information about applicable copays and guidelines for communicating with their clinical team.
Distribution of the handbooks began in February and the VA expects all 8.5 million veterans enrolled in the system to get their handbooks by 2013. Veterans have been divided into eight different priority groups, with veterans in group one receiving the first batch of handbooks.
For more information see www.va.gove/healthbenefits/vhbh or call the VA at 1-877-222-VETS (8387).
Connecting
veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a new campaign aimed at creating ways for veterans and their families to connect with the experiences of other veterans, ultimately connecting with information and resources to help them with the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life.
MakeTheConnection.net is a website featuring stories of strength and information on what has worked for other Veterans.
Visitors to the site can customize their online experience, connecting with the stories most relevant to their own lives and situations. Veterans and their families can view candid, personal testimonials of other veterans who have dealt with and are working through a variety of common life experiences.
“I have seen over and over again how important it can be for a veteran to hear a message from another veteran,” said Shinseki. “This type of communication will be especially useful in helping to break down the stigma associated with mental health issues and treatment.”
Go to MakeThe Connection.net or the VA’s mental health services website for more information.
