Val Verde County Veterans Service Office

03/06/2026

Don’t forget that tomorrow is our monthly veterans workshop. We start at 9am at the county library. See you there

03/02/2026

02/20/2026

Amid outcry, VA abruptly stops enforcing new disability rating rule

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday abruptly announced that it would stop enforcing a new rule requiring disability ratings to be calculated by how well veterans function on medication and not solely on the underlying condition or injury itself. “Effective immediately, VA is halting enforcement of the interim final rule, ‘Evaluative Rating: Impact of Medication,’” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a brief statement posted on social media on Thursday. “VA issued the rule to clarify existing policy and protect veterans’ benefits in the wake of an ongoing court action. But many interpreted the rule as something that could result in adverse consequences,” Collins said.

The rule, which had gone into effect Tuesday without prior notice, was quickly condemned by major veterans groups as effectively lowering a veteran’s disability rating and subsequent monthly compensation. “DAV is extremely disappointed and alarmed by VA’s decision to issue an interim final rule today that could potentially reduce disability compensation for millions of disabled veterans,” said Coleman Nee, national commander of Disabled American Veterans. “As a former Army nurse, it seems this rule change could have unforeseen and harmful downstream effects for veterans, which is why it demands serious public scrutiny and possible legislative clarification from Capitol Hill,” said Carol Whitmore, national commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars. The rule required examiners for the VA to calculate the improvements veterans derive from taking medication when determining ratings, while recent court rulings had directed the VA to base a veteran’s disability level on the severity of the condition. At issue was an amendment to the Code of Federal Regulations — called an interim final rule — that directs how VA examiners assess a veteran’s impairments on daily life skills and employment. A public comment period on the rule opened Tuesday on regulations.gov and will run through April 20. More than 10,000 people had commented by midday Thursday.

“While VA does not agree with the way this rule has been characterized, the department always takes veterans’ concerns seriously,” Collins said in his announcement. Collins also indicated that the VA would not pursue enforcing the rule again. “To alleviate these concerns, VA will continue to collect public comments regarding the rule, but it will not be enforced at any time in the future,” Collins said. “Under my leadership, VA is ensuring that everyone applying for benefits receives everything they have earned as quickly and conveniently as possible,” Collins said.

The DAV issued a statement Thursday afternoon that applauded the decision. “We appreciate the secretary listening to and acting on the concerns of those who have served and sacrificed for this nation,” Nee said. “No veteran should ever have to worry that taking medications they need due to their illnesses and injuries could result in the reduction of their benefits.”

The rule, which had gone into effect without prior notice, was quickly condemned by veterans groups as effectively lowering a veteran’s disability rating.

02/19/2026

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says it will stop reporting some veterans to a federal fi****ms database, reversing a decades‑old practice it now says violated constitutional rights.

Why It Matters

For decades, veterans who needed help managing their VA benefits risked losing their right to own a firearm without a court ruling.

The VA now says that the practice lacked proper legal and constitutional safeguards.

People wave American flags as they observe the Veterans Day parade on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, on November 11, 2025.
What To Know

The VA has announced it will no longer report veterans to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) solely because they require a fiduciary to help manage their VA benefits in an action it described as a “major step” to correct a “three-decade-old wrong.”

02/18/2026

Who Qualifies for VA Dental Care?

Unlike most VA health care benefits, dental coverage is not available to every enrolled veteran. Of the nearly 9 million veterans enrolled in VA health care, only about 26% are eligible for dental services. Eligibility is determined through a classification system based on service-connected disabilities, military service history and other factors.

Veterans who qualify for comprehensive VA dental care at no cost include those with a service-connected compensable dental disability, those rated at 100% disabled or receiving Total Disability Individual Unemployability, former prisoners of war, and veterans whose dental condition is aggravating a separate service-connected medical condition.

Veterans actively participating in a VA vocational rehabilitation program under Chapter 31 can receive dental care necessary to meet their rehabilitation goals. Homeless veterans enrolled in certain VA programs for at least 60 days may also be eligible.

Recently separated veterans who served at least 90 days of active duty and were not provided a complete dental exam and treatment before discharge can apply for a one-time course of dental care but must do so within 180 days of separation.

Veterans who do not meet any of these criteria but are enrolled in VA health care can purchase dental insurance at a reduced rate through the VA Dental Insurance Program. VADIP offers plans through Delta Dental and MetLife with lower premiums than comparable coverage on the private market.

02/17/2026

VA Launches Plan to Expand Dental Care Access for Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs is looking to overhaul how dental care is delivered to eligible veterans through the community care program. The VA posted a request for proposals Feb. 10 for a new dental care administrator to build and manage a nationwide network of community dental providers.

The contract, once awarded, is intended to expand access to general and specialty dental care, preventive services and pharmacy support for the roughly 2.3 million veterans who currently qualify for VA dental benefits. Proposals are due by March 16.

What the VA Is Looking For
The RFP, posted on SAM.gov, calls for a vendor to serve as a third-party administrator responsible for recruiting, credentialing and maintaining a national network of licensed dental providers and practitioners. The goal is to standardize the way dental care is delivered through the VA's community care program, which allows veterans to see non-VA providers at the department's expense.

Community care has been part of the VA system since World War II, but it was formalized and expanded under the MISSION Act, signed into law in 2018. Today, roughly 40% of all VA health care is delivered through community care.

In fiscal year 2025, 888,051 veterans received dental care through the VA, with more than 3.5 million dental procedures delivered through community care providers, according to the VA announcement. "Dental health is a critical component of overall well-being," VA Secretary Doug Collins said. "This RFP will result in a contract that dramatically improves our ability to provide quality dental care to eligible veterans while ensuring they can choose the provider that's best for them."

The new contract follows a broader push by the VA to renew and strengthen its community care agreements. Many of the existing contracts with third-party health plans were signed in 2018 and are set to expire in 2026. The VA announced a separate RFP in December 2025 to replace those broader community care contracts with a new indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity structure designed to allow multiple national and regional health plans to compete for the work.

Why Some Disabled Veterans Can't Get Both VA Disability and Military Retirement Pay

Who Qualifies for VA Dental Care
Unlike most VA health care benefits, dental coverage is not available to every enrolled veteran. Of the nearly 9 million veterans enrolled in VA health care, only about 26% are eligible for dental services. Eligibility is determined through a classification system based on service-connected disabilities, military service history and other factors.

Veterans who qualify for comprehensive VA dental care at no cost include those with a service-connected compensable dental disability, those rated at 100% disabled or receiving Total Disability Individual Unemployability, former prisoners of war, and veterans whose dental condition is aggravating a separate service-connected medical condition.

Veterans actively participating in a VA vocational rehabilitation program under Chapter 31 can receive dental care necessary to meet their rehabilitation goals. Homeless veterans enrolled in certain VA programs for at least 60 days may also be eligible.

Recently separated veterans who served at least 90 days of active duty and were not provided a complete dental exam and treatment before discharge can apply for a one-time course of dental care but must do so within 180 days of separation.

Veterans who do not meet any of these criteria but are enrolled in VA health care can purchase dental insurance at a reduced rate through the VA Dental Insurance Program. VADIP offers plans through Delta Dental and MetLife with lower premiums than comparable coverage on the private market.

Why Dental Access Matters
Advocates have long argued that the VA's limited dental eligibility is one of the most significant gaps in the department's health care system. Poor oral health is closely linked to chronic conditions that are disproportionately common among veterans, including diabetes, heart disease and respiratory illness. More than 3.6 million veterans have visited emergency departments for dental pain since leaving the military, with estimated ER spending on those visits reaching $5.4 billion.

Jim Marszalek, executive director of the Disabled American Veterans Washington headquarters, called on the VA and Congress to fully fund dental care alongside other critical services. Several bills are pending in Congress that would expand dental eligibility further, including H.R. 210, the Dental Care for Veterans Act, which would make all enrolled veterans eligible for VA dental services. A separate bill introduced by Rep. Tony Gonzales would establish a pilot program using mobile dental vans to reach veterans in rural areas who already qualify but live too far from a VA dental clinic.

None of these bills have advanced beyond introduction, but they reflect growing momentum in Congress to address the issue.

Official U.S. Government Website 100% Free The Official U.S. Government System for: Contracting Opportunities, Awards, and Subcontract Reports(fpds.gov still authoritative for award data)Wage DeterminationsFederal Hierarchy Departments and Subtiers Federal Assistance Assistance Listings and Subaward...

02/17/2026

Good morning Veterans early voting has started for our community. The early voting location is Del Rio Civic Center on Veterans Boulevard.

We encourage all veterans and their families to come out and vote so that we are well represented in all facets of the political process.

02/12/2026

The VA recently started two new services. One is Tele Palliative Care. Palliative Care provides specialty services for Veterans with Chronic Conditions. The second is Tele Geriatric services.
Tele Geriatric services provide geriatric consultation for Veteran 65+ years.

VA staff will come to Del Rio on March 24, 2026. We will be hosting this event at the county library and we are inviting local primary care physician staff, case managers, oncologist offices, dialysis clinic staff, home health agencies, and other areas that would benefit from information about the these programs.

The presentation will start at 10am. As always, this is another effort to grow services for our Veteran community in Val Verde County please like and share this post so that we can get the word out to as many healthcare professionals as possible.

02/11/2026

Proudly serving the veterans of Val Verde County since 1995. We provide free transportation to the VA hospitals in San Antonio and Kerrville. We also provide local transportation in Del Rio for medical appointments and medication refills.

We provide transportation to Eagle Pass and Uvalde for VA related medical and Social Security appointments. Come by 508 E. 11th St. or give us a call at 830-774-7548 to book your transportation appointment.

02/09/2026

Our next Veterans workshop will be Friday, March 6 at 9 AM at the Val Verde County library. The staff of the Val Verde County appraisal District will be conducting a presentation to discuss veteran property tax exemptions.

We are grateful to Chief Appraiser Jaqueline Casanova for participating in this workshop. There are new laws affecting how these exemptions are applied to your property and how these discounts are maintained.

This is your opportunity to participate in a Q&A and get some of your property tax exemption questions answered by the appraisal district. 

Please like and share this post so that more veterans and their families attend. We will also be covering other important topics during this monthly workshop .