Media Advisory: American Legion Town Hall Meeting, Veterans Benefits Center Planned

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Legion:

What:	American Legion Town Hall Meeting and National Veterans Benefits Center
When:	Town Hall Meeting, July 6, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
	Veterans Benefits Center, July 7, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m.; July 8, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.; July 9, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where:	American Legion Post 175
	2431 Metairie Rd.
	Metairie, LA, 70001
Why:	Veterans can air concerns about VA health-care access, patient service, claims processing and more at the Town Hall Meeting in order to help; personal assistance for veterans trying to enroll in VA, file claims, seek disability rating changes, having access problems, and seeking answers to other questions is provided by accredited American Legion service officers, legal representatives and VA adjudicators.
Background:	www.legion.org/publications/226222/crisis-confidence

The American Legion’s nationwide tour of communities affected by VA challenges comes to the New Orleans area Monday, July 6. A national town hall meeting that evening at 7 at Metairie American Legion Post 175 is followed by three days of one-on-one assistance for veterans and their families.

The meeting and benefits event will be conducted at American Legion Post 175, 2431 Metairie Road, Metairie, La., 70001.

The American Legion National Headquarters, working with state and regional offices and local veterans, has conducted nearly two-dozen such events nationwide over the last 13 months in the aftermath of a major VA scandal involving falsified appointment records and intolerably long appointment waiting times. The benefits centers have helped more than 4,000 veterans and led to the awarding of over $1 million in retroactive VA benefits for qualified individuals.

“The American Legion and VA have been working together to move from crisis to confidence in the health-care and benefits systems whose mission is timely, adequate care and support for those who served our nation in uniform,” American Legion National Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Chairman Ralph Bozella said. “American Legion outreach efforts across the map have provided one-on-one help, including expert claims assistance from American Legion service officers and VA adjudicators. Different communities have expressed different needs, all of which are now being addressed.”

The town hall meeting July 6 runs from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m.

The Veterans Benefits Center sessions are offered July 7 from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m.; July 8 from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.; and July 9 from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

For more information, contact Steve Brooks at 317-442-9267 or by email at [e-mail].