SERVING
Those That
SERVED
Calculating Your Income
Did you know some veterans and family members don’t know is that all non-reimbursed medical costs are deductible in calculating income? For example, for veterans who served during wartime and later became disabled and require aid either at home or in an institution, the VA can provide a pension supplement to bring net annual income up to $20,795 for a single veteran or $24,652 for a veteran and spouse. A veteran with a retirement pension of $50,000 might appear ineligible, but with the fully deductible cost of a doctor-ordered live-in home caregiver running at more than that, the person would be eligible for the full VA pension.
Medicare Information
Did you know Medicare is health insurance provided by the federal government to individuals age 65 and older, as well as some adults with disabilities? All U.S. citizens and permanent residents 65 and older are eligible. To ensure the lowest monthly premiums, veterans must enroll within three months before or after their 65th birthday. Medicare and TRICARE work together—there is a branch of TRICARE called “TRICARE for Life” that becomes available when you enroll in Medicare Parts A and B (basic Medicare). Medicare becomes your primary insurance and TRICARE pays for any co-insurance and deductible. Medicare and VA benefits, however, do not work together. Medicare does not pay for any care received at VA facilities, but it will cover care at a non-VA facility.
Former Ineligible Veterans May Qualify
Did you know a new federal policy could help veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and who are presently ineligible for benefits, get the medical care and benefits they need? The Department of Defense set down new guidelines to work with veterans who are trying to upgrade discharges to get medical help. This new set of guidelines is for veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD or who do not realize they have PTSD. The DOD says this is in large part for veterans from the Vietnam War who were discharged without any record of having PTSD because it wasn't understood in that time. So, unless they get diagnosed by a private doctor, they cannot be reinstated for help with their PTSD if they were declared ineligible with their discharge. The new guidelines don't mean every single veteran will get their benefits. It just means a review board will take PTSD cases under special consideration. Without these guidelines it was nearly impossible to get benefits reinstated after they were denied.
Benefits App
Did you know 311VET is VBA’s new benefits app, and it answers a wide range of questions about Veterans benefits, including what benefits you may be entitled to, how to apply for benefits, how different benefits are defined, and where to go to get more information about VA services. 311VET can provide information about most VA benefits, including pension, education, health, disability, loan, burial and career benefits.
VA Video Connect
Did you know that VA Video Connect allows veterans to communicate with counselors without making a trip to their local VA office? Veterans may connect from virtually anywhere, using encryption that ensures a secure and private session. The new app makes appointments more convenient and reduces the travel time for veterans in rural areas, difficult commuting areas, or benefits working veterans and/or those with families.
Electronic Virtual Assistant
Did you know the Electronic Virtual Assistant (e-VA), is an artificial intelligence platform that streamlines routine electronic communication with veterans, bidirectionally through either text message or email? The new AI technology is readily available in the marketplace with similar applications successfully employed in other industries such as medical, hospitality and banking. VA is using the AI technology to help streamline the appointment process for veterans.
Social Impairment Compensation
Did you know VA regulations permit disability compensation for Social Impairment, which affects a veterans inability to interact with others in a professional setting, as opposed to a veterans personal life with family or friends? Compensation is for the veteran who’s earning capacity has been minimized or cut off due to work behavior perceived by others as being atypical or destructive, not through intention, but as a result of the veterans natural social interactions. Veterans perceived to have issues with colleagues, managers, or those in his/her work setting as a result of perceived social interactions that limit his/her ability to function in a work setting effectively may be compensated for Social Impairment. For compensation, as with other service-connected disabilities, there must be evidence of social impairment in the veteran’s service medical records.
Did You Know?
VA Will Re-adjudicate Claims
Did you know VA will re-adjudicate claims for veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War? This review is part of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) implementation of the November 5, 2020, U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California decision to re-adjudicate previously denied claims as applied in Nehmer vs. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. VA will determine if benefits can now be paid retroactively based on the veteran’s presumption of herbicide exposure through Public Law 116-23, Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, which was signed into law June 25, 2019.
MST Specialized Offices
Did you know the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will designate specialized offices to handle veterans’ claims of military sexual trauma in an effort to reduce the rate that the claims are denied? The VA began the process May 3, 2021 of sending all the claims to five offices across the U.S. where processors are undergoing more training. Thomas Murphy, acting undersecretary for benefits at the VA, said the change would be complete before September 30, 2021, the end of the fiscal year.
Eligible Veterans For True Cost of War Recognition Act
Under the TCRW Act, eligible groups would include all veterans who served in the following locations:
- In Iraq from August 1990 to March 1991 and from March 2003 until present day;
- In Afghanistan from September 2001 until present day;
- In Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar from August 1990 until present day;
- In Djibouti, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen from September 2001 until present day;
- Any other area later determined by a federal agency where burn pits were used by the military units overseas.
Join 3M Lawsuit
Did you know that thousands of veterans may be eligible for compensation due to the use of faulty military equipment? If you have tinnus or hearing loss due to faulty earplugs complete form below for free analysis.