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Did You Know? The Veterans Administration (VA) has unveiled an ambitious plan to merge and expand the department’s private health care arrangements in order to meet growing demand from Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, as well as aging Vietnam War vets. The VA’s plan, called the New Veterans Choice Program, will merge services into a single system to eliminate gaps in care. Under the new program, veterans can go to private doctors if they live too far from a VA hospital or need a specialist, or if they cannot get an appointment with a VA physician within 30 days. The program is designed to reduce wait times and eliminate gaps in care created by a bureaucracy that has obstructed veterans’ access to care.
Scam Alert All veterans and dependents need to be extremely vigilant and on the lookout for "pension poaching" scams that target seniors who served in the military and their survivors. Currently, the scam artists are sweeping through retirement communities where veterans and their survivors reside. Many of the scam artists have records showing vulnerable veterans who may “benefit” from their services. Scam alert issued this month indicates that the scams prey on veterans by targeting financial assistance offered through the Veterans Administration (VA) Aid and Attendance Program, a program intended to provide pension benefits to financially disadvantaged wartime veterans and their survivors over 65 years old. Veterans and their family members should be on the lookout for insurance agents or their representatives who are posing as volunteers or accredited Veteran Affairs representatives who are offering to help seniors apply for their Veteran Affairs pension benefits. It is important to know, accredited representatives of VA do not ask individuals to pay money or move assets in connection with applying for a pension benefit. The scam has been linked to insurance agents or their representatives who are receiving a sales commission for selling an annuity or irrevocable trust.
How To Acquire VA Income
Far too many veterans believe they have to be accepted in the Veterans Affairs (VA) medical system to acquire an income (compensation) for a service connected disability. Simply put, this is not true for any veteran who served Honorably in the Armed Forces. All veterans may submit appropriate VA form(s) that will result in a medical evaluation that could possibly determine a service-connected disability and the amount of disability compensation. The evaluations conducted by the VA or QTC will determine if there is a service-connected disability. Assuming a service connected disability has been establishment by the VA, service-connection disability compensation will begin, and the veteran will be automatically set up in the VA medical system and will receive free treatment for the service connected disability.
A surprisingly large number of veterans are unaware they are currently walking around with service-connected disabilities, and as such, should be receiving disability compensation. For instance, a recent Vietnam veteran had been dealing with issues of irritability, emotional distance from others, anger, marital schism that resulted in the inability to communicate effectively with his spouse, and nagging physical ailments. At the encouragement of family and friends the veteran reluctantly visited his local Vet Center for a psychological evaluation. It was determined that the veteran had been suffering from PTSD for decades, and four months later he was service-connected at 70% disability rating.
How to Receive Temporary 100%
Any veteran who has a current service-connected disability, may, at any time request a temporary 100 percent service-connected disability rating. For instance, if a veteran has a 30% service-connected disability rating for degenerative disc disease, and the disability requires surgery, the VA will adjust the rating to 100% for the period required for recovery from the surgery. For as long as the veteran is out of work due to the surgery and recovery period, the veteran is entitled to a temporary 100% disability rating. All recovery periods must be in full months. Therefore, before a veteran is to have surgery, the veteran must get the surgeon or staff members involved in the surgery to construct a letter on the veterans’ behalf that indicates what type of surgery is being performed, and the letter must indicate the expected recovery time from the surgery. Additionally, recovery periods vary greatly per individual case, so, if longer recovery time is needed, the veteran must request it in writing and submit to the VA immediately. When all documentation is gathered the veteran is ready to request an increase from the VA for the time indicated in the letter from the medical staff. Keep in mind, it is always best for a veteran to work with an accredited Veteran Service Officer (VSO) who can explain the complex workings of the VA benefit system. |
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