Re: Veteran Issues
I am a volunteer at a VA Hospital and have learned many things since I started. I am also a very active VFW member. I will soon be taking training to be able to assist veterans in the "My Healthy Vet" program.
Some of the things veterans are not told: A spouse can be compensated for taking care of their spouse monetarily. A spouse can receive compensation to help with costs of living in an assisted living facility. My Mom received $1133 a month towards her expenses. This only applies to assisted living and not a nursing home. I urge you to get documentation on everything pertaining to "agent orange" Some claims HAD to be made within 2 years of your discharge. Depending on your type of claim. In Pennsylvania a veteran that receives 100% disability from the VA will no longer have to pay real estate tax, for licenses plates, hunting and fishing licenses. You state should have a booklet available that explains veterans benefits either at their facilities or the VA located through your state courthouses, Another valuable resource is you Service Officers through the VFW, American Legion, DAV. or any other service connected organization. Sadly, the length of time to get a claim approved can be quite lengthy. My advice is if you haven't heard in 3 months from the VA, contact the person who filed the claim. I had a veteran that hadn't heard anything 2 years after he filed an soon found out that the service officer had never filed it. YOU MUST BE PRO-ACTIVE with your case. It took my husband 11 months to be approved. You can file the claims online but I recommend having someone that is a trained Service Officer to assist you and if need be they can expedite your claim. If you have any questions I would be glad to help you or I can direct you to our Service Officer that is the head VSO for the VFW in the state of Pennsylvania. He is a very knowledgeable and sharp young man. |
Re: Veteran Issues
I forgot to mention that the money you receive in compensation is tax free. I know my husband was resistant and would not go to the VA for anything. These benefits are for ALL veterans. They are not just for veterans that were extremely injured. These benefits could make a huge impact in your families lives, Viet Nam Veterans of America are working and trying to link illness between veterans (male and female) to children and grandchildren. Such as multiple sclerosis, cleft palates, and numerous other disorders. I am also a member of VVA. There are many studies being done through Penn State regarding birth defects among children and grandchildren of Viet Nam veterans exposed to agent orange. So sign up for benefits not oly for yourself but your loved ones.
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Thanks Wendy, for both volunteering and your information.
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Wendy---thanks for your work I know we all appreciate not only your efforts but the untold "Thousands" of others that are out there doing every little bit--- Unfortunately there are tons of benefits available to those that have served or are currently serving in the military---- Why you have to ask for them is a mystery to me. But nevertheless they do exist and if you truly need them they can be a God send. You just have to "keep on keepin on" and ASK,ASK ASK!!!! for any and every benefits---lotsa guys probably do not know you can get dental help and you might be eligible for FREE eyeglasses too.Discounts on prescription drugs,special footwear etc.
I just purchased a home in October 2013 ZERO MONEY DOWN AND no mortgage insurance or loan service charge with my VA disability benefits. Got 2 free hearing aids($6300) plus batteries NO CHARGE , a FREE pair of eyeglasses about every 8 months all in the last year..Stuff is out there you have to ASK--Dick Ullrich |
Re: Veteran Issues
Usually a claim of prostate cancer will put you at 100% disability. You will be at 100% as long as you are being treated weather it be "wait and watch" which means they will closely monitor the veteran, radiation treatments, or removal of prostate. I had a doctor at the VA tell me even with removal a doctor will never say you are cured, you may be in remission but no doctor can say you are completely cured of cancer. Therefore you in all probability receive 100% for the rest of your life.
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Thank you FED 387 , I come from a long line of military men dating back to the Civil War. I learned at a young age from my Dad, a past Commander and Past District Commander of the American Legion to always have respect for our veterans. I enjoy what I do and love my veterans.
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Wendy is absolutely right about having an advocate i.e., VFW, DAV or American Legion. Gail Hudson, Regional Director of the DAV, was instrumental in getting my claim through in 90 days in 1997. I am forever grateful.
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A Wisconsin Army veteran says an employment recruiter slammed her service and wrote in an e-mail that he believed she joined the military for the paycheck "not my freedom," The Stevens Point Journal reported.http://global.fncstatic.com/static/v...ernal-link.png
Gabriella Barrett, 23, who was medically discharged from the Army in 2011, was reportedly in line for a customer service job at a Stevens Point, Wis., company. She was screened by Randstad, a recruiting company. But as she was putting the finishing touches on the hiring process she told the paper an employee at the firm, Sergio Ortiz, sent her an "infuriating" e-mail. "I believe you choose to go into the Army for a paycheck not my freedom," the e-mail reportedly said. "So you will not be getting a thank you from me. I would have freedom regardless of your voluntary service." Barrett claims the email came after an argument, which ended in Ortiz calling her military service meaningless. "My first thought was for all the service members who went through way worse than I did," Barrett said. "It's infuriating." The paper and FoxNews.com contacted the company, and was told that Ortiz is no longer employed there. |
Re: Veteran Issues
Wendy--- check on that 100% for Prostate Cancer--- it is usually only for a period of time like 6-18 months,then the patient is re-examined and a reduced award is given based on their current medical condition --- usually around between 30-60% depending on the medical examiners findings and evaluation
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I hope this will be a little helpful: http://www.vawatchdog.org/Prostate_Cancer.html
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Re: Veteran Issues
. More Secure VA ID Cards Coming: The VA has announced the phased roll out of newly designed, more secure Veteran Health Identification Cards (VHIC). Similar to a typical health insurance card, the VHIC will display the veteran's member ID, a new unique identifier, as well as a plan ID, reflecting the veteran's enrollment in VA healthcare. The new card replaces the Veteran Identification Card (VIC), which was introduced in 2004. As part of a phased rollout, starting this month, the card will only be offered to newly enrolled and other veterans who have not yet been issued a VIC. In April, VA will begin a three-month effort to automatically issue the more secure VHIC to current VIC cardholders. VA recommends Veterans safeguard their VIC as they would a credit card, and cut up or shred the card once it is replaced. Enrolled veterans can get more information about the VHIC by visiting their VA medical facility enrollment coordinator or the website www.va.gov/healthbenefits/vhic, calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387) or visiting their local VA health care facility. Veterans not enrolled in the VA healthcare system can apply for enrollment at any time by visiting www.va.gov/healthbenefits/enroll, calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387) or visiting their local VA health care facility.
5. SSA to Expedite Disability Process for Veterans: The Social Security Administration unveiled a new initiative this week to expedite disability claims by veterans with a VA disability compensation rating of 100% Permanent & Total (P&T). Under the new process, which is set to launch in mid-March, Social Security will treat these veterans' applications as high priority and issue expedited decisions, similar to the way the agency currently handles disability claims from Wounded Warriors. In order to receive the expedited service, veterans must tell Social Security they have a VA disability compensation rating of 100% P&T, and show proof of their disability rating with their VA Notification Letter. The VA rating only expedites Social Security disability claims processing and does not guarantee an approval for Social Security disability benefits. These veterans must still meet the strict eligibility requirements for a disability allowance. For information about this service, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/disability-pt.htm. For more about Social Security's handling of Wounded Warrior's disability claims, please visit www.socialsecurity.gov/woundedwarriors. |
Re: Veteran Issues
Here is a website that may help you understand legislation and other issues that are coming up for a vote in the House and Senate. It is called the VFW Washington weekly. It is sent once a week by e-mail to your e-mail account. I urge you to subscribe to it, find out who your Congressman and Senators are and make them aware of your stance on bills coming before them. Be pro- active.
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Re: Veteran Issues
On February 19, 2014 the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry's (ATSDR) "Evaluation of mortality among Marines and Navy personnel exposed to contaminated drinking water at USMC Base Camp Lejeune: A retrospective cohort study" was published (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeu...litystudy.html).
The purpose of this study was to determine whether exposures of Marine and Naval personnel to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune increased risk of mortality from cancers and other chronic diseases. The study focused on 154,932 Marine and Naval personnel who began active duty service during April 1975 to December 1985 and were stationed at USMC Base Camp Lejeune anytime during this period. A comparison cohort consisted of 154,969 Marine and Naval personnel who began active duty service during April 1975 - December 1985, were stationed anytime during this period at USMC Base Camp Pendleton, but were not stationed at Camp Lejeune during this period. The study relies on ATSDR's previous water modeling estimates (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeu...rmodeling.html) of past exposures to a class of chemicals known as "volatile organic compounds" (VOCs) in water. This study is one of several health initiatives that ATSDR is expected to complete in the next several years. For more information about these studies, visit http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/ or call (800) 232-4636. Since 1991, the Marine Corps has supported the health initiatives conducted by various scientific agencies. We are also working diligently to identify and notify individuals who, in the past, may have been exposed to the chemicals in drinking water. For more information about these efforts or to update your contact information, please see: http://www.marines.mil/clwater/, call (877) 261-9782 or e-mail clwater@usmc.mil. To contact Veterans Affairs to learn more about health care benefits, please visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune/ or call (877) 222-8387 (Healthcare) or (800) 827-1000 (Benefits). |
Re: Veteran Issues
I just got my 2nd letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs, regarding my claim.....So, the wheels of progress are turning....it appears that they will notify me of when I need to go in and have examinations.....(hope they don't Xray my head and find NO brain...lol)
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I got my letter and disability rating of 70 percent..that is good news for me.. did not require any appeal. Went thru on the first try. The veterans of foreign wars handled mine. Sorry for typos. Traded in my blackberry for this smart phone that is smarter than me.
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Re: Veteran Issues
thanks for all you do with the veterans Ed.
Glad to hear the good news for you Gary. I can only pray you all get what You Earned!!!!!! I met a young Marine veteran other day at pet store. late 20's. Works there and was so very helpful for me. He left armed forces but might go back as there are no good paying jobs here in New York Metro area he said. I recommended looking into MTA, LIRR, Port Authority. NYPD and FDNY. Told him the police force is a great paying job and bene's are great. He was hesitant but they give test 7 days a week here in NY now to get good recruits. It is not easy any more. 20 and out if he wants to retire full pension I think. Kept it very encouraging to him as I hope he finds a good postion somewhere to proceed in a life he Earned. And will keep earning. Good guy who needs positive encouragement from us civilians who appreciate all he, and all you Vets do. |
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Thanks Chris and Eddie. I still am not convinced that I am deserving for something's that happened nearly 48 years ago and 58 thousand of my brothers are not here to get the same benefit... maybe some day I will figure that out
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I am so glad to see that many of you have received the benefits you so deserve. On June 12th my husband, Gary, had a kidney removed and a tumor removed from the femoral artery that has left him with limited use of his right leg. In total they removed 4 tumors from the abdomen in a 8 1/2 hour surgery. All these are related to Agent Orange exposure. I urge you, if you were boots on ground to file a claim and be examined at your local VA. The information given here is accurate. Thank you gentleman! Gary spent the last 5 weeks in Oakland VA for 2 weeks and 3 at Butler VA for rehabilitation, where I volunteer. He is now at home recuperating.
If any of you should become unable to ever work again because of a service connected disability you can also file with The VA for unemployability benefits. Check with your service officer of your local veteran's organization. God bless you all, and thank you for your service. |
Re: Veteran Issues
Home Depot in Prescott, AZ does not give Veterans any discounts, but Lowe's in Prescott, AZ does.
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Re: Veteran Issues
I would talk to the HD store mgr about that----They have a code they scan to apply the discount--some times if the item is on sale they will not give you the discount in addition to the sale price my cashier figures it both ways the sale price or the 10% discount and then goes with what is the better price!!! That's at HD.----- Lowes has given me both the sale price and then an additional 10% regardless of the price--FED387
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Re: Veteran Issues
Also I forgot to mention the veteran MUST BE EITHER retired military or disabled veteran with the proper ID
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Re: Veteran Issues
We got a real surprise yesterday from the VA. Back 3 1/2 years ago I requested Dad's DD214 and all records. I did that because we were unable to find his at his home. There was no response of any kind. We finally found his discharge papers from both the US Army Air Corp and the Marines. After going round and round we got full disability Jan 2014. Yesterday we got his full military records from the VA. It looks like there is a 3 1/2 year backlog at that office or someone has kick started the process. This kind of attention and action is totally unacceptable. Do you think we would get away with this kind of action if we didn't respond to an IRS request for 3 1/2 years? We would probably already served 3 years in jail or be fined and paying interest for 3 1/2 years. I'm of the opinion that all of our Govt. needs an overhaul. It's time for action and not just investigations or Congressional Hearing.
I'm tired of all the showboating & chest thumping we get from these investigations and hearings. It's time for something to happen that makes real change. |
Re: Veteran Issues
Best news in a long time with regards to the VA:
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/...berate-process |
Re: Veteran Issues
A new week is upon us. Do you plan to help veterans this week? If you have a desire to do so but need ideas, check out this link: http://bit.ly/VO0j2A
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Re: Veteran Issues
One call can save a life. During #SuicidePreventionMonth in September, remember that free, confidential support from the #VeteransCrisisLine is available for all #Veterans and Service members. Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1, or learn more about #ThePowerOf1 at www.VeteransCrisisLine.net/ThePowerOf1
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Re: Veteran Issues
Hopefully no one will need this valuable service!!!!!!!, FED 387
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Re: Veteran Issues
Veteran suicide numbers have gone up in recent years with much of the attention focused on veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan killing themselves. However, almost seven out of 10 veterans who have committed suicide were over the age of 50, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs study.
"A lot of guys went in, and then they came out and became a workaholic rather than deal with depression and PTSD," he said. They covered over stresses born of service with work and family, but the stresses remain today and the vets are going into retirement and the family structure dissipates as children go or have gone their own ways. Veterans over the age of 50 who had entered the VA healthcare system made up about 78 percent of the total number of veterans who committed suicide - 9 percentage points higher than the general pool. It is real. |
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Survivors Pension The Survivors Pension benefit, which may also be referred to as Death Pension, is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to a low-income, un-remarried surviving spouse and/or unmarried child(ren) of a deceased Veteran with wartime service. Eligibility The deceased Veteran must have met the following service requirements: For service on or before September 7, 1980, the Veteran must have served at least 90 days of active military service, with at least one day during a war time period. If he or she entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally he or she must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty with at least one day during a war time period. Was discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions. Survivors Pension is also based on your yearly family income, which must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify. While an un-remarried spouse is eligible at any age, a child of a deceased wartime Veteran must be: Under 18, OR Under age 23 if attending a VA-approved school, OR Permanently incapable of self-support due to a disability before age 18 Your yearly family income must be less than the amount set by Congress to qualify for the Survivors Pension benefit. Learn more about income and net worth limitation, and see an example of how VA calculates the Survivors Pension benefit. How to Apply To apply for Survivors Pension, download and complete VA Form 21-534EZ, “Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits” and mail it to your local regional benefit office. You can locate your local regional benefit office using the VA Facility Locator. You may also visit your local regional benefit office and turn in your application for processing. You must send the completed application and any copies of other documents to the VA regional office that serves your area of residence. Find the office of jurisdiction. |
Re: Veteran Issues
Thousands of Vietnam-era veterans barred from receiving benefits because of less-than-honorable discharges may be eligible for upgrades under a new set of guidelines released by the Defense Department this week. The new rules offer the first guidance to military discharge review boards on how to address post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). http://nyti.ms/1u6raVd
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Separating or retiring? Have you ever wonder what percentage of disability you might rate as a result of an injury? Here is a list to help you out!
Title 38: Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx...1.1.5.2.110.54 |
Re: Veteran Issues
Pays to have an advocate!
During fiscal 2014, the number of benefits claims decisions appealed by veterans increased by more than 21,000 – bringing the current total of appeals waiting for adjudication (as of Sept. 8) to 280,297. The American Legion submitted testimony for the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation’s hearing, “Metrics, Measurements and Mismanagement at the Board of Veterans Appeals.” Zachary Hearn, the Legion’s deputy director for benefits, was among the panelists who testified. Through Sept. 1 of fiscal 2014, American Legion employees working at BVA handled 8,366 claims appeals. Of those, 2,330 previous denials were overturned and benefits were awarded; another 3,904 appeals were sent back (remanded) to VA regional offices for further development. Thus, the decisions made for 74.5 percent of appeals the Legion worked on were deemed to be incorrect by BVA. While many denials were overturned, more were remanded because they were inadequately developed and prematurely denied by VA claims adjudicators. |
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