They need to plan how to protect their savings and other assets as the cost of their care increases. They need legal strategies to make sure their estate does not get taxed more than it needs to. And they need to appoint a responsible spokesperson to act on their behalf if they become no longer able to do so themselves. While these decisions can certainly be made with the help of friends, books and Internet forms, it’s also a good idea to consider talking with an eldercare attorney. An eldercare attorney listens to you and your wishes, and helps you…
Compensation Service expanded and updated the Intranet ships list website: http://vba.vba.va.gov/bl/21/rating/docs/shiplist.doc located at the Vietnam Era Navy Ship Agent Orange Exposure Development Site under “Rating Job Aids”. (Remember, you have to be inside VA’s firewall to access this website.) The website now includes additional ships based on evidence documenting inland waterway travel, shore/pier docking, or close coastal offshore operations with small boats and/or crew members going ashore. This website serves as a development tool for claims from veterans who served aboard ships operating on the offshore “blue water” of Vietnam. Development procedures are explained in Training Letter (TL) 10-06, Adjudicating…
In a recent New York Times article highlighted the failure of our government to adequately attend to the medical problems of our soldiers who suffered war injuries, physical and mental. This has resulted in thousands of suicides among the returning soldiers. The Times reported that the Department of Veterans Affairs informed the parents of William Hamilton, an Iraq war veteran, that it was not responsible for his death. Mr. Hamilton had been admitted nine times to a V.A. psychiatric ward in Palo Alto. He saw demon women and talked to a man he had killed in Iraq. His parents allege…
The greatest fears of seniors are one, running out of money, and two, ending up in a nursing home. Consequently, they lose their personal independence. Also, the loss of their hard earned savings. The average cost of nursing home care in Maryland is approximately $100,000 to $150,000 per year, dependent on your location, within the state. Unfortunately, most seniors pay for nursing home care utilizing their savings until it’s depleted. Subsequently, they qualify for Medicaid. Therefore, Medicaid will pay the cost of the nursing home, less all the senior’s income. With asset planning, whether in advance or in response to…
Veterans of the U.S. armed forces who have sustained service-related injuries in the line of duty are eligible to receive disability benefits, which can range from $120 to $3,100 each month. Filing your application for disability benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs quickly is very important, as the process can take months to complete. If your benefits application is denied and you still need help, be aware that you can file an appeal. Contact your local Veterans Affairs office and ask them to send you VA Form 21-526, entitled "Veterans' Application for Compensation and/or Pension." You can locate a…
If the veteran died of a service connected condition, the maximum amount is $2,000.00. If the veteran was in receipt of any other kind of monetary benefit, the maximum benefit is $300.00 for burial and $300.00 for plot. If the veteran was none of the above, no burial benefit. Burial benefit is a reimbursement benefit. Therefore, the claimant must show that they personally paid “out of pocket” expenses related to the burial. The form is 21-530.
Yes. See following from 38 CFR 3.262 (i) Compensation ( civilian ) for injury or death. (1) Compensation paid by the Bureau of Employees' Compensation, Department of Labor (of the United States), or by Social Security Administration, or by Railroad Retirement Board, or pursuant to any workmen's compensation or employer's liability statute, or damages collected because of personal injury or death, less medical, legal, or other expenses incident to the injury or death, or the collection or recovery of such moneys will be considered income as received, except as provided in paragraph (i)(2) of this section. The criteria of paragraph…
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site, the benefit is paid in addition to monthly pension benefits. To qualify for the aid benefit, the veteran must generally be 65 or older (if not permanently disabled), have served during wartime and meet certain other income and asset requirements and medical requirements. In particular, annual income for the veteran and his or her spouse — not counting unreimbursed medical expenses — must be below a certain level. As for medical requirements, the veteran must require the aid of someone else to perform everyday “personal functions,” be bedridden, live in a…
NBC explains Agent Orange and the process to file a claim – Vietnam Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange Are you a Vietnam Veteran who suffers with (or the loved one of a veteran who died of) Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart condition, or a B-cell leukemia or another condition that can be linked to one of these? Did you (the veteran) or the deceased veteran serve in the Republic of Vietnam, the waterways of Vietnam, or on the Korean DMZ any time from January 9, 1962 thru May 7, 1975? Did you (the veteran), the deceased veteran, or the deceased surviving…
Qualifying veterans can receive care at VA facilities. Additionally, those 65 years old and older – and those with certain disabilities – may qualify for Medicare. The VA and Medicare offer different, yet valuable, benefits to veterans." Through the VA, eligible veterans have access to a full range of preventive outpatient and inpatient services, within the VA health care system, which includes hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, pharmacies and doctors nationwide. VA co-payments and deductibles, including the costs of prescription drugs, are generally less than Medicare. Eligibility for benefits is based on a priority system. According to the United States Department…
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