Veterans Benefits

Although it may seem that defining a military veteran should be easy, the term “veteran” may be defined differently depending on the calendar years the person served in the military, whether the person was in the Reserves or National Guard, and it may be defined differently based upon the programs or benefits the person is seeking.

The basic definition of a veteran is “a person who served in the active military, naval or air service, and was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable. 

The first prong in the definition, then, requires “active service.”  So, what is “active service”?

According to the VA’s manual, active service includes “active duty” defined as full-time duty in the Armed Forces, other than active duty for training.  In addition, active duty includes any period of active duty for training in which the individual became disabled or died from an injury incurred or aggravated in the line of duty; or from an acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, or cerebrovascular accident occurring during such training.

Survivor’s Benefit – DIC

Mary’s husband was rated 100% service-connected for a cancer related to Agent Orange exposure.  After receiving Compensation for a number of years, Mary’s husband dies of the cancer.  Mary is 76, and is no longer able to care for herself in her home. She can no longer bathe or dress herself, and she needs someone to manage her medications.

What benefits are available to Mary?  What about other surviving spouses or dependent children of veterans?

There are two monetary benefits available to the surviving spouses or dependent children of veterans.

Is there any connection between diseases or disabilities that show up after a veteran has been released from service?

If a veteran is discharged from service, and then develops a chronic, tropical, prisoner-of-war related disease, or a disease associated with exposure to an herbal agent, which manifests itself to a compensable degree (generally 10%) within a specified period after discharge from service, it is possible that he/she may receive a service-connected disability rating and compensation for that disability.   There is a whole laundry list of chronic diseases that, even if there is no evidence the veteran had symptoms while in service, are presumed to have been caused by their service.  If those diseases cause the veteran to be disabled – to lose some ability to earn money- the VA will award a monetary amount based on that disability.

The presumption means that the veteran does not have to provide proof that the disease was incurred in the service, as long as the disease shows up within a certain period of time, which may be different for different diseases.  That period of time is called the presumptive period.

The death of a veteran is always a difficult time for the family, but there are some benefits available to the veteran’s family that might make his or her death a little less financially difficult.  Veterans who were discharged under other than dishonorable conditions are eligible for burial in a VA cemetery, a burial flag, and may be eligible for a one-time burial allowance, a funeral expense and a plot interment allowance.

Although the veteran cannot reserve a space, a veteran can be buried in one of the 131 national cemeteries located in 39 of the states the U.S.  and in Puerto Rico if there is space in the cemetery.

Featured Article by Thom Corrigan, MSW, CMC

Each March we are asked to celebrate Social Work month. For some, this means sending a note or an e-mail to a social worker we may know. For others, it may be treating a social work colleague to lunch or bringing them a plant or some flowers to show our appreciation for them.

But this year, I invite you all to celebrate what social workers do, in addition to who they are. Social workers possess many traits and skills. These include being trained to serve as advocates and brokers for our clients. Social workers have developed skills in the areas of empowerment, resourcefulness, problem solving and helping people with transition. They help people to learn new skills while at the same time, helping them to regain confidence, self-esteem, self-determination and resilience. Social workers do this in part by modeling, teaching, empowering, counseling and developing in a person the traits and characteristics that will lead to better outcomes and create a heightened sense of accomplishment and independence.

Each year, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) creates a theme as part of its celebration for social work. This year's theme is "Weaving Threads of Resilience and Advocacy: The Power of Social Work."   Lastly, did you know that Social Work is the only profession that has the word "WORK" in its name? I find that interesting-

Happy Social Work Month to all my professional peers and colleagues and thanks for all that you do to help people with their everyday needs and challenges!

Thom Corrigan, MSW, CMC
Certified Care Manager

Patti will be speaking at the Benton House of Johns Creek about the new changes for 2013.

Learn about valuable information that can help you plan for this year!

Patti will be there from 6:30pm-7:30pm and will be availiable for questions after.

Refreshments provided

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is increasing the amount taxpayers can deduct from their 2013 taxes as a result of buying long-term care insurance.

Premiums for “qualified” long-term care insurance policies (see explanation below) are tax deductible to the extent that they, along with other unreimbursed medical expenses (including Medicare premiums), exceed 7.5 percent of the insured’s adjusted gross income. This threshold is rising to 10 percent on January 1, 2013, although it will remain at 7.5 percent for taxpayers 65 and older through 2016.