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Help and Information
Hello fellow Veteran or active service member first no matter your condition or circumstances I want to thank you for your service to our country. As you might expect due to my experience I have acquired a significant amount of knowledge about the VA system, its procedures and benefits. listed below is some benefit information that I think you will find helpful along with a possible scenario and what you or your family should do in case of you being injured. I hope you won't need it but if you do I'm sure you will find it
useful. I know that you can get all this information from other places but it makes it easier if you know what you are looking for Below I not only tell you how to get some of the benefits you may be entitled to but also which ones would
probably benefit you the most. Let's start with a Scenario that might be helpful if you are injured. Like I said I hope you never need this information but if you do I'm sure you will find great people who are willing to help you at every step.
If You have been injured severely and cannot continue to serve in the military, you or someone on your behalf should speak to the base medical liaison officer who will help you with the separation process, if you are injured severely enough you will be placed under review by a medical board made up of a group of doctors who will determine whether or not you are able to continue to serve in the military, they can either reinstate you immediately or give you a period of time on
disability. Another possibility is that they will find you unfit for service and recommend a medical discharge after that the military can place place you either on
(T.D.R.L) Temporary Disability Retirement List, or
(P.D.R.L) Permanent Disability Retirement List if either happens someone probably the medical liaison officer should inform you of the benefits you are entitled to. The most important benefit will be your pay which is calculated in large part according to your time in the service. Then you will need to
initiate the process of switching from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans Affairs who will do their own medical evaluation and award you a disability rating which qualifies you to receive benefits from them, the higher the rating the better your
benefits. These benefits include compensation for your injuries once again the first thing we all look at is the pay amount Please keep in mind that in most cases you must choose between your military pay and your V.A compensation. Something to keep in mind when choosing is that although your military retiree pay or Social Security income maybe higher then the amount of your V.A compensation your VA disability compensation is tax exempt which can mean more money for you at the end, aside from the compensation you also may qualify for many other forms of benefits including special compensation for certain conditions I will only go over the ones I believe are most common and useful. such as:
Medical
care- The care provided through the VA health care system facilities and how much is decided on a case by case basis. All you need to do is enroll and see how you can benefit from Veterans'
Health care benefits
Education and vocational
rehabilitation-
If you qualify through the chapter 31 Voc. Rehab program the V.A pays for your
training at a V.A approved school, subsidizes your training materials
and after your training is complete they will help you find employment, this is a great way to get on with your life so I
suggest you take advantage of whatever you are entitled to for more
information on your educational benefits you should contact the VA
regional office nearest you by calling their toll free number 1(800) 827-1000 or the benefit counselor at one of the V.A facilities
Loss of
use- If your disability causes you to loose a limb or movement of a limb you may be able to get special compensation due to loss or loss of use of a limb.This is also the case if you loose an eye or your eyesight once again for more information contact the V.A regional office by calling 1(800) 827-1000
Dental
care- In certain cases you may also be able to get dental care at V.A medical facilities this is really helpful as we know that good dental care can be quite expensive. This I believe is decided at the V.A facility which you go to
Additional Dependent Compensation- Your compensation also changes when you add dependents, see once you register your dependents with the V.A be it a spouse, child or other qualifying dependent you will receive an additional amount every month for each dependent.navig4.gif
Medical
Insurance- You will be able to get health insurance for your entire family, under
CHAMPVA.
Medical insurance is also available to military retirees and their dependents through
Tricare the only
thing is that each dependent must be registered through D.E.E.R.S the
Defense Enrollment Eligibility System. For more information on which medical insurance you qualify for contact your V.A regional office by calling 1(800) 827-1000 If you reside overseas you need to enroll in the
Foreign Medical Program medical program
FMP a program that covers your medical expenses while living in areas outside the United States for more information on this program call (877) 345-8179
Clothing
Allowance- If your disability requires the use of a wheelchair or other prosthetic device or medication that can cause abnormal wear on your clothes you are also entitled to receive a yearly
clothing allowance
Adapted
Housing- Veterans with severe disabilities may qualify for a grant and other
services needed to obtain and modify their home so they can live in it despite
their disabilities under SAH Specially Adapted Housing program
the
Aid and
Attendance- A Veteran may qualify for additional allowance for someone to help him or her in their daily activities if their disabilities require it or if they meet other requirements
Feel free to
contact me with any questions you may have. Please keep in mind that the programs and guidelines are constantly changing and depending on your condition you may be eligible for many more benefits than the ones I mentioned above I am also aware that I do not know everything there is to know so I have put together this list of links that might be helpful in getting you the information you need and helping you through the process.
List of Links:
Initiate the process
VONAPP is an interactive Web site where veterans can apply
for VA Compensation and Pension benefits.
CHAMPVA
Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs
Chapter 31 Voc. Rehab
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Program's
Foreign
Medical Program Information on benefit coverage and limitations, how to
select healthcare providers, and claim filings
Department of Veterans Affairs
This is the place where you should get started American
Legion This organization is always looking out for veterans best interests Disabled American Veterans
Among their many services they provide transportation to and from VA medical facilities Directory
of Veterans Service Organizations - Informational service allows you to View
, Search
in a variety of ways AGWA
If you are a Veteran suffering from Persian Gulf War Illness or symptoms, this
site offers help. Dept
VA Kids Page
Learning about VA, Resources about VA, Veterans, and Patriotism 
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