Research - Rehabilitation - Re-Employment

Sgt. Shaft 10/22/2009

Dear Sgt. Shaft,
I live in Illinois, served in the Army in Korea. I have a copy of an e-mail,

"Little-known benefit aids veterans of wars." It includes benefits for long-term care expenses available to wartime veterans and their spouses.

The e-mail does not give any reference sources nor can I find any information within my state.

I do have some information on home health care and have talked with some people knowledgeable about the subject. They suggested I contact state people, but to no avail. I have not received any helpful information.

I hope you can help with some leads.

Thank You,
John S

Dear John,

A perusal of the Internet references the following:

Aid and attendance (A&A) is an additional monetary amount paid to eligible veterans who have been determined to need the regular aid and attendance of another person in order to fulfill their personal daily living needs such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending to the wants of nature, or to protect themselves from the hazards of daily living. There are two ways to determine eligibility:

- A&A Compensation. Veterans who have a service-connected disability rated at a 100 percent rate and who are so helpless as to need the aid and attendance of another person, are entitled to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for A&A. The amount of SMC will vary depending on the level of A&A needed. A veteran evaluated at 30 percent or more disabled is entitled to receive an additional payment for a spouse who is in need of the aid and attendance of another person.

- A&A Pension: A&A is a benefit paid in addition to a monthly pension. This benefit may not be paid without eligibility for a pension. A veteran may be eligible for A&A when the veteran requires the aid of another person in order to perform personal functions required in everyday living, or the veteran is bedridden, in that his disability or disabilities requires that he or she remain in bed apart from any prescribed course of convalescence or treatment, or the veteran is a patient in a nursing home because of mental or physical incapacity, or the veteran is blind, or so nearly blind as to have corrected visual acuity of 5/200 or less, in both eyes or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less.

A&A may be granted as during the initial evaluation of a claim for disability compensation or pension if the evidence is present or in the claims folder. If a veteran is already in receipt of disability compensation or a pension and wishes to request this benefit because condition(s) have subsequently worsened, he needs to submit Veterans Affairs Form 21-4138 or write a letter indicating that his condition(s) have worsened such that he feels that he is in need of aid and attendance. VA will schedule an examination and collect other evidence to make the determination.

Shaft Notes:
- Members of the military will be able to receive mental health screenings upon returning from deployment under legislation that Rep. John Carter, Texas Republican, has recently co-sponsored.

The Post-Deployment Health Assessment Act of 2009 directs the secretary of defense to provide an in-person mental health screening for each deployed member of the armed forces.

The goal of the act is to identify post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal tendencies and other behavioral health issues for which additional care and treatment may be necessary.

"This measure will allow our nation's military to receive the medical treatment they deserve after serving our country so heroically," Mr. Carter said. "There's a tremendous opportunity here to improve the support we provide to our military."

The results of health screenings will also be shared with the secretary of Veterans Affairs in order to ensure that health care and treatment continue from treatment provided by the Department of Defense transition to treatment provided by the VA.

- Kudos to the joint efforts of many of those in the veteran and military community.

Just days after a surprise announcement that the Defense Department was raising Tricare standard hospital inpatient co-payments by $110 per day (more than 20 percent) for retired service members under age 65, and under a howl of protests from the National Association for Uniformed Services (NAUS) and other organizations in the Military Coalition and the National Military and Veterans Alliance, Congress included a provision in the conference report for the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act (HR 2647) prohibiting the increase.

It is anticipated that the Senate will vote on the conference report soon, with consideration by the House to follow.

Immediately after the announcement last week, NAUS President Bill Matz, a retired Army major general, sent a letter protesting the Tricare fee hike to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and expressed his outrage in a telephone call to the White House.

"Both the President and DoD had made it clear months ago that there would be no Tricare fee increases at all in FY2010," Gen. Matz said. "And Congress, along with the rest of us, took them at their word."

"I'm pleased that Congress stepped in and ensured this promise was kept. But it shouldn't have had to come this far," he added.

- Congratulations to Terry Schow on his election as president of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA). NASDVA is an association whose members are the top veterans affairs official in each state and territory. Members work together on veterans' legislation and to develop and share best practices for the provision of veterans' benefits and services. State departments of veterans affairs are the second largest provider of veterans' benefits and services.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax to 301-622-3330; call 202-257-5446 or email sgtshaft@bavf.org.

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