Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Care and Assistance Benefits for Veterans

By Renee Greene

The U.S. Veterans Administration has many available programs of care and assistance for military retirees, including healthcare, education, job assistance, home placement, prescriptions, vocational rehabilitation, and help for spouses and dependents of veterans. The Recovery Act of 2009 also provided nearly $1.5 billion to invest in state nursing homes, domiciliary facilities, and to update and upgrade needed technology and train medical personnel, as well as to provide direct cash assistance to veterans.

The VA provides a wealth of inpatient, outpatient, and prescription drug services, including immunizations, annual checkups, healthcare assessment and screening, health education, emergency care, surgical, chiropractic, mental health--including bereavement and substance abuse counseling, prescription and OTC (over the counter) prescriptions, and medical and surgical supplies. Some veterans, under special eligibility rules, can be approved for home care aid and homebound assistance, as well as VA-recognized healthcare providers who may not work for the VA.

The GI Bill provides for many areas of training: approved institutions of higher learning, non-degree training programs, on-the-job and apprentice training, flight training, distance learning, Internet and correspondence training, licensing and certification programs, entrepreneurship training, work-study and co-op (work and train), accelerated payments for those going into high tech fields, tutorial assistance, and more.

Benefits and assistance are available for homeless and senior veterans. The ultimate goal of the VA is to end homelessness for vets. The VA provides prevention services, housing support, medical treatment, and job training for the homeless. The VA also sells foreclosed, VA-backed properties to homeless providers at a discounted rate. A VA pension program is available for wartime veterans with limited or no income, if they are at least age 65, or if under 65, if they are permanently blind or disabled. Housebound benefits may also be available to seniors who are more seriously disabled.

VA benefits and assistance are available for spouses, widows, and dependents of military retirees. These benefits come mostly in the form of survivor's benefits, dependent education assistance, and life insurance, as well as burial and cemetery services. Eligible dependents of certain veterans may also receive up to 45 months of education benefits. Home loans with no down payment, and "lower than market" interest rates are also available for some surviving spouses.

The Post 9-11 GI Bill is for service members with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001. Honorably discharged members, as well as those discharged for 30 days with a service-connected disability, are eligible for the Post 9-11 bill and its services. These services include education assistance, graduate, post-graduate, and vocational, as well as tutorial assistance, and reimbursement of licensing and certification fees. The VA provides for up to 36 months of training within 15 years of service discharge.


http://www.lenderva.com

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