Stroke Benefits of the VA Administration

By Joshua Smyth

The Department of Veterans Affairs is the government agency responsible for administering a wide-ranging system of services and benefits extended to veterans of the armed services. It provides support for education, pensions and life insurance, among other things. Most visibly, through the Veterans Administration it operates a system of hospitals and clinics and employs health-care professionals devoted exclusively to veterans' care. Veterans who have suffered strokes are eligible for a variety of benefits through this system.

If you have served active duty in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Merchant Marines (during WWII), then you will likely qualify for these benefits. If you were a Reservist or National Guard soldier called to active duty by executive order, these benefits may extend to you as well. Anyone who has served in a combat theater in the past five years has special eligibility for Returnees Benefits. (reference 1). To determine your specific eligibility, call 1-877-222-VETS (8387). If ruled eligible, you may receive comprehensive care and rehabilitation at a Veterans' Administration Facility without paying premiums. There are co-payments on a service-by-service basis, including a $50 fee for each visit to specialty care service (reference 2). This is the category that most stroke care would fall under. You do not have to be a combat veteran to qualify for these benefits.

If the stroke occurred as a result of an injury or illness incurred or aggravated during active service, the victim is eligible for service-connected disability benefits. The level of benefits depends on an assessment of the level of disability. These benefits are cash payments that range from $123/month for a 10%-disabled veteran (as of September 2010) to $2,673/month for 100%-disabled veterans. If the disability is above 30%, there are benefits available for spouses and dependents. (reference 3)

For service members imprisoned as POWs for any length of time during their military service, strokes will be presumed to be service-related and will grant access to service-connected disability benefits. (reference 3)

For veterans with a service-related disability of 20% or greater, the VA will assist with placement in workplace, work-study and vocational rehabilitation.

If a service-connected disability results in lost use of limbs or eyes, the VA provides grants of up to 50% of the cost of buying or adapting accessible housing. As of September 2010, this benefit paid up to $63,780, depending on the severity of the disability.

The VA offers grants toward the purchase or adaptation of an automobile for veterans with mobility impairment.

If the veteran is housebound, there is additional aid available to cover the cost of care.

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