Classification of Veterans
As stated above, the law requires that Veteran’s whose health is compromised will need a certain level of income each month. The VA has three classifications of veterans who could potentially be eligible for Improved Pension benefits. Disabled– There are two different ways that a veteran can claim that they are disabled. The first would be to... Read More
What is a Medicare Stay?
A majority of seniors will spend at least some time in a skilled nursing facility during their lifetime, but most do it in the context of a rehab stay after some event, such as a stroke, fall, or general weakness after illness. These stays are commonly referred to as a Medicare rehab stay. This article... Read More
Survivor’s Benefits (DIC)
For those veterans whose death was related to the service connected compensation claim, there is and additional benefit to surviving spouses, known as Dependent and Indemnity Compensation (DIC). This benefit is only for surviving spouses (so not ex-spouses and/or long-time boyfriend/girlfriend). This benefit can also be paid if there are minor dependent children, as long as they... Read More
Medicare vs. Medicaid benefits- What’s the difference?
In a recent post, we discussed how Medicare pays in skilled nursing facilities for “rehab” stays. To summarize, Medicare will pay for most of the costs of someone who has a 3 day hospital stay and then needs to go to skilled nursing for some type of therapy or other skilled need to fully recover. ... Read More
Service Connected Compensation Benefits Part 2
Additionally, the compensation amount can be raised if there are dependent children or parents, and also if the spouse of the veteran requires the aid and attendance of other individuals. This extra amount is generally a few hundred dollars per month. The determination as to the rating percentage is basically an objective test. The VA has published... Read More
Service Connected Compensation Benefits Part 1
Much like social security disability benefits, Compensation benefits are considered to be “earned”, meaning that the amount of assets or other income that the veteran has does not have any effect on eligibility for compensation benefits. The fundamental need for a successful compensation claim is the development of some injury, and the linking of that... Read More
VA Health System
All veterans that have an honorable discharge are theoretically eligible for either free or low cost health care at VA hospitals and clinics. This can include many different types of health care, including some personal care services received at home, if medically necessary. Many veterans will utilize the VA health care system in lieu of... Read More
Basic Veteran’s Benefits
With the recent popularity of veteran’s benefits, particularly amongst senior veterans, it is easy to lose focus on benefits that are often available to veterans of all ages. Some of these include: Montgomery GI Bill: Provides educational assistance to veterans and in some cases their dependents based on amount and time in service.[1] VA Home... Read More
Introduction To Veteran’s Benefits
Over the past decade, Veteran’s benefits have become a very hot topic for elder law attorneys. Most of the attention has focused on the Improved Pension (commonly referred to as Aid and Attendance) program. This attention has led to a significant overhaul of the program effective October 18, 2018[1]. However, there are actually many different... Read More
Respite Services
Caregiving can be a very stressful situation, even under the best of circumstances. A lecturer once used an example to explain stress management to an audience. He raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranging from 8 ounces to 20 ounces. The lecturer replied, “The... Read More