Little-known benefit aids veterans of wars
Those who serve during conflict are eligible for up to $19,000 a year
BY PAULA BURKES
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18
Published: February 8, 2009
A little-known veterans’ benefit for long-term care expenses is available to wartime veterans and their spouses. But the benefit is being overlooked by thousands of families, industry observers say.
Multimedia
More Info
Online
How to apply
For more
information see:
→www.VeteranAid.org
→ www.va.gov
→Operation Veteran Aid at 703-3849
Streamlined process
Soard helps families complete the necessary forms, so that approval comes in four to six months. The process is streamlined for vets who are blind or have memory issues and widows with medical needs, he said. Most applicants qualify and payments are retroactive, Soard said. The few who are denied on excessive liquid assets can seek financial advice to qualify, he said.
Soard started his volunteer mission two years ago, following the deaths of two family members who served in WWII.
"If they’d known about this benefit, they’d have a much better quality of life in later years,” he said. "Without it, many vets are forced to go on Medicaid.”
Oklahoma is one of nine states where the welfare program doesn’t cover assisted living costs. Assisted living often can be an alternative to a nursing home when 24-hour skilled care is not an absolute need, said Willie Ferguson, executive director of Legend at Rivendell in Oklahoma City.
"But if someone just has Social Security and a small pension, it’s not enough to live here,” Ferguson said.
According to a 2008 MetLife survey, assisted living in Oklahoma averages $2,346 a month, while nursing homes cost $153 a day for a private room.
Of 73 Legend residents, nine receive the veterans’ special pension, including Tom Bowen, 77, of Moore.
"Until I toured this operation, I had no idea the benefit was available,” said Bowen, a retired engineer technician from the Federal Aviation Administration who served stateside during the Korean Conflict.
Bowen recently moved into the Legend facility following several mini strokes and a diagnosis of short-term memory loss.
"It’s been pretty hard trying to handle expenses on my own and being able to replace savings,” said Marie Bowen, his wife of 57 years. Finding a nearby facility and learning about the special veterans’ pension has been a godsend, she said.
Related Topics:
Culture and Lifestyle, Aging and the Elderly, Special Interest Groups, Social Issues, War and Conflict
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What I'd like to know though is what is the form number to fill out for this particular benefit please?
most veterans have to wait years to get anything done at the VA
so you hurry up and wait as usual
what the article does not clearily state is how much money is too much for a Vet to make
how much money is the Vet allowed to have saved and house owned, etc just like Medicaid
the VET then probably loses his monthly income from the VA if he is service connected also
the article needs to be rewritten and explained better people think it is automatic
EXPLAIN BETTER FOR ALLL TO READ
edjan99@sbcglobal.net
ed westphal
OK. Further, the VA system PUSHES people towards Medical for long term and
skilled nursing care.
Need to use some of this supposed money to actually build and staff the facilities.