vv10-16

Chuck Dean
Idle Money for Veterans Care
Vet 2 Vet
As we go from another hot summer to a
cooler fall, I always get a little antsy about my
health. It seems like with weather and seasonal
changes I become more prone to having
physical “breakdowns.”
With that in mind, here’s hoping that you
continue to have smooth sailing while obtaining
proper care and treatment from the VA.
Remember, it is NOT some gift from the
government - it is something owed to every
veteran in exchange for sacrifice and service
while in uniform. It’s like this: Veterans are
people who at one point in their life wrote a
blank check payable to the United States of
America for an amount up to, and including,
their life.
Over the years, I’ve found that VA benefits
have a hard way of being found. Typically, veterans
need to dig around to find exactly what
they are entitled to.
Sure, the obvious stuff is there, (disabled
compensation, and routine health care, etc.),
but there are some important benefits that are
not so routine or easy to find.
As an example, for those caring for aging
veterans there may be programs available to
help them financially, such as the Aid and
Attendance (A&A) benefit. The A&A
benefit is an enhanced or special
monthly pension paid in addition to
the basic veterans’ pension.
The money for this program is
specially earmarked and
cannot be tapped for
any other uses by
the VA. True to form
though, this program
is underutilized by
veterans and the
funds sit idle while
many suffer needlessly.
Here are the parameters of eligibility for
A&A:
(1) The Veteran requires the aid of another
person to perform the activities of daily living,
such as bathing, feeding, dressing, attending
to the wants of nature, adjusting prosthetic
devices, or protecting himself/herself from the
hazards of the daily environment, or,
(2) The Veteran is bedridden, and his/her
disabilities require that he/she remain in bed
apart from any prescribed course of convalescence
or treatment, or,
(3) The Veteran is in a nursing
home due to mental or physical
incapacity, or,
(4) The Veteran is visually
incapacitated. Note: Being
“Housebound” is another
circumstance where enhanced
benefits will
apply.
You may apply for
Aid and Attendance or
Housebound benefits
by writing to the Pension Management Center
that serves Nevada, which is:
Pension Management Center (335/21P),
PO BOX 11000, St. Paul, MN 55111-0000
When applying, it’s important to include
copies of evidence, preferably a report from
an attending physician validating the need for
Aid and Attendance or Housebound type care.
The report should be in sufficient detail.
This report should indicate how well the applicant
gets around, where the applicant goes,
and what he or she is capable of doing during
a typical day. Don’t forget to include whether
the claimant is confined to the home or immediate
premises.
I hope this helps you receive what you deserve.
And once again, here’s wishing you the
best of health and happiness on your journey.
Chuck Dean served as an Army paratrooper in Vietnam and through that experience
was led to address the many transitional issues veterans struggle with. In 2008 he was
the recipient of the prestigious Hirsch Foundation Leadership Award for his writing and
work in support of veterans and their families. He is the author of several important
books for veterans. All can be found on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/author/
chuckdeanbooks
Our Chuck Dean at
The Vegas Voice Book Festival
The Vegas Valley Book Festival has networked
together a community-wide consortium
of cultural organizations and sponsors
to offer “a one-stop shopping experience for
literature” with programs sharing resources,
developing audiences, advancing the craft of
writing, and sharing the joys of reading. It is
the largest literary event in Nevada, drawing
more than 10,000 attendees during the season.
Since its founding in 2002, the festival
has presented over 800 authors and speakers
and has
produced or
sponsored over
500 events,
sessions, readings,
workshops,
and
book signings.
This year’s
event highlights
Clinton
Romesha,
Medal of Honor
recipient,
and author of
“Red Platoon: A True Story of American Valor.”
The festival is free and open to the public.
Date: October 15, 2016.
Time/Event: “Incomplete Odysseys: From
Homer to PTSD Today.” Panel discussion
with David Morris, Mary Penney Hershey, and
Chuck Dean.
Tent 2 at 12-12:45pm
Location: Historic Fifth Street School - 401
South Fourth Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
34 www.thevegasvoice.net