Champva Eligibility

[hedgey]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for making the SVR shows available in the archives! I had no idea there was so much information available there!

I was just listening to the one on CHAMPVA and I was surprised to hear that the Veteran does NOT have to be 100% P&T, they only have to be P&T for a SC rated disability, no matter how low the rating is.

This got me thinking.... my husband is SC at 80% for injury to his shoulder and extensive scarring from an in-service MVA. I dug out the sheet that lists his disability codes & percentages and while I don't see the words permanent & total, I do see that he has No Future Exams Scheduled, and each of his disabilities is notated as Static.

Is no future exams and Static the same as P & T??

Could there be a chance that I could possibly, remotely, in any version of the multiverse, be eligible for CHAMPVA?

My heart is pounding!

[carlie]

To settle this, email glenn.johnson@VA.gov and ask him directly. Remember there are two Ns in Glenn's name.

Ditto

[john999]

I just hope that budget hawks don't decide to try and cut back on ChampVA. This is something we all need to keep watch on and vote right. If hawks are going after medicare then they will be going after TriCare and ChampVA. VA, medicare, medicade, SSA, SSD are all considered entitlements and these programs are in the gun sights of some in congress.

[hedgey]

Sent an email to Glenn Johnson just now. I'm sure he's super busy, so I don't expect a quick response. I feel bad for bothering him about this.

I feel like my brain just isn't processing the information I'm given correctly. I'm also pretty sure that my thinking is influenced by the belief that CHAMPVA would make it so I could back away from going to the VA facilities almost completely.

I don't want any benefits that aren't rightly available to me, I just want to be sure. It seems so complicated.

[carlie]

Sent an email to Glenn Johnson just now. I'm sure he's super busy, so I don't expect a quick response. I feel bad for bothering him about this.

hedgey - I have a feeling he will respond within 48 hours.

I feel like my brain just isn't processing the information I'm given correctly. I'm also pretty sure that my thinking is influenced by the belief that CHAMPVA would make it so I could back away from going to the VA facilities almost completely.

I don't want any benefits that aren't rightly available to me, I just want to be sure. It seems so complicated.

As far as I know, Champva is only for the dependents and not the veteran

but I could surely be wrong as this is not an issue that I am well versed in.

JMHO

[hedgey]

Carlie, thanks.

I know CHAMPVA is for dependents only - it's confusing because I'm talking about two vets & two dependents here. I'm 100% IU, P&T, so my husband is now a CHAMPVA beneficiary and I'm his sponsor. (He's going soon to get his dependent MWR card. Mr. "O-4" Hedgey is going to have a card that says "E-3" hee-hee!).

What I'm trying to learn about is whether I could be eligible for CHAMPVA based on his disabled veteran's status. There's no question that if he meets the criteria I could be a CHAMPVA beneficiary with him as my sponsor. The confusion I have is whether he meets the criteria or not.

It's a weird set-up where the sponsoring vet can't get it, but the dependents can. The vets are forced to use the VA facilities (at least here) are way understaffed and way over crowded.

I'm just wishing on rainbows, I think.

I got turned down for SSDI because I last worked in 1998, and they said I'm way past the deadline for applying.

[hedgey]

Glenn Johnson is AWESOME!

He replied to my message already, and gave me a clear way to tell if there was eligibility for my husband's dependents.

No Future Exams & Static ARE NOT substitutes for the classification of Permanent & Total. Mr. Johnson told me to look at the Award Letter for P&T anywhere, and for any information about Chapter 35 benefits. Since none of those things are included in the Letter, I can rest easy that CHAMPVA is not available.

I asked him if I could cut & paste his reply here, I'll do that as soon as I hear from him.

I can't believe he took time to respond so quickly. It must be that the DEA & CHAMPVA people have a whole different command and working environment, because so far they've been great to work with and ALWAYS respectful, kind and patient. VBA has very rarely been any of those things.

Even though I'm not going to be getting a CHAMPVA card for myself, I'm profoundly grateful that my husband has one. He has tests and things coming up that will be so much better handled by our little local hospital.