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]

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.

Hedgey - I'm getting confused too :-)

So you and your hubby are both disabled vets - and wanting to get CHAMPAVA medical care by

being each others dependents, is this correct ?

"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."

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

Hedgey - You might want to post to member pr about SSA and pick his brain about using the DISABILITY ONSET DATE

in a SSA claim.

[Pete53]

When in doubt apply anyway its the VA's job to sort it out.

[john999]

That would be really funny if 100% vet spouses could get each others ChampVA. Somehow I doubt it. It seems like double dipping. Hey, but you can try. You may have a breakthrough here for some.

[Berta]

John could you give us a link to any citation in 38 that says that?

For CHAMPVA purposes?

"you do not have to be TDIU. Just Permanent and total. There are disabilities less than 100 percent tat are considered P and T"

Glenn is correct here:

"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."

However he put it at SVR seemed to be not exactly what he said in this email.

Otherwise they owe an amputee Navy Seal friend of mine MEGA BUCKS and I can help him file CUE if you have a citation of what you stated.

[hedgey]

The CHAMPVA representative (it didn't really come up with Glenn) told me that if both my husband & I got P&T, whether through TDIU or schedular, we would each be eligible for CHAMPVA and could be each other's dependents.

I don't see why it would be double dipping. I qualified because the VA determined that I was 100% SC disabled. This gave me the compensation, DEA for my daughter and CHAMPVA for my husband. My disabilities were line-of-duty & service connected.

If my husband got determined to be 100% disabled, why should his benefits be less? His disabilities are line-of-duty and service connected, too. I know that our daughter is only entitled to DEA from one parent, but CHAMPVA isn't restricted that way. I'm living with his disabilities, he's living with mine. (I'm not sure who has the harder row to hoe on that issue).

Carlie, I'll do that. Thanks :)

[hedgey]

Glenn gave me the go ahead to post his reply, so here it be:

Hedgey,

No further exams is not a substitute for the rating of “Permanent and Total.” It should actually say “Permanent and Total” on your husband’s rating decision, although sometimes the RO does not do that. If it does not specifically state “Permanent and Total” go to the last page of the document and there should be a place that talks about Chapter 35 benefits. These are educational benefits, but they can only be granted if the Veteran is P&T. If he has been granted those benefits, then you are eligible for CHAMPVA as long as you are not eligible for TRICARE.

Take a look at the rating decision and get back to me and let me know what you find out.

Good Luck.

Glenn A. Johnson

Chief of Communications

Department of Veterans Affairs

Health Administration Center

I sent him thanks for helping me understand all this. I'm thanking the Hadit folks for the same thing. I'd be lost without this place.