Va Sends Out Caregiver Benefits

[Berta]

VA Issuing First Payments to Caregivers

"WASHINGTON (July 1, 2011) - The Department of Veterans Affairs will send

out more than $430,000 in stipend payments to nearly 200 Family

Caregivers of Veterans in July. These Family Caregivers were the first

to complete their Caregiver training under the program of Comprehensive

Assistance for Family Caregivers. The first payments to 96 recipients

were issued today.

"This is a long-awaited day for many Family Caregivers who diligently

worked to achieve this landmark legislation to enhance services for

Family Caregivers," said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. "I am proud VA

can now offer direct support to the loved ones who give the Veterans we

serve a greater quality of life by allowing them to remain at home

surrounded by family and friends."

Family Caregivers will receive an average $1,600 in monthly stipend

payments. The initial payments will average $2,500 because the first

stipend checks are retroactive to the date of application. The amount

of the stipend is based on the condition of the Veteran and the amount

of care they require as well as the geographic location where the

Veteran resides. An additional 80 stipend payments will be released

from the U.S. Treasury on July 8 bringing the total to 176 Family

Caregivers receiving the stipend in July.

"We continue to process and approve applications on a daily basis" said

Deborah Amdur, VA's Chief Consultant for Care Management and Social

Work. "It has been profoundly gratifying to receive messages from Family

Caregivers about the value of this program."

Since May 9, nearly 1,250 Caregivers of Veterans who were seriously

injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, have applied

for the Program. A core caregiver training curriculum is a required

component of the program. This comprehensive training, which was

developed by Easter Seals in collaboration with VA clinical experts, has

received many positive comments from Family Caregivers. In addition to

the training, eligible Family Caregivers can also access mental health

services and are provided health care insurance, if they are not already

entitled to care or services under a health plan.

Veterans may review the criteria for eligibility and download the Family

Caregiver program application (VA CG 10-10) at www.caregiver.va.gov.

The application enables the Veteran to designate a primary Family

Caregiver and secondary Family Caregivers if needed. Caregiver Support

Coordinators are stationed at every VA medical center to assist with

coordinating the training or assist Caregivers in locating available

services.

Support for all Caregivers is also available via the national Caregiver

Support Line at 1-855-260-3274. Caregivers of Veterans from all eras are

encouraged to use the Website and Support Line to learn about more than

two dozen supportive services VA offers to Family Caregivers. "

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[john999]

USN

That wording says "injury". Does that rule out things like PTSD which is considered an illness and not an injury? Then only reason they limit it now to 9/11 is money. Is congress going to expand an "entitlement" to us freeloading vets? They think entitlements need drastic cuts now. I hope they do expand it since it is the only reasonable and fair thing to do. The VA is discriminating against older vets and older caregivers with the rule as it is now.

[Pete53]

PTSD is an injury but who knows how the VA will interpret. All I can say is the VA will figure out that providing these benefits not only helps Veteran but saves VA a crapload of money.

[john999]

It should be obvious even to the VA that keeping a vet at home as compared to a nursing home is much cheaper. The nursing homes that provide care for vets now will get their PAC to scream to politicians that they are being cheated out of money.

[USNDW]

Yes, PTSD is considered an injury.

If you read the reasons under 71.15 & 71.20 there are actually 7 areas of Activities of Daily Living they mention & then they include memory issues, inability to moderate mood and several other conditions that would be considered under mental health. Also if anyone has a GAF of 30 below for 6 months or longer, they are automatically qualified. Catchall has where if a doctor says it is in the best interest of the Veteran to have a Caregiver, they can qualify you with that.

I think if enough Veterans raise hell they most definitely will include all Veterans in coming years.

We got a big surprise the other day in form of a denial letter. No interview, no exam, no one signed the letter, and no reason was given for denial. I contacted the National Office and they profusely apologized and are going to take this up with the National Coordinator. They did say there is supposed to be an interview to ensure the Veteran or service member is elgible and the Caregiver is a real person. Then they are supposed to schedule an exam and let a doctor determine if the Veteran meets the criteria. The social worker here is the person I spoke with, she told me that she had spoken with my health care team and they determined I wasn't eligible. So like a good Veteran I made an appointment, went to see my new doctor who I haven't met before, and he adamantly stated he never spoke with anyone, never filed a report, in fact all he said was he got an email from the social worker and in the email it says I wasn't qualified because I wasn't bedridden. He showed me the email.

I guess they will have fun straightening it out but I will be notifying Senator Murray's office tomorrow morning because she has already had to get involved with the edministration of this program. Isn't the VA just wonderful when it comes to getting Veterans benefits.

[evandc]

Dear fellow Vietnam Veterans,

Guess you'll (Southern talk) don't get it. Our war is history & we are history. There is nothing exciting or romantic about bunch of 60+ vets that need help doing about any and everything in our daily lives. Nobody gives a rats ass because we "lost" the war in Vietnam. I know that the truth is that bunch of clowns in DC sold us & South Vietnam out for few cents a body. Yes, it's very difficult to explain we want the best for the younger vets & for all vets. It comes across that we are down on other vets. Vietnam Vets have fought for rights for all veterans & seems really strange that the bus would not stop & pick us up. Does anyone remember when Saigon fell the VC were sitting on the sideline & watching the NVA tanks roll into the Presidential Palace? Some days I twink I'm sitting on sidelines watching the tanks roll.

JMHO,

Don

[USNDW]

I understand a great many Veterans feel that way, not just Vietnam Veterans. The 2001 cutoff date excludes Veterans from 1900 until 2001. Even 1 year of Veterans being excluded is one year too many.

If I could wage on whether or not in 2 years that all Veterans will be eligible, I would put down a years pay on the fact that it will expand. Why? Because the current Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chair is Sentor Murray from WA and she is a Military brat and her father was a disabled Veteran. She has already handed the Secretary his ass about this program when they rewrote the regulations to make it only eligible for those in receipt of or with disabilitiesthat would qualify them for aid & attendance. Now the qualifications are a hell of a lot more than that and I sincerely believe she will ensure this program gets expanded.