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According to Census data, there are approximately 20 million American veterans, roughly 9.2 million senior citizens aged 65 or older, and 1.3 million are WWII veterans over 85 years old. Most American veterans experience a financial strain as they grow older. To ease this strain, we see that they receive different benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs: Tricare and the GI Bill. Other than this, there are many other benefits available to veterans. These include benefits in healthcare and educational programs that improve the quality of their lives and ease the financial burden. Considering the service provided by these brave men and women, the State’s responsibility is to ensure veterans have access to quality care, insurance, and other benefits.
Let’s look at some of the top benefits offered to veterans by various institutions and VA centers and their uses:
Health Care:
Community care can help a veteran with healthcare services. It acts as an alternative to traveling long distances to meet a physician or waiting in long queues for checkups.
Veterans are also eligible for Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefits. These provide financial aid to vets and their spouses who require living assistance. However, this benefit is only available to veterans with a wartime service record or aged 65 or older.
The Mesothelioma Veterans Center provides help to veterans suffering from mesothelioma; they are entitled to VA benefits, treatments, and financial aid. About 33% of patients diagnosed with mesothelioma are US Veterans, which is why VA benefits are significant and the primary source of help for veterans
Veterans suffering from vision loss or diagnosed with low vision are entitled to Blind Rehabilitation Services. These facilities are inpatient and outpatient, depending on the severity of vision loss.
State veterans’ homes and home hospice care is provided to veterans suffering from terminal diseases, dementia, long-term health issues, which need residential and hospice care to cope with these health problems.
Financial Benefits:
Veterans receive pensions from the Veterans Affairs (VA); these are monthly cash benefits for veterans who are disabled or 65 years and older. The amount granted to you depends on your primary income, the number of dependent people, and the pension rate for the year you applied.
A VA death pension is provided to the spouse of a deceased veteran from the VA if they don’t remarry. The VA also provides free grave markers and headstones for the deceased. A disability payment is also granted to veterans who get severely injured and lose limbic or other bodily functions while on duty. The compensation also depends on the number of dependents that a veteran has and the severity of the disability.
Financial aid for a veteran’s education is also provided through the Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) to pay for tuition, fees, books, boarding and lodging, and other expenses for a graduate and undergraduate degree or a vocational training program. Different programs offered are:
- Truck Driving
- Emergency Medical Training
- HVAC Repair
- SCUBA Divemaster Certifications
- Cosmetology School
- Flight School
Other programs include a coding boot camp through the VET TEC program.
Caregiver Assistance and Benefits:
Caregivers of veterans receive the following benefits through the following programs:
- Respite Care: It is a 30-day break from duties to the Veteran Affairs (VA) caregiver to relax.
- Adult Day Health Care (ADHC): These services aid caregivers by providing them an opportunity to take time off duty to take care of personal affairs. The veterans are assigned a supervisor who monitors their activities outside their homes and enables interactions with others.
State Benefits:
Programs for veterans by the State include the following:
- License Plates – these identify your time in service.
- Discounted fishing or hunting licenses are for veterans who have suffered a disability while on service.
- Employment Assistance – to find a job and other supporting resources needed.
- Educational assistance provides financial aid to attend any state-sponsored college or university. This benefit may also extend to the dependents of the veteran’s family under exceptional circumstances, like the $5000 per year folds of honor educational scholarships for the dependents of disabled veterans.
Home Loans:
Veterans’ home loans help military personnel attain mortgage loans to purchase a house. An approved lender provides them with a mortgage loan, and the Veteran Affairs Administration oversees this entire process. In addition, VA acts as a surety for veterans if they have trouble paying the mortgage and serves as a veteran’s buffer. On the other hand, disabled veterans receive special housing grants to either buy a home or remodel it according to the disability accommodation needed. These benefits help ensure a safe future and solid roots for military personnel and their families following service.
Disabled Veteran Travel Benefits:
VA Travel Pay Reimbursements are provided to disabled veterans for regular transportation via a car, POV, train, bus, taxi, or even light rail. In addition, travel Benefits are usually offered for health-related travel to a VA-approved healthcare facility in your community. The rate in 2020 was $0.415 per mile for approved health travel.
Tax Exemptions and Benefits:
Most states within the US offer disabled veterans property tax exemptions. While not all 50 states offer similar tax breaks, and the criteria for qualification also differs from State to State, it is advised that a veteran should check in with a tax assessor’s office to see what benefits they are eligible for. Veterans might be able to save thousands of dollars annually if they qualify.
Life Insurance Benefits:
The Disabled Veterans Life Insurance Program provides disabled veterans with a service-connected disability rating. The RH Insurance ensures $10,000 worth of insurance for an eligible veteran. Additional coverage for completely disabled veterans worth $30,000 is also available depending entirely upon their eligibility and level of disability.
Conclusion:
The best way to ensure that veterans receive benefits in terms of health, insurance, residence, and other state programs is to stay updated about the new programs that the Veteran Affairs Department introduces. Moreover, consult advisors to help you better understand what benefits you are eligible for and can benefit from.
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