VA Benefits

[Laddies]

I don't know if anyone else has caught this but yesterday on Military.com the news is George Bush wants to cut costs of VA medical expences by adding co-pay and other quilifying fees. As a Republican I a dismayed is he just anouther politician trying to pay for his mistakes on the backs of the veterans, this was the guy who was goning to take care of the vets. Bob

 

[NYMINUTE]

Re: VA Benefits

That's just terrific, pass it on to Vets now. Why not hit fat people to pay more tax, or smokers to cover the mistakes.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: VA Benefits

we already have a co-pay. we also do not get free dental, thats a myth. we can get free medical sometimes on a space avalible basis. but other than that its a 20% copay and a 365 dollar deductable each year. if I go to a base pharmacy,80 miles one way, and get the prescription filled its free, otherwise its a 20 % co pay. plus at age 65 I get dropped and have to pick up medicaid. now ya see why I warn kids about the military and what to expect. seems they get to change the rules long after your thrown away. seems the draft dodging policy makers tend to forget about us. and yes getting an apointment to the guard in the late 60's was legal draft dodging but many rich kids did it. sonow we wait and see. but its a shame. there are some way worse than myself that have trouble obtaining and maintaining their rightfully earned bennies.

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: VA Benefits

It must be a myth that we are the richest, most powerful, kinder, gentler,and compassionate nation ever to grace the existense of human civilization

 

[Stratosfied]

Re: VA Benefits

Elmer, that is probally true in that we basically, IMHO, do a sorry job of tending to our own who are in need, not the sorry lazy ones, but the ones in need.

 

[SS MAYFLOAT]

Re: VA Benefits

It won't be long before the bennies will be gone. I haven't needed the assistance from the VA, and hope I never do. I have heard lots of bad stories about the VA hospitals.<br /><br />Promises promises, yeah right. I was promised that I could go onto school after my service. Well, I got out and shortly afterwards is when they done away with school assistance.<br /><br />You can be a minority female with 5 kids with different fathers and be taken care of better than a vet!

 

[mikecjn]

Re: VA Benefits

That's just not right...VA benefits need to be left alone. Veterans served this country and should be treated as such.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: VA Benefits

SS mayfloat<br /> yep the harbor hog up the street from me is about 24 years old. has 5 kids with 4 different dads and is still not married. she now gets SSI,medicaid ADFC,WIC and a welfare check, all I got was some promises and a leter from president clinton. she makes more a month than I will in six. so I work anyway. but its getting more difficult each year, my bones are not holing up well. so I am trying to get my retirement switched from a disability from the USN to a VA compensation to at least save the tax on my 380 a month. yes you still pay FICA and SS tax on a disability retainer. from the VA its tax free. not like I am asking for the moon.

 

[AK_Chappy]

Re: VA Benefits

When I joined the military almost 19 years ago, there were promises of lifetime medical if I stayed until I retired. I have since watched the retirement benefits reduced and reduced. I now am staying for the check not the medical. I still like my job, amazingly. I have been through some times and worked for some people that made me grit my teeth, but I am still here.<br /><br />I am active duty and if I don't use the base hospital (and they try hard to get you to use downtown doctors/dentists) I have a co-payment. My dependents have co-payments. It isn't just the retired that are getting the shaft.<br /><br />AK Chappy

 

[agitator]

Re: VA Benefits

When I reached 65 I had to switch to Medicaid and now no supplemental payments by me at all for medical care. There would be for medicine but I get it for free on base. Retirees should expect good benefits. Most VA patients served a 3 year enlistment or less, many during peacetime with no wounds or service connected disabilities that would keep them from ,earning a living. Many got an education free to boot. I gave up on VA medical completely when I reached 65. Why does the government owe non retirees with minimum participation and no service connected disabilities a lifetime free ride? I don't think so. As a 16 year old fraudulent enlistee I joined at the beginning of the Korean War and credit the Army with making a man out of me. In spite of all the bitc*ing I consider myself better taken care of than most any of my friends that retired from other employers. On top of that most retirees due to their young age after 20 years, me included were able to have a second career if they so chose. Some choose to just fish and gripe and rale at the guv'ment because the bait ain't free. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: VA Benefits

Being in the medical corp while in the service I knew that these times were coming..So I saved all my medical reords and took them when i got out in 78.<br /><br />My wife is an ICU nurse at our local VA hospital and has tried to get me to file for benefits for years..Until about a year ago I have alwasys felt that it was myduty to serve our country and sought no compensation.<br /><br />That all changed last year..She told me that that there were vets who were getting 100% disability for Asthma with less then three years of active duty and no combat related injuries..<br /><br />I filed and now get a pension(not much)..I belong to a group of vets that try and lead people who were in the service to a VA represenative..If you were ever in Nam even though you were not wounded you automatically qualify for a pension because of agent orange exposure..<br /><br />Many don't know of the benefits available to all former vets..One minor setback is that if they can't find your medical records its an up hill battle..<br /><br />If any folks here have any questions about if you qualify I will try and lead you to the right folks who can..<br /><br />You can eamil me at Gonfishn@horizonview.net..I can't Guarantee anything but We will try and lead you to some service reps who can..

 

[wajajaja]

Re: VA Benefits

rodbold, u don't read those shift color newsleters too often, you need to attend a retirees seminar and get caught up on your retirement package, you have tricare for life,you have tricare now if your under 65, you have mail order pharmacy,and there is a dental program. <br /> disability payments from the va would be in addition to the 20yr pension. or in lew of a service connected pension if that is what u get in which case the va process would be virtually automatic from ur dd219, <br /> feel free to send me email at wajajaja@nac.net for some more imput.

 

[rodbolt]

Re: VA Benefits

wajajaja<br /> I will send ya a mail<br /> I sent my DD214 to the va. but I dont think they had my medical record. lucky I made copies of it on a government copier so it shows the little tag at the top right. I served from 87 till I was placed on the permanant retired duty list in 95.<br /> like many others by that time I had had enough paper chase. I had a family to feed and went to work. now the condition is worsening and all I want is compensation that was promised. not back comp or anything just to get in the system. yes I read the shift colors when I get them. sometimes its a long time between them. most likely they get put in some one elses PO box. I think some of our local mail sorters need a different bifocal perscription. and yes your right. I need to attend one of the seminars. I know the have them sometimes at little creek and Norfolk.