Authors: Marian Wright Edelman, Peter S. Gaytan
ISBN-13: 9780806528724, ISBN-10: 0806528729
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Date Published: July 2008
Edition: (Non-applicable)
Peter S. Gaytan has served as an advocate in securing and protecting the earned benefits of America's veterans in Washington, DC, for more than a decade. He is the director of the American Legion Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Division. The American Legion is the largest veterans' service organization in America.
Marian Edelman Borden is the author of eight nonfiction books and a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors and the Authors Guild. She is also a parenting expert on ClubMom.com. She lives in New York.
Book Synopsis
ADVICE FOR VETS-
FROM A V.A. BENEFITS INSIDER.
If you're a veteran-or a veteran's family member-you know how hard it is to navigate the complicated V.A. benefits maze. This book will help. Filled with insider information, it steers you through the process so you and your family can get the benefits you're entitled to.
Written by a leading expert in veterans' affairs, this invaluable guide gives clear, step-by-step, form-by-form advice on cutting through the red tape-so you can get the medical, financial and other support you've earned. And if benefits are denied, it will show you how to appeal an unfair decision.
You'll find essentials on:
• Strategies for dealing with the paperwork
• How to get the right help for medical issues
• A complete list of little-known benefits
• Medical centers, service organizations, and other resources
You'll learn how to develop a great filing system for documentation.how to apply for housing and educational loans.and when-and how-to take shortcuts. When you're dealing with a system that says "no" more than "yes," it helps to know every angle-before you fill out all those forms in triplicate.
"Take advantage of these opportunities if you are eligible. You've earned them and deserve them."Senator Bob Dole
Joan Pedzich - Library Journal
This book will help veterans make sense of the dense bureaucracy of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Gaytan (director, American Legion Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Division) and Borden (The Baffled Parent's Guide to Sibling Rivalry) enumerate the benefits to which veterans are entitled and counsel readers on how veterans may take advantage of these benefits. The book opens with a history of the veterans' benefits system and a discussion of eligibility. Health care, disability and rehabilitation, death benefits, the GI Bill, VA loans, and job preference benefits are explained. The authors provide tips on record keeping and documentation and show readers how to undertake an appeal when benefits are denied. The text is specific and practical, clarifying which VA form to use to secure the needed benefit. Nearly half the book consists of appendixes with useful lists of VA medical facilities, veterans' service organizations, state-by-state contact information, and Small Business Association offices for veterans. This will be a necessary purchase for most public libraries because it updates older titles such as Christopher P. Michel's The Military Advantage: A Comprehensive Guide to Your Military & Veterans Benefits and John D. Roche's The Veteran's Survival Guide.
Table of Contents
Foreword Senator Bob Dole xiii
Introduction xv
Acknowledgments xvi
The VA and the Veteran 1
The Foundation of American Veterans Benefits Is Set 2
World War I Marks a New Era for Vets 2
The Bonus Army Marches on Washington 3
The G.I. Bill Transforms America 5
Health Care for Veterans Is Guaranteed 6
Korean War Veterans Win Benefits 8
Vietnam War Veterans Push for Change 8
The New VA Emerges 11
The VA and Veterans Work with Congress 12
In Conclusion 13
In Times of War and Peace: Who Is Eligible for VA Benefits 14
Your Military Discharge Papers Are The Key 14
The Reason for Discharge Makes a Difference 19
If You Want to Appeal a Discharge 20
Prisoner of War Status Confers Additional Benefits 22
In Conclusion 25
In Triplicate, Please 26
Tackling a VA Form 27
Important Documents/Forms You Will Need 28
Let's Get Organized 30
Create a Home Filing System 31
Devise a Process That Works 33
If You Need to Replace Lost Documents 33
1973 Fire Destroys Military Personnel Records 41
Patience Required for Documentation Request 43
In Conclusion 43
Advocates for Vets 44
Consider Different Types of Organizations 44
VSOs Serve as Legislative Advocates 50
Step up as a Citizen Lobbyist 53
Veteran Service Officers Can Help You 53
"We've Been There-We're Here for You Now" 54
VSOs Offer Other Benefits 55
In Conclusion 55
Health Care for Veterans 56
Why the System is Struggling More Than Ever 57
DOD Issues Disability Rating 58
DOD Disability Rating Affects Payout 61
Veterans Affairs Processing Is Separate 61
Who Is Eligible for Medical Benefits? 62
Your Priority Group Affects Your Access to Care 63
Who Gets Preference? 66
Your Income May Affect Priority Group Assignment 66
You May be Reimbursed for Travel 68
VA Health Registries Monitor Toxic Exposure 69
VA Provides Dental Care 70
VA Offers Outpatient Pharmacy Services 71
VA Mental Health Care Services Are Overextended 72
VA Dispenses Special Services for the Disabled Veteran 75
VA Provides Vocational Rehabilitation Programs 76
Health Care Information Just for Women Veterans 77
VA Delivers Long-Term/Rehabilitative Care 82
VA Provides Nursing Home Care 82
In Conclusion 84
Disability and Rehabilitation 85
The VA Rating System 85
Additional Compensation Awards 88
Rehabilitation for Veterans 89
For Veterans Who Require an Independent Living Program 92
Two Job Websites of Special Interest for Disabled Veterans 93
In Conclusion 94
The Appeals Process 95
Who Handles the Appeal? 96
Three Critical Points to Remember 98
Let's Go Step-by-Step Through the Appeals Process 99
Shorter Deadlines Set for Certain Appeals 103
New Evidence to Support Your Claim and a New Clock 105
The Paperwork's Complete: When Will Your Case Be Heard? 105
Request a Personal Hearing of Your Case 107
New Clock Ticking: The 90-Day Rule 109
A Decision Is Made 110
If You Lose Your Appeal 111
You Have Two Final Appeals Options 115
In Conclusion 116
With Honor and Respect: Death Benefits Including Burial, Cemetery Plot, Honors 117
Advance Planning = Peace of Mind 117
Federal and State Agencies That Administer Cemetery Systems 118
Who Is Eligible to be Buried in a National Cemetery? 118
Burial Benefits Payout Varies 122
If You Choose to Be Buried in a National Cemetery 124
If You Choose to Be Buried in a Private Cemetery 125
If You Choose Burial at Sea 126
The Burial Flag on the Casket 126
Gravestones: VA-Approved Headstones and Markers 126
Presidential Memorial Certificate 129
Military Honors at Funerals 129
In Conclusion 130
Education Is the Key to the Future: Montgomery GI Bill 131
The History and Purpose of the Bill 131
Overview of the Program 132
What Kinds of Education Programs Can You Take? 132
Payment Schedule for Montgomery GI Bill 136
You May Be Eligible for Accelerated Payment 139
Choosing the Right Program/College 141
Are All Courses Eligible? 142
Who Is Eligible? 142
Your Contribution to MGIB-And Return on Your Investment 144
Use It or Lose It 145
Term of Service and Eligibility for MGIB 146
Kickers Add Value 147
Active-Duty Education Program Affects VA Benefit 148
How to Handle (Over-) Payments 149
Make the Grade: Punitive and Nonpunitive Grades 150
Do Grades Matter? 152
Starting Over When You're Not Making Progress 153
State Education Benefits Available to Veterans 154
In Conclusion 155
Home Ownership: Home Sweet Home with a VA Loan 156
How the Loan Program Works 156
VA Loans: Not Just for Houses 159
Who Qualifies for a VA Loan? 160
Who Else Is Eligible for a VA Loan? 163
Step-by-Step to a Home with a VA Loan 163
What Kinds of Loans Are Available? 167
The Downlow on Down Payments 169
How Vets and Non-Vets Can Buy Property Together 170
VA Offers Refinancing Options 170
Moving? Restore Your Entitlement for a New VA Loan 172
Time to Sell? 173
In Conclusion 175
Job Preference Eligibility and Entrepreneur Opportunities 176
Veterans Preference for Federal Civil Service Jobs 176
Service Determines Types of Preference 177
How Does It Work? 180
Additional Benefits for Job-Hunting Veterans 184
How to Appeal an Agency Decision 184
Veterans Preference During Reduction in Force 185
Private Sector Jobs for Veterans 187
Private Sector Programs for Veterans 189
Other Opportunities for Veterans 190
Starting Your Own Business 191
Loans for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses 193
If You Already Own a Business 194
In Conclusion 195
Those Who Also Serve: Dependents of Veterans 196
VA Provides Health Care for Your Dependents 196
How to Use CHAMPVA 198
Your Local VA Medical Center and CHAMPVA 199
If You Can't Use the CITI Program 199
Who Pays the Bill? 200
Catastrophic Cap Offers Protection 200
Where Does Medicare Fit In? 201
Other Health Insurance (OHI) Impacts CHAMPVA 202
Dependents Gain Pharmacy Coverage 203
Divorce, Property Division, and Veterans 204
Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) Provides Learning Opportunities 205
Life Insurance to Protect Your Dependents 210
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) Offers More Assistance 212
In Conclusion 213
VA Forms 214
Veterans Affairs Medical Centers 228
Veteran Centers by State 323
Women's Veterans Organizations and Services 346
Nursing Homes for Veterans 354
Cemeteries for Veterans (National and State) 370
Veterans Service Organizations 392
Department of Veterans Affairs by State/Territory 405
VA State Approving Agencies 412
SBA Veteran Business Development Offices 418
State Benefits and Discounts Offered to Veterans 431
Index 466
Subjects