Meeker County Veterans Service Officer- Chuck Unterberger
E:Mail : Chuck.Unterberger@co.meeker.mn.us
Phone #320-693-5445
Veterans Benefits
Click on Article of interest below
Outpatient Dental Treatment
Outpatient dental benefits are provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs according to law. In some instances, VA may provide extensive dental care, while in other cases treatment may be limited. This Fact Sheet describes the outpatient dental eligibility criteria and contains information veterans should know in order to understand eligibility for VA dental care.
Veterans are eligible for outpatient dental treatment if they are determined by VA to meet one of the following criteria:
• Those having a service-connected compensable dental disability or condition are eligible for any needed dental care.
• Those who were prisoners of war (POWs) and those whose service-connected disabilities have been rated at 100 percent or who are receiving the 100 percent rate by reason of individual unemployability are eligible for any needed dental care.
• Those who are participating in a VA vocational rehabilitation program under 38 U.S.C. chapter 31 are eligible for dental care necessary to: enter into a rehabilitation program, achieve the goals of the veteran’s vocational rehabilitation program; or prevent interruption of a rehabilitation program; or hasten the return to a rehabilitation program of a veteran in interrupted or leave status; or hasten the return to a rehabilitation program of a veteran placed in discontinued status because of illness, injury or a dental condition; or secure and adjust to employment during the period of employment assistance; or to achieve maximum independence in daily living.
• Effective January 28, 2008, recently discharged veterans with a service-connected noncompensable dental condition or disability who served on active duty 90 days or more and who apply for VA dental care of within 180 daysseparation from active duty, may receive one time treatment for dental conditions if the dental condition is shown to have existed at the time of discharge or release and the veteran’s certificate of discharge does not indicate that the veteran received necessary dental care within a 90-day period prior to discharge or release. This includes veterans who reentered active military, naval, or air service within 90 days after the date of a prior F Note: Veterans discharged between August 1, 2007, and January 27, 2008, are eligible for the dental benefit by making application within 180 days of their discharge. Veterans previously denied this one time dental benefit because application was made outside of the previously mandated 90 day period after separation will be contacted to review and correct, as appropriate, your application denial. Affected veterans may also contact their local medical center to review and correct, as appropriate, their denied application.
• Those having a service-connected noncompensable dental condition or disability resulting from combat wounds or service trauma are eligible for repeat care for the service-connected condition(s).
• Those having a dental condition clinically determined by VA to be currently aggravating a service-connected medical condition are eligible for dental care to resolve the problem.
• Those with nonservice-connected dental conditions or disabilities for which treatment was begun while the veteran was in an inpatient status in a VA medical center, when it is clinically determined to be necessary to complete such dental treatment on an outpatient basis.
• Those receiving outpatient care or scheduled for inpatient care may receive dental care if the dental condition is clinically determined to be complicating a medical condition currently under treatment.
• Certain veterans enrolled in a VA Homeless Program for 60 consecutive days or more may receive certain medically necessary outpatient dental services.
For more information about eligibility for VA medical and dental benefits, contact the Health Benefits Service Center at 1-877-222-8387 or www.va.gov/healtheligibility.
Note: Veterans awarded a temporary total disability rating by the Veterans Benefits Administration are not eligible for comprehensive outpatient dental services.
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Local Reproduction Authorized
Posted April 2008
VETERANS BURIAL INFORMATION
Why Does VA Provide A Burial Flag?
A unitied States flag is provided, at no cost , to drape the casket or accompany the urn of a deceaseed veteran who served honorably in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is furnished to honor the memory of a veteran's military service to his or her country. Eligibility for Former Members of Selected Reserve were added by Section 5l7 of Public Law 105-26144
Who is eligible to Receive the Burial Flag?
Generally, the flag is given to the next-of-kin, as a keepsake, after it is used during the funeral service. When there is no next-of-kin, the VA will furnish the flag to a friend making request for it. For those VA national Cemeteries with an Avenue of Flags, families of veterans buried in these national cemeteries may donate the burial flags of their loved ones to be flown on patriotic holidays. Flags may also be donated to the Litchfield American Legion who collects flags for it's Avenue of Flags flown at Ripley and Calvary Cemetery's in Litchfield.
How Can you Apply?
You may apply for the flag by completing VA Form 2008, Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes. They are available at the Post Office or from the Veterans Service Officer. You may obtain a flag at any VA regional office or U.S.Post Office. Generally, the funeral director will help you, however it is not necessary.
Can a Burial Flag be Replaced?
The law allows for one issue of one flag for a veterans's funeral. They cannot be replaced if it is lost, destroyed, or stolen. However, some veterans' organizations or other community groups may be able to help you get another flag.
How should the Burial Flag be Displayed?
The proper way to display the flag depends upon whether the casket is open or closed. VA Form 2008 provides the correct method for displaying the folding the flag. The burial flag is not suitable for outside display because of its size ad fabric. It is made of cotton and can easily be damaged by weather.
VA offers mortgage options to veterans
Submitted by hsoria on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 12:20pm.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Veterans with conventional home loans now have new options for refinancing to a VA-guaranteed home loan. These options are available as a result of the Veterans Benefits Improvement Act of 2008 (S.3023), signed into law Oct. 10 by President Bush. VA has never guaranteed sub-prime loans, but the new legislation allows VA to help veterans who currently have such loans.
Veterans who wish to refinance their sub-prime or conventional mortgages may now do so for up to 100 percent of the property value. These types of loans were previously limited to 90 percent of the value.
Congress also raised VA's maximum loan amount for these types of refinancing loans. Previously, such loans were capped at $144,000. With the new legislation, loans may be given for as much as $729,750, depending on where the property is located.
Increasing the loan-to-value ratio and raising the maximum loan amount will allow more qualified veterans to refinance through VA, allowing for savings on interest costs or potentially avoiding foreclosure.
Originally set to expire at the end of October, VA's authority to guaranty Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARMs) and Hybrid ARMs was also extended under S.3023 through Sept. 30, 2012. Unlike conventional ARMs and hybrid ARMs, VA limits interest-rate increases on these loans from year to year, as well as over the life of the loans.
Since 1944, when home-loan guaranties were offered with the original GI Bill of Rights, VA has guaranteed more than 18 million home loans worth more than $911 billion. This year, about 180,000 veterans, active-duty servicemembers and survivors received loans valued at about $36 billion.
For more information, or to obtain help from a VA loan specialist, call (877)-827-3702 or visit VA's Web site. www.homeloans.va.gov
Legion fights for 'blue-water veterans'
Submitted by hsoria on Thu, 11/06/2008 - 9:28am.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A 2006 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims awarded disability benefits to "blue-water veterans" of the Vietnam War for diseases related to Agent Orange. Last spring, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed that decision. So, once again, veterans who served offshore have no Agent Orange presumption, unless they can prove they set foot on Vietnamese soil.
The American Legion has the long-standing position, articulated by National Executive Committee resolutions, of supporting the premise that wartime service in Vietnam's territorial waters constitutes service in the Republic of Vietnam - for the purpose of presumption of exposure to herbicides such as Agent Orange.
In June, attorneys representing retired Navy Cdr. Jonathan L. Haas, who originally filed the suit against then-VA Secretary Jim Nicholson, filed a combined petition for panel rehearing. One week later, The American Legion, Military Order of the Purple Heart and United Spinal Association filed an amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief in support of the petition for rehearing. VA filed its opposition on Sept. 12 and, on Oct. 9, the federal circuit denied the petition for rehearing.
Eight days later, Haas' attorneys filed a petition for a writ of certiorari (an order to review case records) in the U.S. Supreme Court, asking it to overturn the federal circuit's decision; VA's response is due Nov. 21. The Supreme Court only grants certiorari in about 1 percent of cases.
Regardless of the Haas case's final outcome, the Legion will continue to seek and support legislation (such as H.R. 6562, the Agent Orange Equity Act of 2008) that includes wartime service in the territorial waters of Vietnam for the purpose of presumption of exposure to Agent Orange.
Legion applauds VA report, recommendations on Gulf War illness
Submitted by hsoria on Thu, 11/20/2008 - 11:10am.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
The American Legion is expressing strong support for a report by the Department of Veterans Affairs that promises better care for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War illness.
The report, "Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans: Scientific Findings and Recommendations," was released Nov. 17 by VA's Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses (RAC). In it, the committee identified many scientific issues for which additional research is needed. Highest priority was given to research focused on identifying effective treatments for Gulf War illness. High priority was also given to research directed at identifying objective biological markers associated with Gulf War illness, especially those that advance efforts to improve diagnostic testing. The report also recommends annual allocations of no less than $60 million for Gulf War research in the federal budget.
"The American Legion is very pleased that research aimed at identifying effective treatment for the various maladies plaguing our Gulf War veterans is at the top of the VA committee's list of priorities," National Commander David Rehbein said. "After all, it has been more than 17 years since the end of the 1991 Gulf War, and it is about time that these warriors' war-related health problems be addressed aggressively. This is a solid report, and The American Legion urges the secretary (of VA) to act quickly on the committee's recommendations."
According to the RAC, between 25 percent and 32 percent of Gulf War veterans are affected by a complex of symptoms, commonly referred to as Gulf War illness, over and above rates in U.S. military personnel who did not deploy to the 1990-1991 Gulf War. This equates to between 175,000 and 210,000 veterans out of the nearly 700,000 troops deployed during the war. The symptoms of Gulf War illness typically include some combination of chronic headaches, cognitive difficulties, widespread pain, unexplained fatigue, chronic diarrhea, skin rashes, respiratory problems and other abnormalities.
Even more alarming, according to the report, "(t)he federal Gulf War research effort has yet to provide tangible results in achieving its ultimate objective, that is, to improve the health of ill Gulf War veterans." A small number of treatments have been studied, and none have been shown to provide significant benefit for a substantial number of veterans.
The American Legion is encouraged that the report also addresses the relationship between research and VA disability benefits. VA's ability to compensate veterans for disabilities related to their Gulf War service is directly related to research and other scientific findings. In 1998, Congress passed legislation that directed VA to contract with the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review available research and issue reports that are used by the VA secretary to make decisions regarding Gulf War-related disability compensation. Nine reports have been released to date, but none have resulted in additional compensation benefits for ill Gulf War veterans. The committee concluded that the IOM reports have been "skewed and limited by a restrictive approach to the scientific tasks mandated by Congress, an approach directed by VA in commissioning the reports." The committee recommended that VA contract with IOM to redo previously completed Gulf War and Health reports to adhere to requirements set forth by Congress.
The RAC, established by Public Law 105-368, is a panel of prominent scientists and distinguished veterans that provides advice and recommendations to the VA secretary on proposed research plans and strategies related to understanding and treating the health consequences of military service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the 1990-1991 Gulf War. This is the committee's first major report since 2004.
