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Veterans Day is Sunday, November 11th and it is a time to honor all American veterans who have served, both living and dead. I hope you’ll take the time to thank a Veteran for their service to our wonderful country and let them know that you appreciate the sacrifices they have made for us. I have quite a few veterans that come into my
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An article in USA Today reports that on a given night, more than 75,000 veterans (male and female) are living homeless on the streets of their cities. Nearly half (40%) of all homeless males are veterans. The homeless are often looked down upon in American society. They are often seen as lowly beggars, leeching off of the system. The true tragedy is when we
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I thought it would be fun to create my own list of top Elder Law and Senior Care related twitter feeds that I enjoy following. These are people that I follow from around the country who are the top in their field of law or who have business that help the elderly. So, without further ado, here are my top picks (in no particular
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In order to calculate the benefit a veteran or his/her surviving spouse will receive, the VA deducts unreimbursed medical expenses (UME’s). If a veteran or surviving spouse is entitled to Aid and Attendance (because they meet the medical qualifications), the VA allows for all reasonable fees paid to a facility to be deducted so long as the facility provides some medical or nursing services
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Maybe. There is generally some confusion as to who is entitled to receive Improved Pension benefits, probably because of the way the benefits are named. Most people are familiar with the Aid and Attendance program, but it is only one level of the VA’s “Improved Pension” benefit. The other levels are “housebound” and “basic” pension. The term “pension” is a misnomer because it has
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What is the saying – it’s the few bad apples that spoil it for the rest of us? Last month, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held hearings to expose what they call “pension poachers” which are financial advisors and attorneys who sell annuity products to help protect a veteran’s assets so that they can qualify for the VA’s Aid and Attendance program
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The Iraq and Afghan Wars have had a huge effect on claims for veterans’ benefits, and it is only expected to get worse. This not only affects the veterans and their families, but it affects all of us as taxpayers, as well. It also doesn’t help that the it takes the VA forever to process the backlog of claims. We need to do more
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A couple of months ago, a veteran who is receiving care in an assisted living facility and receives Aid and Attendance called to ask whether the receipt of a personal injury settlement would affect his benefits. He was involved in a car accident about two years ago, and the case was finally coming to a close and he was going to receive a settlement
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Did you know that nursing home care is not the only program that the VA offers to its Veterans? Other services that the VA will help pay for include geriatric evaluations, respite care, adult day care, home-based care and hospice care. If the Veteran has a 50% or more service connected disability rating, the care is free. It may also be free if the
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I had the privilege of visiting MacDill Air Force Base last month and had the opportunity to tour the base. At the end of the tour, we were treated to drinks at a restaurant on base. The restaurant is near an RV park which is on MacDill property and which the AFB allows retired military to stay. The retirees are there from November through
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