Veterans Service Office Service Connection, VA Hospital & Pension

Service Connection General Information

VA disability compensation (pay) offers a monthly tax-free payment to Veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military and to Veterans whose service made an existing condition worse. You may qualify for VA disability benefits for physical conditions (like a chronic illness or injury) and mental health conditions (like PTSD) that developed before, during, or after service. For us to assist you in getting service connected you will need the following: 

• Discharge papers 

• Medical diagnosis of the issues we are claiming for. 

 

Presumptives General Information

If you served in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War or in Southwest Asia during the Gulf War or after, then Presumptive is a VA term that you need to be familiar with. There are medical conditions that if you have been diagnosed with, and you served in one of these places, the Federal VA must “presume” that your service is the cause of that condition. You must be able to prove that you served in that theater during that timeframe and have a sound medical diagnosis. For a full list of the presumptive conditions please follow the link below or please make an appointment to speak to a caseworker about your situation.

https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/ 

 

Eligibility for VA Hospital

The VA Hospital Omaha is a fantastic resource for our local Veterans. While not everyone who served is eligible, there are many ways one might gain access. If you served in the active military, naval or air service and are separated under any condition other than dishonorable, you may qualify for VA health care benefits. Current and former members of the Reserves or National Guard who were called to active duty (other than for training only) by a federal order and completed the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty also may be eligible for VA health care. If you are service connected through the VA, you are also eligible. There is also a low-income option for enrolment. Please call us and set up an appointment to see if you can qualify. More information can be found at the link below.   

https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/resources/publications/hbco/hbco_enrollment_eligibility.asp 

 

VA Hospital Transport Services

Do you have an appointment at the VA Hospital coming up and are unsure how you will get there? The Veteran Transport Service may be able to help you. Please call them with plenty of notice at 402-995-4200 or 855-208-4631. More information can be found at: https://www.vetride.va.gov/app/home

 

VA Pension

You may be eligible for the Veterans Pension program if you meet these requirements.

Both of these must be true:

• You didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge, and
• Your yearly family income and net worth meet certain limits set by Congress. Your net worth includes all personal property you own (except your house, your car, and most home furnishings), minus any debt you owe. Your net worth includes the net worth of your spouse.
  Find out about Veterans Pension rates

And at least one of these must be true about your service:

• You started on active duty before September 8, 1980, and you served at least 90 days on active duty with at least 1 day during wartime, or
• You started on active duty as an enlisted person after September 7, 1980, and served at least 24 months or the full period for which you were called or ordered to active duty (with some exceptions) with at least 1 day during wartime, or
• You were an officer and started on active duty after October 16, 1981, and you hadn’t previously served on active duty for at least 24 months

And at least one of these must be true:

• You’re at least 65 years old, or
• You have a permanent and total disability, or
• You’re a patient in a nursing home for long-term care because of a disability, or
• You’re getting Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income

Housebound 

Are you a wartime veteran, in receipt of a VA Pension or survivors' pension and are forced to spend most of your time in the house due to a disability? You may be entitled to housebound benefits added to you VA pension. We can assist with completing the necessary paperwork and giving you the paperwork that will need to be completed by your primary doctor. 

Aid and Attendance

If you a wartime veteran, in receipt of a VA Pension and are currently or soon to be living in assisted living or a nursing home? Then you may qualify for Aid and Attendance, a monthly addition to the VA pension. To qualify one of the following conditions must be true: 

• You need another person to help you perform daily activities, like bathing, feeding, and dressing, or 

• You must stay in bed—or spend a large portion of the day in bed—because of illness, or 

• You are a patient in a nursing home due to the loss of mental or physical abilities related to a disability, or 

• Your eyesight is limited (even with glasses or contact lenses you have only 5/200 or less in both eyes; or concentric contraction of the visual field to 5 degrees or less 

Please call and set up an appointment with one of our caseworkers to see if you can qualify. We can assist with completing the necessary paperwork and giving you the paperwork that will need to be completed by your primary doctor. 

VA DIC

If you’re the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a service member who died in the line of duty, or the survivor of a Veteran who died from a service-related injury or illness, you may be able to get a tax-free monetary benefit called VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC). Please reach out to us and find out if you can get VA benefits or compensation. 

https://www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation/ 

 

Key Services & Resources