What lifetime benefits do wounded/disabled vets get?

[Rick Lee]

Mrs. Lee just asked me this after seeing one of the ubiquitous Wounded Warrior Project commercials. She couldn't believe vets wouldn't get all the gov't. assistance they need, having been wounded while serving in the military. I kind of wonder this myself. Are their rehab and healthcare needs taken care of for life? If they're disabled, what kind of payments do they get and for how long?

[allaircooled]

I'm 20% disabled and get a payment of $265 or something like that once a month. Buddy of mine was 30% or so but he got medically retired so he still has his ID and base privileges, plus a check every month.

[tevake]

Had hepatitis at the end of AIT, then Malaria while in Nam. All with in 18 mos. time of service.
Got 10% for one year only. But do qualify for V A medical services. After recontacting them a few years ago.

Still have minor impacts, but not bad

I sure hope current returning vets get the treatment they need. I think they do encounter a little better approach/ attitude from the V A. These days. If sometimes too long a wait for treatment. Get in line.

Cheers Richard

[M.D. Holloway]

My Dad gets a couple hundred a month plus he could get med treatment at a VA hospital.

[flatbutt]

My older brother was exposed to Agent Orange in Nam and VA covered all of his cancer treatment. He also gets a small monthly check and property tax relief. He is content with it all.

My Dad had VA medical through all of his troubles. And since Dad was a combat veteran my Mom gets a small housing subsidy from VA.

[afterburn 549]

To answer your question- it all becomes a bureaucratic hurdle and to put it bluntly, impossible for some Vets to do or cope with.
Getting a monetary anything can be a 10-year endeavour. ( or longer )
Next for anything specialized from the VA , one might as well forget it.
Go to the Civilian side like "Wounded Vets" ETC and get the help.
Each VA hosp has its own SOP.
Some are excellent, others could care less.
I got asked to leave the VA hosp in Seattle in about 1978. ( Agent Orange Problems )\They did not care

[gamin]

I get emotional when I think about this problem. We should not need a wounded warrior project to take care of our vets period. It exists because of the abject failure of the VA to do it's promised job and the failure of the congress we elect to hold their feet to the fire. Wounded warrior project and like organizations are symptoms of gross failure. These young men with brain trauma and loss of limbs deserve better. It's more than 20% disability. We owe them big time.

[Rick V]

The treatment of our Vets is deplorable. Anyone looking for any kind of assistance for the job they do or has done should work for congress, they is where the big benefits package is.
Thank you to all who have put on a uniform regardless of the outcome of your service, it means a lot to me

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by gamin

I get emotional when I think about this problem. We should not need a wounded warrior project to take care of our vets period.

I agree. I see these commercials and wonder why those charities are necessary. I find it hard to believe our gov't. doesn't make vets whole in some way or another. A few hundred dollars a month won't even make a dent in prescription drugs for seriously disabled vets. Why is the VA even a cabinet level dept. if this is still going on?

[crustychief]

I am also at 20% and get the 200 ish check from the Gov't.

[Rick Lee]

Why doesn't the VA just buy private longterm disability insurance for every soldier? It would have to be cheaper than what they do now and would pay a lot more benefits.

[MBAtarga]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Why doesn't the VA just buy private longterm disability insurance for every soldier? It would have to be cheaper than what they do now and would pay a lot more benefits.

Do you realize how many government jobs that would make obsolete?

[afterburn 549]

The VA is another Fat pork project that gives the insiders a LOT of Cash.
I got a letter late 1970 early 1980s NOT to have kids! ( I worked with a lot of Agent Orange) Now years later, they find out the stuff causes genetic defects!
It screws up one's whole life .
Did they offer me a disability of any kind ?
NO!
No kids for me, no feelings in ANY end things on my body, fingers, toes nose etc. (Plus a LOT of other problems)
There is no compensation that can fix me, Yet I by far do not have it as bad as the current batch of Vets who have to been put on a roundy round war with no end in sight.
They are sure to get wounded at some point .
like said they get minimum treatment.
However a congressman gets full bennies and retirement.
They take care of themselves FIRST !
Tell me again, Why are people pissed ?

[jyl]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Why doesn't the VA just buy private longterm disability insurance for every soldier? It would have to be cheaper than what they do now and would pay a lot more benefits.

Have you looked into that? Private LTD insurance requires a lot of underwriting, would that be a problem for this population (if you were an insurer, would you write any insurance to a guy potentially headed to a war zone?) It doesn't include any medical coverage. Disability benefits require full inability to work (no partial), and end at retirement age. If you have actually run the numbers, I'd be interested to see them.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by jyl

If you have actually run the numbers, I'd be interested to see them.

I have run the numbers, actually, and they do not work out in Rick's favor.

I negotiated a lot of support contracts for civilian employees in drone ops from 2004 to 2009, everything from land ops to sea ops.

Our single most expensive item(s) was personal insurance: Life, health, death etc.

The comparison is not between military members eligible for retirement, rather a straight look at the numbers in situ, direct costs, for deploying personnel.

I have not seen a straight line analysis of the cost of the VA (inclusive) infrastructure versus private care. I will do some digging.

A cost of war: Soaring disability benefits for veterans - Apr. 27, 2012

[tevake]

I hear you LOUD AND CLEAR Afterburn, our returning vets are in no condition to have to fight the burocresy for the help they need. And should not have to considering the $$s put into the V A. This is a stain on our nation!

Hell just look what's is done to my speeling

[BE911SC]

Originally Posted by gamin

I get emotional when I think about this problem. We should not need a wounded warrior project to take care of our vets period. It exists because of the abject failure of the VA to do it's promised job and the failure of the congress we elect to hold their feet to the fire. Wounded warrior project and like organizations are symptoms of gross failure. These young men with brain trauma and loss of limbs deserve better. It's more than 20% disability. We owe them big time.

Just like the NYC 9-11 first responders, we pay them all the (free) lip service we can and then slam the door in their faces in the halls of congress. One congressman explained to the 9-11 first responders that they themselves had to find the money in the budget for funding any legislation meant to help them.

Corporations are now people and congress now acts like a corporation. Make us help you. Otherwise, we'll shut the door in your face.

[fintstone]

A lot of folks drawing some sort of VA disability have little wrong with them or problems that really do not affect their ability to work (just like disabled from other parts of society). I work with many folks every day the served a few years and receive disability (who have a lot less physical problems than I do).

If you are clearly disabled from military service now, you get pretty decent care and compensation IMHO. The problem is that you can't really compensate someone who lost a limb, eyesight, etc.). Folks who only get a few bucks each month now do so because they are general considered able to work although they may need some accommodation. Many serve a full career in the military and get a military pension and VA disability. Lots of them never were in combat but just have a bad back, etc. Women are much more likely to be disabled...most often for having a noncombat injury or illness (like a hysterectomy).

Wounded warrior is really not about basic care, but rather more concerned with nontraditional means to reintegrate wounded veterans into society (including those with no visible injury). A lot suffer from depression etc.. Face it, there are a lot of folks who have not served that are suicidal and/or unable to reintegrate into society. Having a serious traumatic injury is not exactly the stuff dreams are made of. Especially for someone in their late teens or early 20's when they are usually much more concerned with physical ability and appearance than us old folks. Wounded Warrior also does advocacy for veterans who are having difficulty receiving appropriate benefits.

A lot more badly injured soldiers survive their wound now due to better battlefield medicine, evacuation capability (generally no enemy aircraft after initial day or two of war) and body armor.

While I appreciate the program, I hate the commercials as they sometime paint veterans a pitiful and helpless. Most, injured or otherwise, are just the opposite of that.

[Nickshu]

Originally Posted by fintstone

A lot of folks drawing some sort of VA disability have little wrong with them or problems that really do not affect their ability to work (just like disabled from other parts of society). I work with many folks every day the served a few years and receive disability (who have a lot less physical problems than I do).

If you are clearly disabled from military service now, you get pretty decent care and compensation IMHO. The problem is that you can't really compensate someone who lost a limb, eyesight, etc.). Folks who only get a few bucks each month now do so because they are general considered able to work although they may need some accommodation. Many serve a full career in the military and get a military pension and VA disability. Lots of them never were in combat but just have a bad back, etc. Women are much more likely to be disabled...most often for having a noncombat injury or illness (like a hysterectomy).

Wounded warrior is really not about basic care, but rather more concerned with nontraditional means to reintegrate wounded veterans into society (including those with no visible injury). A lot suffer from depression etc.. Face it, there are a lot of folks who have not served that are suicidal and/or unable to reintegrate into society. Having a serious traumatic injury is not exactly the stuff dreams are made of. Especially for someone in their late teens or early 20's when they are usually much more concerned with physical ability and appearance than us old folks. Wounded Warrior also does advocacy for veterans who are having difficulty receiving appropriate benefits.

A lot more badly injured soldiers survive their wound now due to better battlefield medicine, evacuation capability (generally no enemy aircraft after initial day or two of war) and body armor.

While I appreciate the program, I hate the commercials as they sometime paint veterans a pitiful and helpless. Most, injured or otherwise, are just the opposite of that.

Well said. The process is very bureaucratic and cumbersome. Unfortunately it has become this way in part due to large bureaucracy, but also due to people who have milked and abused the system. Our veterans deserve the very best, but as you said how do you compensate someone? There are many factors going on here, secondary gain, emotional distress, things that really can't be compensated for and expectations are never met. Much could be done to improve the health system veterans get, but many don't realize how many people are in the system trying to get benefits for things that have nothing to do with "in the line of duty" sickness or injury. It was only a few years ago the VA stopped giving distability benefits for hemorrhoids. "Well the Army made me sit down lot, so it's their fault I have hemmorhoids 20 years later"....really? It's a tough job the VA has, to separate the BS from those who truly are eligible for help, in their defense they have a very tough job. But I agree they could do it a lot better.

To answer the OP's question, at the time of discharge everyone is supposed to go thru a VA screening process that is a comprehensive physical exam, review of records, etc which determines what, if any, health problems were related to being in the military. For those items one can earn disability payments if it's above a certain percentage on the disability scale, as well as health care for anything related to that injury for life. I believe recipients of the Purple Heart get full VA benefits for life as a benefit of the award.

[afterburn 549]

Govt does what is best for them , not the soldiers.
They have the best of the best, They dont pay social security.
They dont have to mess with AHC
Also they Get full retirement with no risk .
Fly around for free ( on our money ) on private jets.
They spend more on launch then what they spend on any vet in a month .
When I got back from Nam I could not figure out why the big guys would not hire me.
Turns out there was a trick number attached to the coveted honorable discharge. ( DD214)
They tried to wash the Viet Vet soldiers dwn the drains of society.
I don't know what they are doing to the soldiers of the latest wars, But I am sure it something disgusting.