President Bush signed the economic stimulus package on Wednesday after a short but contentious debate in the Senate over whether the bill would include a tax rebate for disabled veterans. The final version of the bill will provide disabled veterans with a payment of $300. One-time tax rebates of $600 will also be provided to individuals, $1,200 for couples and $300 for each child.

Military Widows Press for End to DIC/SBP Offset

In late January, three military widows went to federal court to press for a change to the law regarding benefits for widows. Currently, military widows who receive payments through the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) as well as Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) because their spouse died of a service-related injury or illness have their SBP payments reduced dollar for dollar by the amount of DIC.

There have been numerous attempts to eliminate the so-called SBP/DIC offset in Congress but only limited success. A December 2004 law change (PL 108-183) allows eligible survivors who remarry after age 56 to retain DIC payments in addition to SBP. At the time, members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee believed that this was the first step in ending the DIC/SBP offset. A subsequent legal review by the Department of Defense concluded that the law did not end the ban on concurrent receipt and that DIC payments should continue to be deducted from SBP annuities.

It is the continued difference in opinion over the language of PL 108-183 which serves as the basis for the case against the government. The military widows who took their case to the US Court of Federal Claims in Washington, DC on January 30 contend that the law should be interpreted to allow concurrent receipt of DIC and SBP. The judge’s decision in the case of Sharp v. The United States is pending.

The National Defense Authorization Act for 2008 failed to eliminate the DIC/SBP Offset but the final bill does include a provision that provides a "special survivor indemnity allowance" for some eligible military survivors. The payments of $50 do not begin until October 1, 2008, however, and are set to end in 2016.

Senate Committee Hears Testimony about VA Benefits

At a hearing of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on January 25, the chairman of the Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission testified that benefits for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder were inadequate. The purpose of the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission was to carry out a study of the benefits under the laws of the United States that are provided to compensate and assist veterans and their survivors for disabilities and deaths attributable to military service. It completed its study last year, finding that the government needs to do a better job of coordinating benefits, treatment and vocational training. More information about the Commission is available at http://www.vetscommission.org/.

[Source: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/01/military_ptsd_080124w/]

Combat Veterans Debt Elimination Act Legislation Introduced

On January 22, 2008, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), introduced legislation to change Title 38 of the U.S. Code to forgive the debt owed to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of men and women who have lost their lives in combat. Current law states that if a member of our Armed Forces is killed and owes the VA any outstanding indebtedness, the Secretary of VA is required to contact the family for collection. The law allows the VA Secretary some discretion for waiving certain cases. The bill would remove that discretion and forgive all debts that fall into this category. The Combat Veterans Debt Elimination Act (S. 2536) would be retroactive to September 11, 2001.


VA Increases Travel Reimbursement for Eligible Veterans

Effective February 1, 2008, over a million eligible veterans will see their mileage reimbursement more than double for travel to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. The 2008 appropriations act provided funding for VA to increase the beneficiary travel mileage reimbursement rate from 11 cents per mile to 28.5 cents per mile. While increasing the payment, VA, as mandated by law, also equally increased the deductible amounts applied to certain mileage reimbursements. The new deductibles are $7.77 for a one way trip, $15.54 for a round trip, with a maximum of $46.62 per calendar month. However, these deductibles can be waived if they cause a financial hardship to the veteran.
[Source: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1447]

Highlights from the 2008 Military Health System Conference

The 2008 Military Health System (MHS) Conference, held in January, gathered key leaders including military commanders, local and regional office staff, healthcare leaders and professionals, administrators and federal and national agency partners to discuss ongoing issues in the Military Health System and future developments.

One of the top issues at this year’s conference was care for wounded warriors. The Defense Department recently created the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury in its effort to step up the quality of care for wounded warriors and their families. It officially opened November 30, 2007. The center also will set standards and assess survey and validate DoD programs, and decide, in part, how resources are directed for research and other programs.

The Department of Defense has also agreed that the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund will build and equip the National Intrepid Center of Excellence for Traumatic Brain Injury in Bethesda, Md. In January 2007, the Fund completed construction of a $40 million world-class state-of-the-art physical rehabilitation center at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas with funds raised entirely from private donations. The Fund’s website is http://www.fallenheroesfund.org/.

Visit the MHS Conference website to learn more: http://www.health.mil.

Universities Design Programs for Veterans

Several universities across the United States are offering special programs and scholarships geared specifically to returning veterans and their family members. The University of Idaho launched Operation Education Scholarship to help veterans severely and permanently wounded as a result of service since Sept. 11, 2001. The spouses of wounded veterans also will be eligible for the scholarship. The university provides financial support and resources – such as tuition, fees and books, on-campus housing, transportation, medical assistance, child care, adaptive equipment, tutoring and mentorship – at its main campus in Moscow, Idaho. Learn more at http://www.uihome.uidaho.edu/OperationEducation/

Supportive Education for the Returning Veteran (SERV) is a new program at Cleveland State University that is designed to assist military veterans with their transition from Soldier to civilian to student. Classes have been designed specifically for veterans to help them in that very important first year of college. The program is open to veterans only. Learn more at http://www.csuohio.edu/serv/.

Arkansas State University is home to the PRIDE Center for America's Wounded Soldiers. The Center provides education assistance in the form of GED programs, vocational and technical training, and career advising. It also offers personal rehabilitation services, mental health services, and resources and referrals for community services, veterans’ benefits, employment services, and housing assistance. The Center’s website is http://cp.astate.edu/pride/

State Education Benefits for Veterans

Many US states now offer educational assistance and benefits for veterans, their family members and for military survivors. Military.com has developed a searchable online summary of educational benefits. Learn more at http://education.military.com/money-for-school/state-veteran-benefits.

Veterans' Benefit Expiration Dates

Veterans are entitled to a number of valuable benefits but did you know that many of these benefits have expiration dates? For example, the Montgomery GI Bill for Active-Duty (MGIB) expires 10 years from date of last discharge or release from active duty. To learn more about veteran’s benefits, eligibility requirements, and expiration dates visit Military.com: http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-benefits/veterans-benefit-expiration-dates

Correction: TRICARE Retiree Dental Program

In an earlier issue we ran a story about the Consumer Toolkit available through the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program’s website. Unfortunately, there was an error in the web address provided for the Program. The correct web address is http://www.trdp.org.