Disabled Veteran needs advice

[Jim Cate]

Brian, I'm not a vet and can't offer any advice, but I have dived on the Saratoga, and even without your personal connection, it was an extraordinary experience. I sure hope that you can manage it.

Good luck with your struggles with the bastards in the offices.

Jim

[Dulcesuenos]

Gator thank you for your service!, at least you had warning, we had a young veteran 100% disabled at our marina and due to his change of location they cut all his benefits. He had to move to land close to a va hospital etc I never learned all the details but he was pretty dismayed. They were even going to take his service dog. Really crappy way to treat our wounded,,,,,

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[GordMay]

Hope this helps:

Title 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief

§1.710 Homeless claimants: Delivery of benefit payments and correspondence.

(a) All correspondence and all checks for benefits payable to claimants under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be directed to the address specified by the claimant. The Department of Veterans Affairs will honor for this purpose any address of the claimant in care of another person or organization or in care of general delivery at a United States post office. In no event will a claim or payment of benefits be denied because the claimant provides no mailing address.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5103; 5120)

Here ➥ eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations

Additionally, many States offer special benefits for its military Service members and Veterans including homestead tax exemptions, state employment preferences, education and tuition assistance, vehicle tags, as well as hunting and fishing license privileges, etc; which may depend on residency.

[tybee22]

Just talked to my primary care as I am relocating. They hold you in the present system until you regester in new area. They will forward meds and yes you will have to register to get med re-up after 6 mo. I was given a 90 day supply of meds. Send temp forwarding address to present area clinic / primary care location for med forwarding.

[psneeld]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Hope this helps:

Title 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief

§1.710 Homeless claimants: Delivery of benefit payments and correspondence.

(a) All correspondence and all checks for benefits payable to claimants under laws administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs shall be directed to the address specified by the claimant. The Department of Veterans Affairs will honor for this purpose any address of the claimant in care of another person or organization or in care of general delivery at a United States post office. In no event will a claim or payment of benefits be denied because the claimant provides no mailing address.

(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5103; 5120)

Here ➥ eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations

Additionally, many States offer special benefits for its military Service members and Veterans including homestead tax exemptions, state employment preferences, education and tuition assistance, vehicle tags, as well as hunting and fishing license privileges, etc; which may depend on residency.

Thank you...too many posts by people with no experience in the system...stories without full details...etc...etc...

Having been through the system like any bureaucracy ....sometimes you get the wrong answer even from within that agency...that's why I always advise to know the rules, keep asking and seek out programs that are usually watchdog programs set up BECAUSE bureaucracies are prone to the occasional knucklehead handing out wrong info.

[a64pilot]

Something happened about a yr ago, Tri-care was pretty easy up until then, I just paid my co-pay etc., About a yr ago, I started being overcharged by providers and usually I just pay the overcharge as you really don't have many options. Of course that is exactly what they want.
Military benefits change drastically over time, based largely on politics. At one time, not long ago all retire military medical benefits ceased when you turned 65, and you were medicare eligible. Thankfully that ended.
One way they change is the reimbursement rates, when I was stationed in Savannah Ga. there were no military facilities available for OB-GYN and the reimbursement rates were so low that not a single OB-GYN in the entire Savannah area would accept military patients.
Bottom line is everything changes, but the one constant is the civilians who work for these agencies usually are inept and lazy. The easiest answer is always no, if they can get you to accept a no answer, then nothing more from them is required. Unfortunately often the only way is to make it so that a yes answer is less work for them than a no answer, once they understand that you are not going away, and that is what they want, you to go away.

[SkiprJohn]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Something happened about a yr ago, Tri-care was pretty easy up until then, I just paid my co-pay etc., About a yr ago, I started being overcharged by providers and usually I just pay the overcharge as you really don't have many options. Of course that is exactly what they want.
Military benefits change drastically over time, based largely on politics. At one time, not long ago all retire military medical benefits ceased when you turned 65, and you were medicare eligible. Thankfully that ended.
One way they change is the reimbursement rates, when I was stationed in Savannah Ga. there were no military facilities available for OB-GYN and the reimbursement rates were so low that not a single OB-GYN in the entire Savannah area would accept military patients.
Bottom line is everything changes, but the one constant is the civilians who work for these agencies usually are inept and lazy. The easiest answer is always no, if they can get you to accept a no answer, then nothing more from them is required. Unfortunately often the only way is to make it so that a yes answer is less work for them than a no answer, once they understand that you are not going away, and that is what they want, you to go away.

I got a bill over and above tricare allowed on two different occasions. I called tricare. They told me I didn't have to pay the extra because they had an agreement with the healthcare provider that stated they would accept what tricare had to offer. So, I didn't pay the extra.

Now things are different in that I have medicare and tricare for life. Since I went with it I've not had to pay anything other than the medicare fee. That was true even before Obamacare went into effect.

On the other hand, my wife has had a few problems with tricare since Obamacare when into effect. No Tricare prine for Hawaii. Now it is finally being sorted out. She's got another 5 years to be eligible for medicare. I hope that no serious medical issues come about for her.

Her benefits started disappearing about a year ago when Obamacre took effect.

[hellosailor]

You will find that even under Medicare, with a secondary, that providers including major hospitals routinely bill you for things they are not allowed to bill for. Or, they fail to submit bills in a timely manner so they are entitled to nothing--and then they try to bill you for it anyway, again illegal.

It is sad to say that one of the benefits of Obamacare may be to force doctors out of private practice and into groups, where there is a better chance that there will be a business administrator who has a better grip on the business of running the practice, including billing. (Although obviously, some of those are incompetent as well.)

The AMA and the medical industry have been ignoring complaints to clean up their act for ages, so it is hard to be sympathetic to them when they complain that now changes are being forced on them. One can only hope that will be for the better, including changes forced on the VA as the public starts seeing what really goes on.

[JPA Cate]

I'm wanting to bump this thread up, because CF has a number of veterans aboard, and I'm beginning to think that what is most helpful is a well informed veterans' advocate, whatever the system calls them.

It is also beginning to appear as if there is some flexibility in the system, if only the veterans could sift through the bureaucratic haze to find it. So there is hope, but help is probably better than hope.

My 2 cents' worth.

Ann

[SwabbiePost]

Hey Gaitor Bait,
I'm also a 100% disabled vet who is currently making plans to buy and live aboard a s/v. I hope to shed some light on your question with my experience with the VA thus far.
I am 40 years old and was medically discharged in 2001 at 90%. In 2007 I was rated at 100% "schedular", which meant I had a re-review of my case every 3 years and had to attend my primary care visits every 6 months. After the first 3 year re-review, I was rated at 100% "permanent and total." This entails a letter in the mail that states there will be no reviews needed in the future (although they can) and my primary care visits were only required every 2 years.
Since being rated at 100% P&T, I've been moving around the country consistently and changing VAs at least every 2 years, if not more often. I establish a PO Box everywhere I move. All my VA correspondence and meds are sent to this address and everything is scheduled and meds reordered through the "My HealtheVet" website. If you haven't registered on the website, you can do so at any VA. It makes the process much easier.
Although I am not in the liveaboard community yet, I am almost certain it is doable. As a few people have mentioned in this thread, there are many vets in the same situation (saying they are in the same boat would be way too cliche) and part of the benefits of a disabled veteran include tons of MWR, National Park access and lifetime gaming licenses. The government is well aware that recreation is essential to the lives of our many disabled vets. Sailing must fall into this category.
There is a forum dedicated to answering veteran related questions at vets.yuku.com
I would ask there as well. I know living aboard and sailing the world will take a bit of work and a little more red tape through the VA, but I think it's well worth it and definitely possible.
Thanks for your service!

Dave

[SwabbiePost]

Hey Gaitor Bait,
I'm also a 100% disabled vet who is currently making plans to buy and live aboard a s/v. I hope to shed some light on your question with my experience with the VA thus far.
I am 40 years old and was medically discharged in 2001 at 90%. In 2007 I was rated at 100% "schedular", which meant I had a re-review of my case every 3 years and had to attend my primary care visits every 6 months. After the first 3 year re-review, I was rated at 100% "permanent and total." This entails a letter in the mail that states there will be no reviews needed in the future (although they can) and my primary care visits were only required every 2 years.
Since being rated at 100% P&T, I've been moving around the country consistently and changing VAs at least every 2 years, if not more often. I establish a PO Box everywhere I move. All my VA correspondence and meds are sent to this address and everything is scheduled and meds reordered through the "My HealtheVet" website. If you haven't registered on the website, you can do so at any VA. It makes the process much easier.
Although I am not in the liveaboard community yet, I am almost certain it is doable. As a few people have mentioned in this thread, there are many vets in the same situation (saying they are in the same boat would be way too cliche) and part of the benefits of a disabled veteran include tons of MWR, National Park access and lifetime gaming licenses. The government is well aware that recreation is essential to the lives of our many disabled vets. Sailing must fall into this category.
There is a forum dedicated to answering veteran related questions at vets.yuku.com
I would ask there as well. I know living aboard and sailing the world will take a bit of work and a little more red tape through the VA, but I think it's well worth it and definitely possible. My advice would be to:
1. Keep your appointments at ANY VA and inquire about having them at longer intervals.
2. Always keep your mailing address and contact info up-to-date.
3. Follow your dream!
Thanks for your service!

[MBLittle]

My wife and I are both rated disabled veterans (her re-claim for 100% is happening now) and we don't foresee many problems when circumnavigation other than some red tape.

Read up on the VA Foreign Medical Program (http://www.va.gov/hac/forbeneficiaries/fmp/fmp.asp)

And check out the offices in every single state and territory ( http://www.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp)

Also, if rated 100%, you can utilize ANY active duty facilities medical center, and in fact I've heard, if possible, the VA prefers this as they don't have to repay a foreign hospital.

There are literally 10s of thousands (if not more) rated veterans living as expats in damn near every country in the world, and still get all their benefits (even if they have to see a German doctor for a physical every 2 years or travel to a base).

Check out all the expat forums

http://www.veteranjournal.com/va-ben...eteran-expats/

http://blog.therealcostarica.com/201...in-costa-rica/

http://www.expatexchange.com/expat/i...&tpcid=3325713

The most likely is that once enrolled in the FMP, you'll be fine.

*disclaimer*
As we are in the USVI awaiting my wife's re-rating, we are on a US Territory so are not enrolled in FMP, but have spoken to the Rep at the regional office in Puerto Rico in depth about this topic.

As a bonus, the VA has to pay you to go to the clinics for appointments, so they buy our plane tickets from St Thomas to San Juan. If we were in Guadaloupe, they would reimburse us how much the ticket from St Thomas to San Juan would be.

Sent from my LG-E980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[MBLittle]

And I'll add that this should he a very valuable thread for lots of CFers

Hopefully someone with experience with FMP will weigh in

Sent from my LG-E980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[dohenyboy]

This is a little off-thread, and I mean no disrespect. I just want to understand how this works, and I have been reading the regulations but have not found an answer. Maybe someone can point me to some resources.
Having done some sailing, I know that things happen which cause sailing (including motor yacht sailing) to be physically strenuous. Having been involved in athletics, some of the more demanding moments have come while at sea. For example, cutting away a line from a fouled prop in 3 foot seas on a lee shore was pretty taxing. How is it possible that a person who is 100% disabled (unable to work, as I understand it) is able to engage in cruising? Especially long distance cruising?



Sent from an undisclosed location on the high seas or from the lounge chair by the pool, you decide.

[Greenhand]

Originally Posted by dohenyboy

This is a little off-thread, and I mean no disrespect. I just want to understand how this works, and I have been reading the regulations but have not found an answer. Maybe someone can point me to some resources.
Having done some sailing, I know that things happen which cause sailing (including motor yacht sailing) to be physically strenuous. Having been involved in athletics, some of the more demanding moments have come while at sea. For example, cutting away a line from a fouled prop in 3 foot seas on a lee shore was pretty taxing. How is it possible that a person who is 100% disabled (unable to work, as I understand it) is able to engage in cruising? Especially long distance cruising?



Sent from an undisclosed location on the high seas or from the lounge chair by the pool, you decide.

The list of possibilities is endless for this. For example, you would be eligible for military disability if you had lost a limb. This wouldn't necessarily mean you are couldn't hold another job if you chose and may not even severely limit your mobility with the proper prosthetics, but you would be discharged and so eligible for benefits. You could have severe PTSD that might mean you thrive in the sailing environment, but can't hold a job...