All I know is the last time we had to do a new ID for her, they put INDEF on it.
VA pension question for military retirees
- Thread starter MTC(SS)Ret
- Start date
All I know is the last time we had to do a new ID for her, they put INDEF on it.
OP
MTC(SS)Ret
US Veteran
When I turned 65 and my ID changed to INDEF, my wifes ID also changed to INDEF because she was also over 65. I think it has something to do with Medicare and Tricare eligibility.
carpriver
US Veteran
About 4 years ago my wife and I went to a military base, the base was having a retiree apprecaction day any way when we arrived at the base gate the guard informed us our ID cards that we were issued had expired. because of the retiree day we were. issued new card with the indef date
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
This is correct, but only to a point. The operative terminology is a "nexus" demonstrating a connection between the claimed disability and military service during specified periods. In addition to simple and common sense applications (such as demonstrated physical injuries incurred on active duty) there are dozens of presumptive associations.
Type II diabetes is accepted as presumptive evidence of exposure to Agent Orange for those who served in Vietnam while that chemical was in use.
COPD may be considered presumptive for those claiming exposure to burn pits where contaminated items were destroyed during Desert Storm and other campaigns.
PTSD is treated as a presumptive issue for anyone who served in combat units during specified periods.
Tinnitus is presumed and benefits routinely awarded for anyone who served during qualified periods, even though there is no definitive testing to verify the condition. Simply filing the claim is usually sufficient to be awarded ~10% disability.
In addition to the presumptive tests, a nexus may be established by a claimed aggravation of an earlier service-connected issue by later events in life. Many examples can be given, but generally speaking just about anyone who served in combat arms assignments (infantry, airborne, etc) who later experiences limitations in joint movements and/or arthritis problems may be granted disability pensions even though many years may have passed.
Alcoholism and drug addition issues are frequently used to pursue disability claims, the nexus being cited as "young, dumb, scared to death, readily available", etc, etc, etc.
This discussion might go on forever, but suffice it to say that the current bureaucratic position seems to be granting disability claims on even the most questionable "nexus" rather than being held accountable for denying anyone applying. Dozens of nationwide law firms have built thriving practices on nothing more than assisting in filing claims and contesting every adverse ruling (all for a small percentage, of course).
Additionally, means testing (income & assets) have all but been eliminated in disability pension cases. Disability payments are treated as an earned benefit. Not unusual to see people pursuing full-time employment and careers with substantial salaries while also drawing VA disability payments.
Perhaps you can understand why I choose to dance around the differences between truly service-connected disability awards and a routine practice of granting pensions to just about every doper and alcoholic loser who steps up.
I was eligible for care and didn't know it. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer seventeen years ago at the ripe old age of fifty-three. My doctor was as surprised as I was with no known family members on either side being afflicted. I had my prostate removed and survived, went back to work. A friend of mine asked me "Weren't you in Nam?" I told him I was there 70-71. He told me that they had just added prostate cancer to the list of "persumptives" due to Agent Orange exposure. I told him I was not in the bush, I was on the rivers and coastline. He told me it didn't matter I had boots on the ground, go to the VA and get on the registry. I thought it over, I know lots of guys worse off than me, that kind of stuff just ain't my style "Pack your own mud."
I went down to the VFW and talked to them, they were wonderful. I was told for every guy like me with a bonifide claim there are a dozen trying to get money for getting hurt playing football for West Point.
I had to get a letter from Doc, when he heard what I told him he said "That makes perfect sense to me now, you were in the peak of health, no family cancer, something outside attributing to it makes sense."
When it was all said and done I received a 60% disability rating which is currently under review because they just added Hypothyroidism to the list of "presumptives". I was being treated for Hypothyroidism a decade before my Prostate.
Eligibility is key to receiving any care from the VA, they don't care how much money you have and that is something that is difficult to explain to people. One friend of mine says "They won't help me because I make to much money." That is not true, he is not eligible. I had a dear old friend that signed up in the Army at sixteen, went over on the Queen Mary and fought at the Battle of the Bulge, all he was eligible for was hearing aids and a pair of glasses ever other year.
It was mentioned prior that in order to receive medical care you need to have at least a 50% disability rating, that is true. It is an odd system in that respect. The people that make the decision on what rate of disability an individual will receive must have to take many factors into consideration. My step brother had a 500lb bomb roll over his index finger while working on a bomber rack, snipped it clean off at the first joint, hardly bled. He got a 15% disability rating that just about covered his bar tab. He would not be receiving his medical needs for anything other than his "service connected" disability. So if his index finger got a callous or started bothering him, they would take care of that or see that it was taken care of by a specialist. But the rest of his medical needs would not be covered. Its a mystery why they use the 50% bracket to cover all medical needs. I guess someone decides if your life is messed up more than 50% by your service involvement you have achieved some sort of eligibility, maybe a group of little old ladies are knitting and nodding their heads..."Yes, he is eligible." The key to getting all of your medical needs met is 50% service connected disability, below that your needs are met for the injury only that is service connected. I don't have any idea how they deal with those with PTSD, Bomb injury, brain problems, etc. I have a friend that has been fighting the VA for years because of radiation poisoning from working around the depleted Uranium, they have actually cut his rating to just above 50% for reasons known only to him and the VA, he has finally relented, they wore him down with trips across state.
I went down to the VFW and talked to them, they were wonderful. I was told for every guy like me with a bonifide claim there are a dozen trying to get money for getting hurt playing football for West Point.
I had to get a letter from Doc, when he heard what I told him he said "That makes perfect sense to me now, you were in the peak of health, no family cancer, something outside attributing to it makes sense."
When it was all said and done I received a 60% disability rating which is currently under review because they just added Hypothyroidism to the list of "presumptives". I was being treated for Hypothyroidism a decade before my Prostate.
Eligibility is key to receiving any care from the VA, they don't care how much money you have and that is something that is difficult to explain to people. One friend of mine says "They won't help me because I make to much money." That is not true, he is not eligible. I had a dear old friend that signed up in the Army at sixteen, went over on the Queen Mary and fought at the Battle of the Bulge, all he was eligible for was hearing aids and a pair of glasses ever other year.
It was mentioned prior that in order to receive medical care you need to have at least a 50% disability rating, that is true. It is an odd system in that respect. The people that make the decision on what rate of disability an individual will receive must have to take many factors into consideration. My step brother had a 500lb bomb roll over his index finger while working on a bomber rack, snipped it clean off at the first joint, hardly bled. He got a 15% disability rating that just about covered his bar tab. He would not be receiving his medical needs for anything other than his "service connected" disability. So if his index finger got a callous or started bothering him, they would take care of that or see that it was taken care of by a specialist. But the rest of his medical needs would not be covered. Its a mystery why they use the 50% bracket to cover all medical needs. I guess someone decides if your life is messed up more than 50% by your service involvement you have achieved some sort of eligibility, maybe a group of little old ladies are knitting and nodding their heads..."Yes, he is eligible." The key to getting all of your medical needs met is 50% service connected disability, below that your needs are met for the injury only that is service connected. I don't have any idea how they deal with those with PTSD, Bomb injury, brain problems, etc. I have a friend that has been fighting the VA for years because of radiation poisoning from working around the depleted Uranium, they have actually cut his rating to just above 50% for reasons known only to him and the VA, he has finally relented, they wore him down with trips across state.
Your wife become eligible for an INDEF ID card upon tuning 65. My wife renewed hers last week at age 64. The new ID will expire next year on her 65th BD. At that time she will get her INDEF card. It is linked to MEDICARE eligibility. She already has TRICARE .
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