This infographic from the US Census Bureau reveals some of the state of affairs of our aging veteran population. The left column shows a timeline of US wars and compares those who served with those who were casualties.
Take a look:
Take a look:
[Source: U.S. Census Bureau] 
Of primary interest to us is the right column, which shows the number of veterans and their average age, shown at left:
This is from 2011, so the numbers have obviously diminished a bit. Still, the numbers are kind of astounding when you think about it:
This is from 2011, so the numbers have obviously diminished a bit. Still, the numbers are kind of astounding when you think about it:
- WWII: 1.8 MILLION Veterans
- Korea: 2.5 MILLION Veterans
- Vietnam: 7.5 MILLION Veterans
Note that even though there are about 1.8 million wartime veterans, only about 13.6% of them are receiving a service-connected disability. For the Korean War, only 12.2% of the 2.5 million veterans are receivng a service-connected benefit.
Now, there is a reason for that gap. To receive a service-connected disability, the veteran would have had to have suffered an injury or disease as a result of being on duty.
Now, there is a reason for that gap. To receive a service-connected disability, the veteran would have had to have suffered an injury or disease as a result of being on duty.
CLOSING THE OTHER GAP
The flip-side of that benefit is the non service-connected benefit. While 95% of claims to VA are service-connected (injury as result of service), only 5% of claims are for Aid & Attendance (non-service connected).
This "Aid & Attendance" benefit is available for veterans and their surviving spouses who need assisted living/nursing home/home care.
According to WNEM TV 5 Saginaw's recent report, there are about 10 million seniors who could qualify for the Aid & Attendance Benefit based on their military service (they must also be in need of medical care and be spending their entire monthly income towards that care). Only about 543,000 have taken advantage of this great program. That means that only about 5.4% of veterans and surviving spouses have been able to be helped by this benefit.
The flip-side of that benefit is the non service-connected benefit. While 95% of claims to VA are service-connected (injury as result of service), only 5% of claims are for Aid & Attendance (non-service connected).
This "Aid & Attendance" benefit is available for veterans and their surviving spouses who need assisted living/nursing home/home care.
According to WNEM TV 5 Saginaw's recent report, there are about 10 million seniors who could qualify for the Aid & Attendance Benefit based on their military service (they must also be in need of medical care and be spending their entire monthly income towards that care). Only about 543,000 have taken advantage of this great program. That means that only about 5.4% of veterans and surviving spouses have been able to be helped by this benefit.
"There are about 10 million seniors who could qualify for the Aid & Attendance Benefit....Only about 543,000 have taken advantage of this great program. That means only about 5.4%...
WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Our mission at the Michigan Chapter of Veteran Support Center is to help close this gap by helping families understand and apply for this benefit. Many families simply do not know about it. We believe we have an obligation to give back to these brave men and women who have put their lives on the line for our freedoms, as well as for the spouses who had to go through the torment of their loved ones being away.
As we look back on the past years we are proud to have been able to have achieve these great statistics:
- We've seen over 3,000 applications approved by the VA since
we were established nearly a decade ago. - Over the last several years, we've been able to assist veterans and surviving spouses to acquire over $2,000,000 in retroactive payments.
If you know someone who could benefit from the Aid & Attendance program, give us a call. We do not charge for our services and provide a total solution program to apply for the benefit. All of our claims are processed right here in Michigan at our Sterling Heights office.
866-667-9360
vapension.weebly.com
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