The retired golf course groundskeeper has struggled for years with loss of hearing in his right ear, an unstable knee, and difficulty sleeping. And even though he rarely missed a day of work in some 35 years at the same job, the physical pain in his knee and the difficulty sleeping and hearing often affected his productivity. It was not until he retired that he finally took the time to visit the local veterans administrations hospital. It took several months to work through the paperwork and to establish his eligibility, but in the end the newly retired golf course worker was finally getting the medical benefits that he needed.
Some Politicians Work to Focus on Getting Health Benefits to Veterans
Many issues are getting attention during this 2016 election. And while most would argue that the news frenzy of chasing down the biggest headlines for the two major presidential candidates has distracted many Americans from the real issues, other candidates continue to focus on the all important issue of caring for the nation’s veterans and war heroes. And while the Veteran’s Administration (VA) hospital and healthcare system attempts to get a handle on its weaknesses, some dedicated politicians continue to push for a greater focus on veterans disability claims.
Using a somewhat complicated formula to determine veterans disability ratings, VA employees across the country use a
veterans disability calculator to determine what services are available. Never a completely simple process, the veterans disability calculator attempts to objectively assess how many services a veteran can receive. Even though the use of a military disability calculator may seem like an impersonal way to determine need, proponents of the veterans disability calculator indicate that it is a necessary screening method for justifying who can and who cannot receive treatment.
Unfortunately, nearly 52% of all veterans who were seriously injured while serving for their country indicate that the government has not given them, as a veteran, ?all the help you think it should.? For these veterans, getting the help that they need is often the result of months of patiently waiting, mixed with determination and persistence.
Getting the Help You Need Can Require Seeking Advice Outside of the VA System
For the 52% of the veterans who feel that they have have not received all of the help that they think they need, one option is seeking the assistance of a legal team that is well versed in the area. Contacting a legal representative who understands the VA system can help their clients understand what they need to know when pursuing VA disability benefits. Because the VA system has grown to such an enormous size, navigating the process of requesting and receiving benefits can be overwhelming. For this reason, a growing number of veterans and their families are looking at options for getting assistance in their attempts to get healthcare benefits.
Sadly enough, the statistics for veterans often indicate that these people who have served their country are some of the people in America who are already struggling the most. Consider the following statistics:
- 50% of homeless veterans suffer from disabilities.
- 66% of homeless veterans have substance abuse issues.
- 29.6%, of the 12 million veterans between the ages of 21 and 64 report having a disability. This percentage represents 3.5 million individuals.
- 12.4% of the 12 million veterans between the ages of 21 and 64 report only a service connected (SC) disability. An SC disability is defined as a disease or injury that is determined to have occurred during military service. Through the use of the veterans disability calculator, the VA assigns a disability rating as a percentage that can range from 0% to 100% disabled.
- 10.5% of the 12 million veterans between the ages of 21 and 64 report only an after service connected (ACS) disability An ACS disability indicates a difficulty with one or more of the following: vision, hearing, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, and independent living. The ACS disability may or may not have been acquired during military service.
- 6.7% of the 12 million veterans between the ages of 21 and 64 report both an ACS and a SC disability.
If you or a loved one is a veteran looking for benefits, contacting legal representation may be beneficial.