VA benefits....In service or not you qualify...

[skippy13]

Originally Posted by Oldtimer

KLD, please elabrate more on the Bowel & Bladder program that allows the veteran to pay a family member, and or for other cares. I talked to my VSO and he says the only financial help available to me is my current A&A which is and has been locked in at $170. monthly for as long as I can remember. PM me or I can give you my personal address (for mailing forms) or answer in this forum. What are the OEF/OIF family caregiver programs? Thanks!

I'm not KLD, but here is the VA website that can help you get started inquiring into benefits for the family caregiver benefit. I know nothing specifically of the B&B program, sorry.

www.caregiver.va.gov/

[SCI-Nurse]

VA Fee-Basis Bowel and Bladder Care Program information

Veterans Fee-basis Bowel and Bladder Care for Spinal Cord Injured Veterans

In certain circumstances the VA Fee-basis office will pay for a limited amount of bowel and bladder care for spinal cord injured (SCI) veterans in the home setting. Payment for bowel and bladder care is not dependent on service connection or receipt of a VA pension. Any veteran receiving medical care from a VA physician is eligible if he meets the medical requirements as determined by the physician. This is not the case for other types of Fee-basis care ; this article only addresses Fee-basis bowel and bladder care.

Fee-basis home health services are defined as supportive medical services requiring skilled treatment as performed by professional health care providers and technicians, and prescribed by and under the direction of a VA staff physician or VA contract physician. For the purpose of Fee-basis, the basic care procedures of catheter irrigation, colostomy bag changes, and external catheter changes, are defined as medical services. Due to the nature of the physical limitations and special needs of many spinal cord injured patients, bathing may also be provided as a fee-basis home health service when provided in conjunction with bowel and bladder care.

Quadriplegics receiving VA medical care are specifically eligible for bowel and bladder care by definition, and other veterans with spinal cord injuries are eligible when a VA physician determines that the veteran is unable to take care of his own bowel and bladder care, and depends on assistance from others. The regulations specifically state that in no instance will a veteran who can perform these functions unassisted be provided Fee-basis care. Receipt of a VA compensation or pension award for Aid and Attendance (A&A), or a higher level of A&A does not disqualify a veteran from receiving bowel and bladder care through the Fee-basis program.

To be covered under the Fee-basis bowel and bladder program, care must be provided by a licensed or registered health care provider, or a trained paraprofessional working under the direction and supervision of a licensed health care provider. A family member may receive reimbursement for providing bowel and bladder care once they have been trained and certified by a Spinal Cord Injury Center as being competent to provide the care.

Fee-basis payments are made directly to the provider. Reimbursement will be limited to a specific number of hours, not to exceed the hourly rate paid to nursing assistants employed by the VA. Contact the SCI Coordinator for current rate. For VA pensioners , it is important to note that payments for Fee-basis bowel and bladder care from the VA do not count as family income for pension purposes. You should monitor your pension awards closely to ensure it is not counted as income for your spouse. Fee-basis payments may be made retroactively on a case by case basis. In general, most VA retroactive payments are limited to the latter of the date all medical requirements were met, or the date one year prior to the date of application.

Fee-basis authorization will not be considered a permanent status for any veteran, regardless of the permanent status of the disability. There will be active, continuing participation by VA administrative and clinic managers and by other staff working in the fee-basis program to ensure compliance with all policies. Every Fee-basis authorization will be reviewed on an annual basis.

Applications for Fee-basis bowel and bladder care are made through the local VA SCI Coordinator, who will assist you by submitting a consult, and coordinating with your primary care physician and Fee-basis. When authorized care will be provided by a family member, they will be set up with an appointment for certification. In cases where care will not be provided by a family member, a referral for VA assistance in arranging for health care providers will be made

If you have any questions, please contact the your nearest PVA Service Office.

(KLD)

[Oldtimer]

Thank you Skippy and thank you KLD! I will be looking into this.

[LindaT]

An update: Dave has an appointment at the local VA next week!

One of the nurses that had been covering for the social worker has been really helpful and now the social worker is back from leave. They have all told me the SCI doc here is great and then Dave would probably be referred to the SCI clinic in Mpls where they do an entire evaluation.
Of course this brings more questions because we like our family doc so much and do not want to change or have this affect the nursing home waiver program we are on which pays aides and myself.
It looks like we have more income, but we pay $1,700 back to the state each month as a spenddown. I've got to quit worrying about everything!
They said as a quad he qualifies.
What I am most looking forward to is getting him positioned in his chair properly by a professional. There are not many people in our area (I have heard of one young girl)
with a injury level as high as his.
The recent dx of diabetes and learning everything to do with that has my head spinning.
Thanks everyone!!! I would never have known about this program without a few people here who were so helpful.

[rdf]

Great news for you and Dave, Linda. Maybe this year will be a better one

Originally Posted by LindaT

An update: Dave has an appointment at the local VA next week!

One of the nurses that had been covering for the social worker has been really helpful and now the social worker is back from leave. They have all told me the SCI doc here is great and then Dave would probably be referred to the SCI clinic in Mpls where they do an entire evaluation.
Of course this brings more questions because we like our family doc so much and do not want to change or have this affect the nursing home waiver program we are on which pays aides and myself.
It looks like we have more income, but we pay $1,700 back to the state each month as a spenddown. I've got to quit worrying about everything!
They said as a quad he qualifies.
What I am most looking forward to is getting him positioned in his chair properly by a professional. There are not many people in our area (I have heard of one young girl)
with a injury level as high as his.
The recent dx of diabetes and learning everything to do with that has my head spinning.
Thanks everyone!!! I would never have bean this with out a few people here who were so helpful.

[skippy13]

Originally Posted by LindaT

An update: Dave has an appointment at the local VA next week!

One of the nurses that had been covering for the social worker has been really helpful and now the social worker is back from leave. They have all told me the SCI doc here is great and then Dave would probably be referred to the SCI clinic in Mpls where they do an entire evaluation.
Of course this brings more questions because we like our family doc so much and do not want to change or have this affect the nursing home waiver program we are on which pays aides and myself.
It looks like we have more income, but we pay $1,700 back to the state each month as a spenddown. I've got to quit worrying about everything!
They said as a quad he qualifies.
What I am most looking forward to is getting him positioned in his chair properly by a professional. There are not many people in our area (I have heard of one young girl)
with a injury level as high as his.
The recent dx of diabetes and learning everything to do with that has my head spinning.
Thanks everyone!!! I would never have known about this program without a few people here who were so helpful.

You don't have to change a thing as far as your family doc goes. In addition to the care the VA provides me, I have my medicare advantage program. The eligibility for VA care does not affect any care he now gets that you are happy with. VA services are not considered income.

Be sure to ask about Travel Pay if you have to go to MPLS VA. As far as I know, if the VA orders you to appear or gives you an appointment to go to a specific VA for an exam or treatment, they will give you travel pay. At 41.5 cents a mile (minus a 3.00 each way deduction), it can add up for a four hundred mile round trip. I know that they give travel pay to individuals who are not service connected if they are appearing for a compensation and pension exam, so I don't know why they wouldn't for you. It don't hurt to ask. There are rules also for special transportation requirements. It can be complicated, so don't give up.

[airart1]

cat 4 will give you travel pay now, i know, i couldn't get it as a catagory 5........

[SCI-Nurse]

Originally Posted by airart1

cat 4 will give you travel pay now, i know, i couldn't get it as a catagory 5........

Why are you Category 5? Don't you have a SCI...bowel & bladder involvement, paralysis?

(KLD)

[Oldtimer]

KLD, In the above article on fee-basis payments, it states "payments are made directly to the provider", "a family member can receive reimbursement" and "you should monitor your pension awards awards closely to insure it is not counted as income for your spouse."

My question is, is there a specific form that needs to be filled out stating that this is not counted as income. We (wife & I) were told by the VA SCI case manager that this is taxable income and needs to be declared.

[SCI-Nurse]

Oldtimer, I am certainly not the expert on this. I would defer your question to your PVA NSO. They ARE the experts and can help you with any of the required paperwork.

(KLD)