What do you know about the Veterans Administration (VA) related to VA Health Care and VA Disability? This week we are turning the tables and instead of me (Amanda) being the interviewer I have asked my friend and fellow veteran, Trish Alegre-Smith to interview me to talk about VA health care and VA disability. I share about my experience of finally getting enrolled into VA health care and filing my VA disability claim. If you are a veteran and haven’t registered with the VA and want to learn more about how to file a disability claim this episode is for you.

VA Health Care and VA Disability

When I left the military I attended a two hour briefing about all aspects of the VA ranging from getting a letter signed by the president after you died to the GI Bill to home loans and health care. It was a lot of information. Most of it went over my head and when it came to health care I was a military spouse so I didn’t think the VA had anything it could offer me. I had Tricare wasn’t that enough. And while Tricare is a great benefit for military families. There are a number of reasons why veterans should register with the VA to ensure that their needs are met and as you get older in life there are even more earned benefits available to you.

Registering with VA Health Care

The process of registering with the VA for health care is very simple if you register within ten years of separating from the military. I should clarify your end of service date may not line up with you end of service date. If you served in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) your date could be later and may affect how long you have to enroll. I recommend everyone, no matter when they left the service takes the steps to enroll in VA health care. You can go in person to your closest VA hospital and work directly with a human or apply online. You can learn more about this topic in episode 213 where I talked to VA representatives about the benefits of VA medical care and the Veteran Health Reengagement Training available to women veterans through out the year.

I found this on the VA’s website while doing research for this episode:

Are you a Veteran who deployed to a combat zone but never enrolled in VA health care? If you left active duty between September 11, 2001, and October 1, 2013, you should apply today. But act fast—the deadline is September 30, 2023.

PACT Act

The PACT Act was signed by President Biden on August 11, 2022. It expanded benefits to ensure veterans were taken care of primarily, but not exclusively, related to burn pits. Two of the big take aways was the number of diseases and cancers that were added as presumptive and it also extended the time from five to ten years to register with the VA after leaving the service. I did an episode last fall to talk about the PACT Act you can learn more and listen to episode 206 or check out this document created by the VA. The PACT Act has extended a number of benefits for veterans who served overseas post 9/11.

VA Disability

The other topic we discussed in this episode was the importance of filing a disability claim. I filled my claim within the last 12 months and received a decision this past summer. There is no time limit on filing a disability claim. It can be harder to get compensation the longer between your service and your claim. But with the PACT Act presumptive even things you didn’t know about while serving on active duty may still qualify.

There are three main steps that you have to take when filing a claim. First you have to submit an intent to file with the VA. This will be the date the VA will go back to if you receive compensation. Next, you must gather your paperwork and submit it to the VA. You have from the date of your intent to file up to a year to submit the paper work. It took me about six months to gather all the paperwork. Lastly, you must attend the doctor appointments set up by the VA. You will be compensated for the milage to get to each VA appointment. Once your appointments are complete you will wait for a decision. It took about a month after the claim for me to get my decision.

Take advantage of your earned benefits

I want to end by reminding you how hard veterans of the past fought for you to receive these benefits. Benefits you earned. This isn’t charity and it is so important to enroll in VA health care. If you want to learn more about how the VA is helping veterans and what post WWI veterans faced after the war and were not able to get health care for the injuries they received watch the movie Amsterdam.

Thanks so much to my guest host this week Trish Alegre-Smith.

As owner and principal photographer behind Photography by Trish Alegre-Smith, Trish helps purpose-driven organizations and individuals transform their view of their work so that they can be emboldened and inspired with visual reminders of their impact.

From the time she had her first camera at nine years old, she’s never put it down—even during her time in the Air Force. Trish captured moments that would be part of someone’s story and legacy. She grew that work into the business it is today.

Currently, Trish provides commercial clients and high profile individuals in the Washington, D.C. area. Portraiture (including headshots and group photos) and branding photography that feature their products, services and events. For the local military community, she offers discounted flat-rate packages for photo coverage of military retirement ceremonies.