VA Benefits for Injury
People serving in the United States Armed Forces are given special benefits in case of injury or death that are not normally given to civilians. This is based on the simple rationale that because of their positions as the defenders of the nation, they are more vulnerable to injuries and deaths. These are inevitable occupational hazards. The Department of Veterans Affair administers these benefits.
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Compensation and Ratings
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A veteran is entitled to various kinds of monetary and other benefits when he sustains injuries while on duty. The benefits offered to military veterans consist essentially of a monthly allowance, among other benefits. The monthly allowance and other benefits are tax-free. They are often determined by a disability rating.
Criteria for Compensation
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The extent of disability and the rank a veteran holds determine the level and range of benefits the person gets. Once a person sustains injuries of the kind that prevent him from carrying out active duty in the future, a medical board is convened to arrive at an assessment of the nature and gravity of injury.
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Ratings
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Ratings are given according to the Veterans Administration Schedule for Rating Disability (VASRD) to fix the quantum of benefits for the disabled person. These ratings vary according to the nature and extent of the injury. When a veteran is said to have sustained an injury rating of over 30 percent, it is considered a permanent disability, which means the veteran cannot carry out active duty anymore for the rest of his life. Such a veteran receives 75 percent of her base pay for the rest of life. In addition, a monthly veteran disability allowance that ranges anywhere between $115 and $2471 is paid for life. She is also entitled to medical care for life, which includes outpatient care, hospital care and nursing home or domiciliary care. Other benefits include veterans mortgage life insurance of up to $90,000, a one-time allowance and facilities like counseling to ease the emotional trauma of the injury.
Active Duty Versus Active Disability
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A distinction is made between a debilitating injury sustained while engaged in active combat, and that sustained while in service, but not while being engaged in active combat. Benefits are also extended when military members are injured outside of active combat situations, but are discretionary, and are decided on a case-to-case basis. This usually arises in cases in which the Veteran sustained injuries while on vacation or if he suffered a disability such as arthritis, malaria or other illness unrelated to his job. In order to qualify for this type of injury or disability benefits, the veteran has to have served for at least 90 days.
Dependents
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Dependents get an automatic life insurance payment of $10,000 and dental coverage in the event that an injury leads to death. In case of death of the veteran due to injury in combat, dependents also receive a monthly allowance of $911 for the surviving spouse and $229 per dependent child till the child reaches the age of 18.
Other Benefits
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Vocational training is another important benefit an injured veteran receives. Some injuries sustained in the line of active duty may be such that resuming active military service may be impossible for the veteran, but pursuing other careers may be possible. Suitable training is provided in some cases to help the veteran find other employment. Again, it is the medical board that decides what, if any, vocational training an injured veteran is entitled to.
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