Health & Disability Advocates

 

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ILLINOIS CONNECTIONS: ASSISTING VETERAN & MILITARY FAMILIES – Veteran

Veteran: HDA assists veterans and their families evaluate and navigate the systems and services offered through the VA and the State of Illinois such as home care, nursing home services and health insurance.

Disabled Veterans: HDA assists disabled veterans and their families evaluate and coordinate VA disability benefits and Social Security Disability benefits.

There are many wonderful  programs that Veterans  are eligible for because of their service to our country.  Often there is confusion about how these veteran programs interact with other civilian programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security etc..   

We encourage our clients to learn about all of the programs that they might be eligible for—even those that are not targeted to veterans. 

We are also able to discuss the different benefits programs, veteran and civilian, to  find the program that works best for you . We have created some fact sheets that compare and contrast  military and civilian benefits programs.  

Fact sheets appropriate for Veterans  include:
 
Employment Resources: 
Resources that assist veterans, including those with disabilities, are available from the VA as well as the state of Illinois. This fact sheet has more information about these resources.
 
Cash Resources:
Social Security provides cash benefits to people with disabilities and people often misunderstand how,  or if, these programs impact each other.  This fact sheet explains the VA and SSA disability cash programs.

 

Coming Soon :  Fact sheet about the interaction of SSA Retirement benefits and the VA Pension program.

Health Care:
In addition to health services officered by the Veterans Administration there are options for people who need other health insurance. 
 
TRICARE:  If you are eligible for TRICARE  you and your family may still be able get assistance through Illinois Medicaid.  Download our fact sheet on health care options for families of service members.  
 
Emergency Care at non-VA facilities is reimbursable in under certain conditions. This is a safety net for veterans who need emergency care due to a service-connected disability or for veterans who have no other means of paying a private facility emergency bill.  If the person is not eligible to have the VA pay for the emergency services they should see if Medicaid is an option. Illinois Medicaid pays medical bills back up to 90 days from the date of application for coverage. Read our fact sheet on emergency medical care programs. 
 
Health Care for Veterans: Illinois has created some health care resources specifically for veterans such as Illinois Warrior Assistance Program (IWAP) and Veterans Care.  The IWAP program provides free  screening for Traumatic Brain Injury and free counseling for  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for eligible veterans.  Download our fact sheet on Illinois health care programs for military service members and veterans.
 
Disability Resources :
Many Veterans with disabilities are on waiting lists to receive assistance with modifying their home because of their disability, such as installing a wheel chair ramp or for assistive technology.  Illinois has some wonderful programs that can also provide these services. The Illinois Assistive Technology  Program will even let you borrow equipment [wheelchair, amplified telephone etc..] to help you decide what device is right for you. We recommend that people  use this service prior to ordering a device through the VA.  This fact sheet has information on these and other resources. 
 
Aging and Independent Living  Resources :
There are many resources available to help aging Veterans stay healthy and independent in their home.   These resources include VA  programs such as VA pension, Aid & Attendance and Housebound program, Veterans Homes as well as civilian resources through Medicaid like Community care and Home Services, and Senior Centers.  Get our fact sheet with resources for aging veterans here.