VETERANS' BENEFITS AND CARE -- VETERANS' BENEFITS AND CARE -- CONTENTS -- PREFACE -- Chapter 1 VETERANS MEDICAL CARE: FY2009 APPROPRIATIONS -- SUMMARY -- MOST RECENT DEVELOPMENTS -- BACKGROUND -- THE VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM -- The Veteran Patient Population -- ELIGIBILITY FOR VETERANS' HEALTH CARE -- "Promise of Free Health Care" -- VHA Health-Care Enrollment -- Veteran's Status -- Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Veterans -- Priority Groups and Scheduling Appointments -- FUNDING FOR THE VHA -- Medical Services -- Medical Support and Compliance (Previously Medical Administration) -- Medical Facilities -- Medical and Prosthetic Research -- Medical Care Collections Fund (MCCF) -- FY2008 BUDGET SUMMARY41 -- House Action -- Senate Action -- Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2008 -- FY2009 VHA BUDGET -- FY2009 Congressional Budget Resolution45 -- House Committee Action -- Construction Projects -- Senate Committee Action -- Construction Projects -- Major Areas of Committee Interest -- Priority Group 8 Veterans -- Beneficiary Travel Milage Reimbursement -- VA regulation with respect to waiving deductibles -- KEY BUDGET ISSUES -- Assess an Annual Enrollment Fee -- Increase Pharmacy Co-payments -- Impact of Fee Proposals -- Third-Party Offset of First-Party Debt -- APPENDIX A. PRIORITY GROUPS AND THEIR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA -- APPENDIX B. VETERANS' PAYMENTS FOR HEALTH-CARE SERVICES, BY PRIORITY GROUP -- APPENDIX C. FINANCIAL INCOME THRESHOLDS FOR VA HEALTH-CARE BENEFITS, CALENDER YEAR 2008 -- APPENDIX D. VHA APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY2005 AND FY2006 ( in thousands) -- APPENDIX E. VHA APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY2007 AND FY2008 ( in thousands) -- End Notes -- Chapter 2 VETERANS AFFAIRS: THE APPEAL PROCESS FOR VETERANS' CLAIMS -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- Veterans' Benefits -- Appeals from the Local VA Office Decisions.

THE APPEAL PROCESS -- Flow Chart of the Various Steps in the Appeal Process -- Filing the Original Claim for Benefits at the VA -- The Appeal: The First Steps -- Time Limit -- The Notice of Disagreement (NOD)26 -- Appeal to the Local VA Office -- The Statement of the Case -- VA Form 9 and the Substantive Appeal32 -- Supplemental Statement of Case36 -- Time Limitation38 -- Withdrawal of Issue(s) -- Issues Related to the Appeal Process -- Filing Extensions41 -- Representation for the Appeal43 -- Attorney Representation: Recent Legislation -- Information for the Appeal -- Location of the VA Form 9 -- THE BOARD OF VETERANS' APPEALS (BVA) -- Organization58 -- The BVA's Docket -- The BVA Docket and Docket Number -- Waiting Time -- PERSONAL HEARINGS -- Request for a BVA Hearing -- Scheduling the BVA Hearing -- The Ninety Day Rule -- The Appeal at the BVA -- Notification of the Board's Decision -- The Remand -- Additional Appeal Options -- Notice of Appeal -- Motion for Reconsideration -- Reopening the Case -- CUE Motion -- Death of the Appellant Before a Decision Issued -- Subsequent Judicial Appeals -- APPENDIX. DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE VA TO THE CLAIMANT/APPELLANT -- The Obligations of the VA to the Claimant/Appellant101 -- Application and Notice of Incomplete Application -- Required Information and Evidence -- and Time Limitation106 -- Duty to Assist Claimants: Records -- Assistance in Obtaining Records -- Records for Compensation Claims -- Medical Examinations for Compensation Claims -- Disallowed Claims -- Other Assistance not Precluded -- Decisions and Notices of Decisions -- VA's Obligation to Assist in the Development of Claims -- Reopening Disallowed Claims -- Revision of Decisions on Grounds of Clear and Unmistakable Error -- Benefit of the Doubt Standard -- Certain Presumptions -- Presumption of Medical Soundness.

Special Rules for Certain In-Service Occurrences -- LEGISLATION INTRODUCED IN THE 110TH CONGRESS -- H.R. 67 -- H.R. 653 -- H.R. 797 -- H.R. 1435 -- H.R. 1444 -- H.R. 1490 -- H.R. 1538 -- H.R. 2257 -- H.R. 2855 -- H.R. 3047 -- H.R. 5089 -- S. 1283 -- S. 1363 -- S. 2737 -- End Notes -- Chapter 3 A BRIEF HISTORY OF VETERANS' EDUCATION BENEFITS AND THEIR VALUE -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION1 -- VETERANS' EDUCATION BENEFIT PROGRAMS -- GI Bill of Rights -- Korean GI Bill -- Post-Korea and Vietnam-Era GI Bill -- Post-Vietnam Era Veterans' Educational Assistance Program (VEAP) -- Montgomery GI Bill -- Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty (MGIB-AD) -- MGIB "Kicker"/College Fund -- Tuition Assistance "Top-Up" -- Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) -- Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP) -- Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program (DEA) -- CHANGES IN THE VALUE OF VETERANS' EDUCATION BENEFITS OVER TIME -- Value of Veterans' Education Benefits: 1944-2007 -- Value of Education Benefits Provided Through the Montgomery GI Bill: 1987-2007 -- Purchasing Power of the MGIB-AD Program -- Use of Education Benefits -- VETERANS' EDUCATION BENEFITS AND FEDERAL STUDENT AID AVAILABLE UNDER THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT -- Federal Need Analysis -- Military Education Benefits, Need Analysis, and Federal Student Aid -- Military Education Benefits and Pell Grants -- Military Education Benefits and FFEL/DL Program Student Loans -- Military Education Benefits and Campus-Based Programs -- Student Eligibility Requirements for Title IV Programs and Military Education Benefits -- End Notes -- Chapter 4 THE MILITARY SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN: A DESCRIPTION OF ITS PROVISIONS -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN -- Coverage for Military Members Retired from an Active Duty Career -- Spouse Only Coverage.

Computational Formulas -- Original Computational Formula -- Flat-Rate Formula -- Remarriage -- "Paid-Up" Provisions -- Spouse and Child(ren) Coverage17 -- Child(ren) Only Coverage -- Persons with an Insurable Interest -- Former Spouse Coverage24 -- Former Spouse and Child(ren) Coverage -- Coverage for Military Members Retired from the Reserve Components -- "Forgotten Widow" Coverage -- Coverage for Military Members Serving on Active Duty -- SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN AND SOCIAL SECURITY -- Social Security Coverage for Military Personnel -- Integration of the Survivor Benefit Plan and Social Security Benefits -- Two-Tier Survivor Benefit Plan -- Comparison of the Social Security Offset and Two-Tier SBP -- SUPPLEMENTAL SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN -- Costs and Benefits of Supplemental Coverage -- ELIMINATION OF THE TWO-TIER AND SOCIAL SECURITY OFFSET COMPUTATIONAL FORMULAS -- SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSATION -- "Concurrent Receipt" -- RETIREE AND GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO SBP -- Results in Brief -- End Notes -- Chapter 5 VETERANS AFFAIRS: BENEFITS FOR SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES -- SUMMARY -- INTRODUCTION -- Veterans' Disability Programs -- The "Local Determination" -- Requirements for Disability Compensation11 -- Medical Evidence of the Current Impairment or Disability -- Evidence of an In-Service Occurrence or Aggravation of the Disease or Injury -- Medical Proof of a Connection between the In-Service Incident or Aggravation of an Injury/Illness and the Current Disability -- THE VA'S OBLIGATIONS IN THE PREPARATION/PRESENTATION OF THE VETERAN'S CASE AND CERTAIN PRESUMPTIONS -- Standard of Proof -- Assistance in Case Preparation -- Certain Presumptions -- Presumption of Medical Soundness -- Special Rules for Certain In-Service Occurrences -- THE VA RATING SYSTEM -- Schedule for Rating Disabilities (SRD).

Application of the Rating System49 -- Complications in the Use of the Rating System -- Changes in Veterans' Ratings -- Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) -- Zero Percent Evaluation -- Periodic Examinations -- Appeals from Ratings -- Evaluation of the Rating System -- CURRENT LEGISLATION67 -- Veterans' COLA (Cost-of-Living Adjustment) -- Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Benefits -- Veterans' Claims Backlog and Related Issues -- End Notes -- Chapter 6 DISABILITY EVALUATION OF MILITARY SERVICEMEMBERS -- SUMMARY -- BACKGROUND -- OVERVIEW OF DISABILITY EVALUATION -- Department of Defense (DOD) Disability Evaluation -- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Disability Evaluation -- Social Security Administration (SSA) Disability Evaluation9 -- Workers' Compensation (WC) Disability Evaluation12 -- THE DOD PHYSICAL DISABILITY EVALUATION SYSTEM -- Initial Medical Treatment of Injured Servicemembers -- Steps in the Disability Evaluation Process -- Overview -- Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) -- Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) -- Assistance to Servicemembers During Disability Evaluation -- Outcomes of the DOD Disability Process -- Issues of Timely and Consistent Processing -- VA DISABILITY EVALUATION -- RECENT CONGRESSIONAL AND EXECUTIVE ACTIONS -- APPENDIX. DEFINITIONS OF U.S. MILITARY SERVICEMEMBERS AND VETERANS50 -- Members of the U.S. Military Service -- Armed Forces -- Reserve Components.52 -- National Guard -- Army National Guard -- Army National Guard of the United States -- Air National Guard -- Air National Guard of the United States -- Reserve -- Reserve Active-Status List -- Duty Status -- Active Duty -- Active Duty for a Period of More than 30 Days -- Active Service -- Active Status -- Other Duty Status Definitions -- Discharge from the Miliary: Classification and Status -- Concept of "Veteran" -- Definition of "Veteran" -- End Notes.

Chapter 7 VETERANS AFFAIRS: BASIC ELIGIBILITY FOR DISABILITY BENEFIT PROGRAMS.