- Health Benefits Available
- For individuals
- Medical Benefits Package includes:
- Inpatient hospital care
- Outpatient services to promote, preserve, or restore health
- Medical facilities provide a variety of services including traditional hospital-based services (surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, physical therapy, etc.)
- Most of medical facilities offer other medical and surgical specialty services (audiology and speech pathology, dermatology, neurology, vision care, organ transplants, etc.)
- Preventative care services
- Periodic medical exams
- Health education
- Immunization against infectious disease
- Counseling on genetically inherited diseases
- Mental health care
- Veterans Affairs provides free military sexual trauma counseling and referral
- Includes care and services to overcome psychological trauma while veteran was on active duty or on Active Duty for Training (ADUTRA)
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Veterans
- LGBT Veterans are eligible for same benefits as any other Veteran
- Transgender Veterans will be treated based upon their self-identified gender, including room assignments
- Additional Health Care Services
- Geriatrics and extended care services, domiciliary, hospice, respite
- Certain benefits (dental care) may vary
- For families of veterans
- Family members of Veterans are eligible for health benefits under certain circumstances
- Some offered programs:
- Civilian Health and medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA)
- Spina Bifida (SB)
- Children of Women Vietnam Veterans (CMVV)
- Foreign Medical Program (FMP)
- Camp Lejeune Family Member Program (CLFMP)
- Caregiver
- The programs can reduce/eliminate cost for medical supplies, office visits or prescriptions
How to Apply
- Applying for Veterans Affairs Health Benefits
https://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/1010EZ-fillable.pdf
- Applying for Long Term Care
https://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-10EC-fill.pdf
Complete on paper and apply in person or mail the application to a local Veterans Affairs health care facility
Alternative option: Call Veterans Affairs toll-free at 877-222-VETS (8387)
Monday through Friday between 8am to 8pm, EST
Where to Apply
- Below is a list of local resources that assist with Veteran Benefits in the Southern California
- North Orange County Vet Center
- 12453 Lewis St #101, Garden Grove, CA 92840
- Veterans Services
- B, 1300 S Grand Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92705
- Santa Ana Veterans Health Clinic
- 1506 Brookhollow Dr, Santa Ana, CA 92705
- Tierney Center for Veteran Services
- 1231 Warner Ave, Tustin, CA 92780
- South Orange County Vet Center
- 26431 Crown Valley Pkwy, Mission Viejo, CA 92691
- US Veterans Outreach Center
- 859 S Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA 92805
- Laguna Hills Veteran Health Clinic
- 25292 McIntyre St K, Laguna Hills, CA 92653
- Anaheim Veterans Health Clinic
- 2569 W Woodland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92801
- Veteran Services, University of California, Irvine
- G304 UCI Student Center, Irvine, CA 92697
- Veterans Legal Institute
- 2100 N Broadway #209, Santa Ana, CA 92706
- Veterans First OC
- 1611 N Broadway, Santa Ana, CA 92706
- Valiant VA Services
- 12443 Lewis St #204, Garden Grove, CA 92840
- Riverside County Department of Veterans’ Services
- 4360 Orange St, Riverside, CA 92501
Myth and Facts Regarding Benefits
- Myths and facts regarding veteran benefits
- Myth: A veteran with a Bad Conduct Discharge (BCD) or an Other Than Honorable (OTH) is not eligible for VA benefits.
- Fact: Eligibility for most benefits is based on discharge from active military service under other-than-honorable conditions. Even if a veteran has a BCD or OTH, the veteran is still eligible for most VA benefits.
- Myth: A veteran doesn’t quality for VA benefits if he/or already filed a lawsuit against an asbestos company.
- Fact: Any money awarded to the veteran from a lawsuit or an asbestos bankruptcy trust claim will not affect the veteran’s eligibility for VA benefits. However, the veteran cannot receive government benefits twice for the same illness.
- Myth: A veteran does not quality for VA benefits if he/she didn’t service in the military long enough.
- Fact: Length of service is not a requirement to qualify for benefits. The VA only needs proof that the veteran developed a disease after exposure to asbestos while in military service. The veteran must also have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
More myths and facts can be found at https://www.asbestos.com/veterans/myths/
Statistics
- How many veterans are there in the USA, California and Orange County
- There were around 20.4 million US veterans in 2016, according to the data from the Department of Veterans Affairs
- Approximately 2 million veterans live in California
- About 130,000 veterans reside in Orange County
- How many take advantage of benefits?
- How many are homeless?
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2016) estimates that there are 39,471 homeless veterans on any given night
- Where do a majority of veterans seek treatment/care?
- The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, “veterans helping veterans” groups
- Programs that seem to work best feature transitional housing with camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments w/ fellow veterans who are succeeding in bettering themselves
- Sources for Statistics and Information
- https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/access/medical_benefits_package.asp
https://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/apply/family_members.asp
https://www.vets.gov/health-care/apply/
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/11/10/the-changing-face-of-americas-veteran-population/
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/07/california-has-nations-highest-number-of-veterans.html
http://cir.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/OC-Veterans-Study_USC-CIR_Feb-2015.pdf
http://nchv.org/index.php/news/media/background_and_statistics/
https://www.asbestos.com/veterans/myths/