Veteran Affairs
Physical Address: 25 W. Main Street, New Bloomfield PA 17068
Telephone: 717-582-2131
Hours: Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
“Due to limited staffing, APPOINTMENTS ARE NECESSARY“.
Director: Jim Scott
Email: jscott@perryco.org
NOTICE: New Veterans Crisis Line phone number. Effective July 16, 2022 the Department of Veterans Affairs has made it more user friendly to access the Veterans Crisis Line. Veterans have the option to Dial 988 then Press 1 to connect with caring, qualified responders for 24/7 crisis support.
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All WWII Veterans are now eligible for no-cost VA Health Care and Nursing Home Services.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 10, 2023
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that all World War II Veterans are now eligible for no-cost VA health care, medical services, and nursing home care.
All WWII Veterans who served between Dec. 7, 1941, and Dec. 31, 1946, are eligible under this expansion, regardless of their length of service or financial status. These Veterans will not have to pay copays, enrollment fees or monthly premiums.
VA is reaching out by phone and mail to encourage WWII Veterans who are not currently enrolled in VA care to apply today. Veterans who enroll may also keep their private providers, Medicare, and most other insurance to meet their health care needs.
“These members of Greatest Generation answered the call to serve when our nation – and the world – needed them most. Now, it’s our job to serve them in every way that we can,” said VA Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “We are proud to provide world-class, no-cost health care to these heroes at VA, and we encourage all of them to enroll today.”
All WWII Veterans are encouraged to enroll in VA health care – the best, most-affordable health care in America for Veterans. Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled Veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings.
Veterans who were not approved for VA health care in the past due to income limits should apply again; income levels no longer apply due to this expansion. VA cannot automatically enroll these Veterans in health care; WWII Veterans must apply for VA health care if they are not currently enrolled.
This expansion is made possible through the Joseph Maxwell Cleland and Robert Joseph Dole Memorial Veterans Benefits and Health Care Improvement Act of 2022 (Cleland-Dole Act), signed in December 2022. To apply for VA health care, visit VA’s health care enrollment website, call 1-800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411), or visit your nearest VA medical center or clinic.
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South Central Pennsylvania Home Care Grant, click on the Link below.
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“Attention: National Guard or Reserve.” If you are a parent being deployed, Milton S. Hershey School may be an option for your child(ren). Click on the link below to see the flyer.
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Coronavirus Vaccines
Update 32: New Law Allows All Vets, Spouses & Caregivers to Receive from VA
All veterans, their spouses and caregivers regardless of their VA health care enrollment status will be able to receive a coronavirus vaccine through the Department of Veterans Affairs once doses are made available under Saves Lives Act H.R.1276 signed into law by President Joe Biden on 24 MAR. Veterans Affairs leaders had supported the move, saying they did not want to turn away any veteran from receiving the shots if they were available. But under former rules, department medical centers were permitted to administer vaccines only to veterans already eligible for VA health care services, and for certain caregivers registered in VA support programs. That totals just under 7 million individuals.
Under the new bill, that number is expected to jump to more than 20 million. It would make vaccines eligible “to all veterans, veteran spouses, caregivers, and Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) recipients to the extent that such vaccines are available.” The measure also for the first time makes veterans living abroad and enrolled in VA’s the Foreign Medical Program (FMA) eligible to receive the vaccine through department facilities. The legislation passed without objection in both the House and Senate. The SAVE LIVES Act increases the number of individuals who are eligible to get lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines from VA from 9.5 million to more than 33 million.
VA is providing COVID-19 vaccinations to Veterans and employees per its COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. As of 24 MAR, VA has fully vaccinated 1,594,812 individuals, including Veterans, VA employees and federal partners. The next steps in VA’s prioritized expansion efforts are to offer the vaccine to all enrolled Veterans – approximately 9.5 million – followed by those outlined in the bill, as vaccine supply permits:
- Non-enrolled Veterans as defined in the new legislation, including those without service-connected disabilities and who have incomes above VA’s threshold.
- Overseas Veterans who rely on the Foreign Medical Program.
- Veteran caregivers who are enrolled in either the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers or the Program of General Caregiver Support Services.
- Veteran caregivers enrolled in certain Geriatrics and Extended Care Programs, such as Veteran Directed Care, Bowel and Bladder, Home Based Primary Care and VA’s Medical Foster Home Program.
- Civilian Health and Medical Programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs recipients.
- Veteran spouses.
Interested Veterans, their caregivers and Veteran spouses who qualify under the legislation can go to https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine to get more information about COVID-19 vaccines at VA. Updates will be provided regarding the availability of vaccine supply and other resources.
VA has been made aware of a company found to be misrepresenting services to Veterans and charging fees for assistance with VA benefits.
The Louisiana Department of Justice announced VetAttend Professional Services, LLC and its owners, John Sutton and Marc Quiroz, are prohibited from operating any business related to preparing and submitting claims for Veterans’ benefits without accreditation from VA; operating any business that provides home care services without a license from the State of Louisiana; and accessing Veterans’ benefits or charging fees that are contingent on Veterans’ receipts of benefits. Additionally, VetAttend is required to cancel all related contracts and payment authorizations currently in place with Veterans, claimants, or beneficiaries.
Veterans, claimants, and beneficiaries who may be working with VetAttend are advised to contact VA to ensure VetAttend could not access their records. If an inquiry is received, PCRs must review the record for a POA and/or VAF 21-0845, Authorization to Disclose Personal Information to a Third Party, in reference to VetAttend. As needed, advise individuals how to change their POA and/or authorized third party of record and leave a note in the system documenting the inquiry.
Office of Field Operations- NCC
Delays in Obtaining Military Documents may cause a delay in VA benefits
The government’s primary repository for military personnel records, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), has been closed to the public since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to numerous COVID-19 exposures occurring with increasing frequency, the NPRC has shut down most of their remaining operations indefinitely. This decision negatively impacts the ability to obtain discharge, (DD 214’s), medical and other personal documents.
This office will continue to make every attempt to assist Veterans and their families, but if a service member’s records cannot be obtained through any source other than NPRC, a timely response will not be possible, thus delaying any VA benefits.
Don’t wait until the need arises, it is very important that you as a veteran or family member, searc*********h for any and all military documents that may be in your possession. These documents may be the only documents available to verify eligibility for VA benefits.
The following may be a good source to also check:
- Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or the American Legion. These organizations may have discharge documents on file for members.
- County clerk of the county where the service member would have returned from service. The service member may have filed their documents with the county upon discharge from military service.
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Camp Lejeune:
Disability compensation VA recently proposed a rule to create presumptive service connection for Veterans, Reservists, and National Guard members exposed to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune from August 1, 1953 through December 31, 1987 who later developed one of the following eight diseases:
Adult leukemia
Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
Bladder cancer
Kidney cancer
Liver cancer
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Parkinson’s disease
Presently, these conditions are the only ones for which there is sufficient scientific and medical evidence to support the creation of presumptions; however, VA will continue to review relevant information as it becomes available. Veterans who are experiencing other health conditions that they think may be related to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune are encouraged to contact their primary care provider and to file a claim. VA reviews and decides disability compensation claims on a case-by-case basis. –
See more at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune/#sthash.ZA1frcoV.dpuf
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See Your 2024 VA Disability Pay Rates
The following tables show preliminary 2024 Department of Veterans Affairs monthly disability rates for veterans with a rating of 10% or higher. These amounts are effective Dec. 1 of each year. They are tax-free.
VA disability payments are made to veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military and to veterans whose service made an existing condition worse.
You may qualify for VA disability benefits for physical conditions (such as a chronic illness or injury) and mental health conditions (such as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD) that developed before, during, or after service.
Related: Here’s the 2024 Pay Raise for Vets and Military Retirees
An annual payment increase is tied to an increase in Social Security payments by the U.S. government known as a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).
Editor’s note: Figures are preliminary based on the 3.2% COLA announced Oct. 12. Final amounts may differ slightly.
*10%-20% Disability
| Percentage | Rate |
| 10% | $171.23 |
| 20% | $338.49 |
*30%-60% Disability
| Dependent Status | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
| Veteran Alone | $524.31 | $755.28 | $1,075.16 | $1,361.88 |
| Veteran with Spouse | $586.23 | $837.84 | $1,178.36 | $1,486.75 |
| Veteran with Spouse and Child | $631.64 | $898.73 | $1,254.72 | $1,577.565 |
| Veteran with Child | $565.59 | $811.01 | $1,144.30 | $1,445.47 |
| Each Additional Child Under 18 | $30.96 | $41.28 | $51.60 | $61.92 |
| Each Additional Schoolchild Over Age 18 | $100.10 | $133.13 | $167.18 | $200.21 |
| Additional for Disabled spouse | $57.79 | $76.37 | $95.98 | $114.55 |
*70%-100% Disability
| Dependent Status | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
| Veteran Alone | $1,716.28 | $1,995.01 | $2,241.91 | $3,737.85 |
| Veteran with Spouse | $1,861.79 | $2,161.16 | $2,428.70 | $3,946.25 |
| Veteran with Spouse and Child | $1,968.09 | $2,282.94 | $2,565.95 | $4,098.88 |
| Veteran with Child | $1,813.29 | $2,106.47 | $2,442.51 | $3,877.22 |
| Each Additional Child Under 18 | $72.24 | $82.56 | $92.88 | $103.55 |
| Each Additional Schoolchild Over 18 | $233.23 | $267.29 | $300.31 | $334.49 |
| Additional for A/A spouse | $134.16 | $152.74 | $172.34 | $191.14 |
*30%-60% Disability (With Dependent Parents)
| Dependent Status | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% |
| Veteran with One Parent | $573.84 | $903.89 | $1,261.95 | $1,586.85 |
| Veteran with Two Parents | $623.38 | $887.38 | $1,242.34 | $1,562.09 |
| Veteran with One Parent and Child | $615.12 | $877.06 | $1,227.89 | $1,545.57 |
| Veteran with Two Parents and Child | $664.66 | $943.10 | $1311.49 | $1,645.68 |
| Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and Child | $681.17 | $964.78 | $1,338.32 | $1,677.67 |
| Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and Child | $730.71 | $1,030.82 | $1,421.91 | $1,777.77 |
*70%-100% Disability (With Dependent Parents)
| Dependent Status | 70% | 80% | 90% | 100% |
| Veteran with One Parent | $1,832.89 | $2,128.14 | $2,391.55 | $3,905.11 |
| Veteran with Two Parents | $1,949.51 | $2,261.27 | $2,541.19 | $4,072.36 |
| Veteran with One Parent and Child | $1,929.90 | $2,239.59 | $2516.42 | $4,044.48 |
| Veteran with Two Parents and Child | $2,046.52 | $2,372.72 | $2,666.06 | $4,211.74 |
| Veteran with Spouse, One Parent and Child | $2,084.70 | $2,416.07 | $2,715.59 | $4,266.13 |
| Veteran with Spouse, Two Parents and Child | $2,201.32 | $2,549.19 | $2,865.23 | $4,433.39 |
Increased Disability Payments for Veterans With Dependents
Veterans entitled to compensation who have a disability rated at 30% or more are entitled to additional compensation for dependents. Dependent children between the ages of 18 and 23 must be attending school and a dependent for tax purposes.
Parents may be considered dependents if the veteran provides more than 50% of their support. Veterans with a disabled spouse may also be eligible for increased benefits. Check with the VA for details.
There is also a Dependency & Indemnity Compensation benefit for survivors of some disabled veterans.
Flag Retirement Box Available!
The County of Perry now has flag retirement receptacle available in the lobby of the Veterans Memorial Building – 25 W. Main Street, New Bloomfield PA 17068. Please feel free to bring in your American flag that is no longer a fitting emblem of display and it will be properly disposed of.
Documents & Forms
Veterans Needing Emergency Care:
If you are enrolled in the VA Medical Benefits and require Emergency Medical/Room treatment outside the VA, for VA to pay those medical costs, you must contact Lebanon VAMC within 48 hours and request payment through fee Basis. Failure to contact Lebanon VAMC within the 48 hours may be reason for a denial for payment by the VA of any of the costs for your treatment.