Recent Enhancements in Veterans’ Eligibility for Health Care Benefits
By Amy Simmons, Washington County Veterans’ Service Officer

VA has implemented certain provisions of The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181) that extended health benefits for recently discharged veterans who served in the theater of combat operations and extended the timeframe certain veterans have for applying for the provision of a one-time course of dental benefits. In addition, effective February 1, 2008 the amount paid for beneficiary mileage reimbursement for travel to VA medical facilities has increased from 11 cents per mile to 28.5 cents per mile. While increasing the payment, VA, as mandated by law, also equally increased the deductible amounts applied to certain mileage reimbursements. The new deductibles are $7.77 for a one way trip, $15.54 for a round trip, with a maximum of $46.62 per calendar month. However, these deductibles can be waived if they cause a financial hardship to the veteran. 8426702

SPECIAL ECONOMIC STIMULUS (REBATES) The President signed into law economic stimulus payments for all taxpayers. Included in the law is a special provision for veterans who are not taxpayers. The law allows for payments for select individuals who have no tax liability, such as those who receive Social Security benefits or veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivor’s benefits received from VA in 2007. These taxpayers will be eligible to receive a payment of $300 ($600 on a joint return) if they had at least $3,000 of qualifying income. In order to be eligible to receive the special stimulus payment, a 2007 tax return must be filed.

Recipients of Social Security, certain Railroad Retirement and certain veterans’ benefits should report their 2007 benefits on Line 14A of Form 1040A or Line 20a of Form 1040. People are allowed to estimate their annual VA benefit by taking their monthly veterans’ benefit, and multiplying it by the number of months they received the benefit during the year 2007. Documentation from VA is not required. Taxpayers in these groups should write the words “Stimulus Payment” at the top of the 1040A or 1040.

For now, taxpayers in this group filing a tax return can only file a paper copy of the Form 1040 or Form 1040A.