From: Jim White
Date: December 29, 2015
Subject: Combated-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)
To All,
Last November several of us wrote back and forth about getting CRSC to replace the amount of one's VA Disability payment that was being deducted from our retired pay. I applied for this on November 23rd and have just gotten an answer from DA, USA Human Resources Command stating that my claim had been approved. The same letter will be sent to the DFAS and they will take action to start making the payments. I would call that fairly good "turn-around time."
The only requirement on my part is to keep the CRSC office informed regarding any changes made in my VA disability payments. The letter also noted that there is a 6-year statute of limitations so if you are eligible don't procrastinate.
Jim W
PS: (Not in the original message): For some reason I had equated a 20% disability with 20% of my retirement pay. That was wrong. Go tothis pageto review the rates for various levels of disability and payments.
- From: Bob Peetz NOTE: This message corrects the above errors.
Date: April 19, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860 - Combat Related Special Compensation [Original Subject was: "A wee bit of history"]
Whoa ? not so.
CRSC is not taxable, CRDP is.
Here is how mine goes. I’m a 30% Disabled Vet -- 20% for Diabetes II & 10% for hearing.
DFAS sends my TAXABLE monthly retirement pay minus the 30% VA offset. VA deduction = a bit over $400.
The VA sends my NON-TAXABLE payment for the 30% - a bit over $400.
DFAS sends me a monthly NON-TAXABLE payment that is a bit over $400.
CRSC is a great asset that should be applied for if you are eligible.
Source: DFAS -- my links below only scratch the surface. I’ve got a lot more information on my website: Click here.
Winds, Bob
- One's military retirement pay is taxable.
- One's VA disability benefits are not taxable.
- The amount you receive from the VA is deducted from your retirement pay (there are certain exceptions to this--perhaps for those with a 100% disability?). See CRDP below.
- Therefore, when receiving a VA disability payment, one's taxable retirement pay is less and this means that one pays less to the Infernal Revenue Service (not a typo, but my Dad's name for the IRS).
- Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) is designed to replace the amount that has been deducted from your retirement pay due to receipt of the VA disability payment. See CRSC below.
- Because CRSC payments replace "Taxable retirement pay income," they are taxable. See below.
CRDP - Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) allows military retirees to receive both military retired pay and Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation. This was prohibited until the CRDP program began on January 1, 2004.
CRDP is a "phase in" of benefits that gradually restores a retiree's VA disability offset. This means that an eligible retiree's retired pay will gradually increase each year until the phase in is complete effective January 2014.
You do not need to apply for CRDP. If qualified, you will be enrolled automatically.
Eligibility
You must be eligible for retired pay to qualify for CRDP. If you were placed on a disability retirement, but would be eligible for military retired pay in the absence of the disability, you may be entitled to receive CRDP.
Under these rules, you may be entitled to CRDP if…
- you are a regular retiree with a VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater.
- you are a reserve retiree with 20 qualifying years of service, who has a VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater and who has reached retirement age. (In most cases the retirement age for reservists is 60, but certain reserve retirees may be eligible before they turn 60. If you are a member of the Ready Reserve, your retirement age can be reduced below age 60 by three months for each 90 days of active service you have performed during a fiscal year.)
Click here or go to http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/crdp.html
CRSC - Combat Related Special Compensation is a program that was created for disability and non-disability military retirees with combat-related disabilities. It is a tax free entitlement that you will be paid each month along with any retired pay you may already be receiving.
Eligibility - To qualify for CRSC you must:
- be entitled to and/or receiving military retired pay
- be rated at least 10 percent by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA)
- waive your VA pay from your retired pay
- file a CRSC application with your Branch of Service
Disabilities that may be considered combat related include injuries incurred as a direct result of: Armed Conflict; Hazardous Duty; An Instrumentality of War; Simulated War
Retroactive Payment
In addition to monthly CRSC payments, you may be eligible for a retroactive payment. DFAS will audit your account to determine whether or not you are due retroactive payment. An audit of your account requires researching pay information from both DFAS and VA.
Click here or go to http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/crsc.html
There is a six year limit on Retroactive CRSC Payments. But the VA did an audit after both of my CRSC claims were processed and sent me back $$$ as well.
Tax
CRDP payments are taxable, CRSC payments are not taxable.
Click here or go to http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/manage/taxes/isittaxable.html
Other
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement Disability Pay (CRDP)
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement Disability Pay (CRDP) are programs created by Congress to allow eligible military retirees to receive monthly entitlements in addition to retired pay. As far as I know, CRDP covers all disabilities if your rating is over 50%.
CRSC is a special compensation for combat-related disabilities. It is non-taxable, and retirees must apply to their Branch of Service to receive it. CRSC only covers “combat related” disabilities. But each service has their list. My 20% diabetes is from Agent Orange exposure when I was in the Navy. As an Air Force Reserve Retiree I applied to the Air Force for CRSC. Usually your VA awards letter is what you need. When they sent me my approval, they said the noticed that I was also 10% disabled due to hearing loss and Tinnitus.
CRDP is a restoration of retired pay for retirees with service-connected disabilities. It is taxed in the same manner as your retired pay, and it is normally considered taxable income. No application is required. Eligible retirees receive CRDP automatically.
The purpose of these entitlements is to recover some or all of the retired pay that military retirees waive for VA disability compensation.
Click here or go to http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/payment.html
From: R. M. Jackson
Date: April 20, 2017
Subject: VA tests partnership with CVS to reduce veterans' wait times
Associated Press Release
VA tests partnership with CVS to reduce veterans' wait times
By Associated Press | April 18, 2017
Some ailing veterans can now use their federal healthcare benefits at CVS "MinuteClinics" to treat minor illnesses and injuries, under a pilot program announced Tuesday by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The new program, currently limited to the Phoenix area, comes three years after the VA faced allegations of chronically long wait times at its centers, including its Phoenix facility, which treats about 120,000 veterans.
The Phoenix pilot program is a test-run by VA Secretary David Shulkin who is working on a nationwide plan to reduce veterans' wait times.
Veterans would not be bound by current restrictions under the VA's Choice program, which limits outside care to those who have been waiting more than 30 days for an appointment or have to drive more than 40 miles to a facility. Instead, Phoenix VA nurses staffing the medical center's help line will be able to refer veterans to MinuteClinics for government-paid care when "clinically appropriate."
Shulkin has made clear he'd like a broader collaboration of "integrated care" nationwide between the VA and private sector in which veterans have wider access to private doctors. But, he wants the VA to handle all scheduling and "customer service" ? something that veterans groups generally support but government auditors caution could prove unwieldy and expensive.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump plans to sign legislation to temporarily extend the $10 billion Choice program until its money runs out, pending the administration's plan due out by fall. That broader plan would have to be approved by Congress.
"Our number one priority is getting veterans' access to care when and where they need it," said Baligh Yehia, the VA's deputy undersecretary for health for community care. "The launch of this partnership will enable VA to provide more care for veterans in their neighborhoods."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a long-time advocate of veterans' expanded access to private care, lauded the new initiative as an "important step forward."
"Veterans in need of routine healthcare services should not have to wait in line for weeks to get an appointment when they can visit community health centers like MinuteClinic to receive timely and convenient care," he said.
The current Choice program was developed after the 2014 scandal in Phoenix in which some veterans died, yet the program has often encountered long waits of its own. The bill being signed by Trump seeks to alleviate some of the problems by helping speed up VA payments and promote greater sharing of medical records. Shulkin also has said he wants to eliminate Choice's 30-day, 40 mile restrictions, allowing the VA instead to determine when outside care is "clinically needed."
Despite a heavy spotlight on its problems, the Phoenix facility still grapples with delays. Only 61 percent of veterans surveyed said they got an appointment for urgent primary care when they needed it, according to VA data.
Maureen McCarthy, the Phoenix VA's chief of staff, welcomed the new CVS partnership but acknowledged a potential challenge in providing seamless coordination to avoid gaps in care. She said a veteran's medical record will be shared electronically, with MinuteClinic providing visit summaries to the veteran's VA primary care physician so that the VA can provide follow-up services if needed.
The VA previously experimented with a similar program last year in the smaller market of Palo Alto, Calif., a $330,000 pilot to provide urgent care at 14 MinuteClinics. CVS says it is pleased the VA has opted to test out a larger market and says it's ready to roll the program out nationally if successful.
CVS, the biggest player in pharmacy retail clinics, operates more than 1,100 of them in 33 states and the District of Columbia.
"We believe in the MinuteClinic model of care and are excited to offer our healthcare services as one potential solution for the Phoenix VA Health Care System and its patients," said Tobias Barker, chief medical officer of CVS MinuteClinic.
MikeJ
From: Ron Turner
Date: July 5, 2014
Subject: Door Opens to New Vet Care Options
At least to some degree VA has apparently neither the will nor resources to deliver what it has promised. While I was there to get some of my records for a private physician, I attempted to implement the provisions of the act. I had been referred to Dallas VA by Fort Worth VA: the distance to Dallas VA is well over 50 miles to my house by VAs reckoning. The referral was by VA. They refused to authorize civilian payment. The patient advocate was/is quite upset and encouraging congressionals or whatever; the advocate has been told that probably that provision (over fifty miles) will be fully implemented in phase III, but in the current phase the distance is measured from the patient's home to the place where he was diagnosed/referred. Draw whatever conclusions you might!!!! In my case, no problem, plenty of coverage, but what garbage. Looks like they said what was necessary to get Congress off their back and then reneged (in a complicated way) on what they said.
Regards,
Ron
From: Steve Sevits
Date: July 5, 2014
Subject: Re AO
Earlier this week I talked with the VFW service rep working my claim and while I was on the phone he called New York City about an earlier claim denial, and straightened it out immediately. He's very confidence inspiring. He also told me not to talk to anyone but him about my claim. He's like a pit bull. I thank the day I met him.
I also publicly thank everyone on the AFVN list who has given me help and other contacts.
Steve Sevits
From: John Lehman
Date: July 5, 2014
Subject: Re AO
It is not enough to get a good service officer to handle your VA claim. You need to keep on him....CALL HIM on a weekly basis. ask what’s happening...is there anything else that you need to add. i.e.: medical test results, mris, ct scans; discharge notes from ER or hospital stays. My prostate cancer was back in 2003, 25 radiation treatments, implantation of 115 radioactive seeds, 2 years of hormone chemo. The VA approved service connection but 0 percent disability since it is still in remission. Heart cauterization in June 2010, got me to 30 percent and then upped to 40 percent in January 2011. An aortic valve replacement in February 2011 got me 3 months of 100 percent.....but it was discharge notes that got me to 100 percent (P) . HOSPITAL NOTES Showed 4 bouts of congestive heart failure over a 3 month period, plus an ER doc put in the magic phrase, MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION DUE TO SEVERE ANEMIA. that is AKA A HEART ATTACK....6 UNITS OF BLOOD AND A VISIT TO NUCLEAR MED CLEARED THAT UP but the 100 percent permanent came through in Feb. 2012 with a back date of Jan. 15, 2011. if you are married don’t forget to add your wife to your claim [and] added compensation.
Jay Lehman
[NB: John had put the original message in large type--perhaps to draw attention to it.]
From: Garry Brill
Date: July 4, 2014
Subject: Agent Orange Guide from Vietnam Veterans of America
[Attachment(s) from Garry Brill included below]
Steve......I am not 30% rated peripheral neuropathy, however, it was no easy task to achieve. I can only tell those reading this to work thru your County VA rep or someone/and/or organization that will represent you. Trying to do it on your own is only a handicap. Don't give up.
On the prostate issue, discussed earlier in an e-mail......I wonder how the VA is going to treat this one. I had my prostate taken out a few years ago and was rated at 100%. Then the VA came back and re-rated me at 20%. Thru my VA County Rep, I am fighting the reduction. It's been 18 months and I've heard NOTHING! Then, last December my PSA came back, doubled in January and again doubled in February. My Doctor ( not from the VA ) started me on radiation treatments and I'm now in session 20 of my 35 daily treatments. I wonder how they will address that with the cancer returning?
I bring this up because Ken suggested a SD VA Rep come to our reunion......YES is my answer, and he/she will probably be one of the most popular people there. Great suggestion Ken!
Garry Brill
Saigon 69'-70
Veterans Administration - Claims and Experiences - Page 3
June & July 2014 and November & December 2015 and March to September 2016 & April 2017
Getting Treatment and Problems with the VA plus some Information on Agent Orange
AFVN Group Conversations
Home Contact AFVN Past Contacts AFVN Roster POWS: The Honored Taps: Those Departed AFVN Organization AFVN Reunions
AFVN History AFVN Photos & Stories AFVN Group Conversations Audio Archives Video Archives AFVN Guest Book
Project Jenny KLIK - 1st Inf Di v Women in Vietnam RELATED-- To AFVN To Saigon To Vietnam Further Afield Index
From: Tim Bodle
Date: August 20, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860
Bob,
A phone call resolved the issue as best as they could so far. They have received the paperwork and it could take up to 8 months to complete. Depending on their workload. Thanks again for the info.
From: Bob Peetz
Date: March 19, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860 - Combat Related Special Compensation [Original Subject was: "A wee bit of history"]
Too many fingers on keyboard? CRSC applies to vets 10 to 49 percent disabled whose disability is on the CRSC list. These lists have been growing since CRSC began.
CRDP kicks in automatically at 50%.
From: Ken Kalish
Date: March 20, 2016
Subject: How to Hack the VA Healthcare System for a Great Experience
Great info, Jim. Thanks!
Ken
From: Jim White
Date: March 20, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860 - Combat Related Special Compensation [Original Subject was: "A wee bit of history"]
Thanks for the correction and apologies for the error--but then I'm still learning (or perhaps beginning to forget) my ABC's.
Jim W
From: Bob Peetz
Date: August 19, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860
Tim,
Call them ? here is the Army number ? 1-866-281-3254. Regular hours Eastern Standard Time.
Or try email:
usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-crsc-claims@mail.mil
Bob
From: Jim White NOTE: This message evidently contains some unintentional errors.
Date: April 18, 2016 Please see Bob Peetz' message immediately below.
Subject: DD Form 2860 - Combat Related Special Compensation [Original Subject was: "A wee bit of history"]
In my case, I am getting a VA disability payment equal to about 13% or my retirement pay, so the amount of income tax I pay is reduced while the amount of my remaining retirement pay plus my VA disability pay equals the original amount of my retirement pay. Now that I am also getting a CRSC payment (equal to my VA benefit), I have to pay just as much income tax on my retirement pay + CRSC payment as I was paying on my retirement pay only before I started getting the VA benefit. But, since I am also still getting the VA benefit--tax free--I am ahead of the game. This is what makes doing the paperwork and jumping through the hoops worthwhile.
CRSC payments are retroactive but I am not sure if there is a limit to how far back they go. In my case, they went back 14 months and I have already received a lump-sum, one-time payment.
If you are still not confused, go to http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/disability/payment.html
In summary, anyone who is getting military retirement pay and was in Vietnam should submit the paperwork (SEE http://www.benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claims-postservice-agent_orange-settlement-settlementFund.asp and http://www.militarydisabilitymadeeasy.com/ddform2860-s.pdf ) for "exposure to Agent Orange disability pay" regardless of how healthy they may think they may be.
Wishing you "quick approval of your request,"
From: Jim White
Date: March 20, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860 - Combat Related Special Compensation [Original Subject was: "A wee bit of history"]
Thanks for the correction and apologies for the error--but then I'm still learning (or perhaps beginning to forget) my ABC's.
Jim W
From: Tim Bodle
Date: April 17, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860 - Combat Related Special Compensation [Original Subject was: "A wee bit of history"]
Jim - Concerning the DD Form 2860. I've sent them what I think is needed to get the ball rolling. If approved, are the funds taxable? Are catch up funds included. Is it a one time payment? Many questions....
From: Tim Bodle
Date: August 19, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860
Jim - I sent a DD Form 2860 with requested documents to the address on the July 2011 form and haven't received anything at all. Not even an acknowledgment of receipt or the need of more documentation. Today I'm sending an inquiry 2 C what I get in return. The original form with requested form was sent April 13. Is there a different address than what is on the July 2011 version?
From: Tim Bodle
Date: August 19, 2016
Subject: DD Form 2860
Thanks Bob. First thing tomorrow morning. Maybe even email something tonight.
From: Steve Sevits
Dated: April 20, 2017
Subject: VA Tests Partnership with CVS
I’m not favorably impressed with any health care scheme to do with CVS. They just took over administering the prescription portion of our healthcare. They immediately shut off my diabetic testing supplies and substituted a cheaper version which was known to be unreliable. My wife had to fight to get a necessary medication and an exception was granted only when legal action was threatened. There were so many complaints in a couple of months about CVS prescription coverage that the plan administrator is dumping them and going back to the prior prescription manager.
Be very suspicious about any health coverage which has anything to do with CVS. From what we’ve seen they do everything on the cheap and if you die, they don’t have any expenses, they stink!
Steve Sevits
From: Jim White
Date: March 19, 2016
Subject: How to Hack the VA Healthcare System for a Great Experience
For those of you who don't get the Veterans Affairs newsletter, the article might prove useful. Click here.
Better yet, to subscribe to the Veterans Affairs Newsletter -- Click here.
Jim W