The Carteret County Veterans Council will host a Government Retiree N.C. Tax Presentation and a VA Health Care Enrollment at the Crystal Coast Civic Center on Highway #70 in Morehead City on Tuesday, January 26^th.

The Tax Presentation will be conducted in the main area of the Center starting at 10:00 A.M. and the enrollment will be conducted in an adjoining hall between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M.

A recent landmark N.C. Supreme Court decision exempted all local, state and federal retirees (military included) who had five years of credible service prior to August 12, 1989, from paying state income tax on retirement pay. As a result of this court decision, monies collected on retirement pay from 1989 to 1997 will be refunded to include appropriate amounts of interest.

Ira Schwarz, Chairman of the Federal Retiree Tax Equity Tax Force will conduct the presentation on all aspects of this final settlement to include the details of the "Approved Settlement", Refund Administration, Further Tax Considerations, Estates, and Claims Cutoff Dates. All government retirees and heirs of the estates of eligible retirees are invited to attend.

In conjunction with this presentation, between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M., a special team composed of representatives from the VA Medical Center at Durham will enroll veterans into the new VA Health Care System which includes the issuance of a new VA Health Care Photo Identification Card. This is a great opportunity to enroll in this important health care program, saving one a 150+mile trip to the closest VA Medical Center. For those veterans who have never been seen at a VA Medical Center, to facilitate the enrollment process, they should bring a discharge/DD Form 214, though this is not a requirement for enrollment.

This enrollment is for all veterans, service-connected or non-service connected, with wartime or peace time service, whether they served a short period of active service or 30 years. Personal income or assets, in the grand scheme of the program, are really not an issue.

This program is a "win-win" for the veteran, the Region, and for the Regional VA Medical Centers. For the veteran, the enrollment in the Program offers a Uniform Benefits Package, a standard health plan available to all veterans. The Program not only opens up services to veterans, but simplifies the process by which veterans can receive the services. For Eastern North Carolina, specifically Carteret County, it continues to highlight to the VA hierarchy the requirement for a Community Based Outreach Clinic in the County. For the VA Regional Medical Center, each enrolled veteran means additional federal funding.

For more information, please call the Veteran Services Office at 252-728-8440.

FOR THE NEW VA HEALTH CARE ENROLLEE. If you would like assistance in getting established in the VA Health Care System for treatment, and/or medications, a good resource for assisting a veteran is the Carteret County Veterans Services Office at 252-728-8440 or at their E-Mail address ccvso@coastalnet.com.

1999 ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION REPORTS (EVRs). With calendar year 1998 at a close, those veterans and widows receiving improved pensions and having unreimbursed medical expenses for 1998 in excess of 5 percent of their basic pension rate, should calculate their 1998 medical expenses and apply for reimbursement of unreimbursed medical expenses as soon as is practical since we are on a "Calendar Year" reporting basis (Jan. 1, 1998 through Dec. 31, 1998) instead of a fiscal year one.

An important note is that, like last year, we have been led to believe that only those pension recipients who have reported income other than Social Security will be sent an EVR. That means that a pension recipient who receives only Social Security has to take the initiative, and on his own accord, file for unreimbursed medical expenses if he or she would like to get partial reimbursement for expenses incurred during calendar year 1998.

If the above is applicable to your particular situation, you should gather together your medical expenses, to include spouse’s and dependent children’s medical, and contact the Veterans Services Office and they will gladly assist you in completing the paperwork required for your submission. Since the office anticipates significant numbers of Veteran’s and Widow’s applying for this reimbursement, it will be doing this work by appointment to preclude long waits at the Veteran’s Service Office. Call 252-728-8440 to set up a time that is convenient for you. If there are questions concerning what medical expenses are to be considered, the VSO Office has a listing of items that can be utilized as a checklist. Call 252-728-8440 or contact by E-mail at ccvso@coastalnet.com for a copy of this checklist.

DISABLED VETERANS TO RECEIVE INCREASE IN BENEFITS. The VA recently announced that more than three million beneficiaries of VA compensation and pension will receive an increase of 1.3 percent in monthly benefit payments.

These cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) will go to 2.3 million veterans receiving disability compensation which now will range from $96 for a single veteran with a 10 percent disability rating to $1, 989 for a single veteran with a 100 percent disability rating.

Veterans whose service connected disabilities are rated at 30 percent or above may receive an additional allowance based on the numbers of dependents and the severity of the disability.

Over 350,000 veterans will also receive a COLA increase in their pensions, with VA pensions being an income supplement program for wartime veterans whose permanent and total disabilities are not service-connected.

If you desire more information on the VA’s compensation and pension programs contact Veteran’s Services at 252-728-8440 or on E-Mail at ccvo@coastalnet.com.

TERMINALLY ILL VETS TO RECEIVE ACCELERATED DEATH BENEFITS. Changes in government life insurance programs just recently signed in law will now allow terminally ill veterans to receive accelerated death benefits.

The Veterans Programs Enhancement Act established an option that allows terminally ill service members Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans Group Life Insurance (VGLI) programs policyholders to receive up to half of the face value of their coverage, up to a maximum of $100,000 during their lifetimes.

Call Veteran Services at 252-728-8440 or E-Mail on ccvso@coastalnet.com for additional details on these programs.