COASTAL LIVING
        Friday, September 4, 1998

      The Carteret County Veterans Council is hosting another VA Health Care enrollment opportunity for the veterans of Eastern North Carolina.

    It will be Tuesday, Sept. 22 from 8 am to 8 PM at the Crystal Coast Civic Center in Morehead City.

    A special team composed of representatives from the VA Medical Centers at Fayetteville and Durham will be on hand to 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, is really not an issue.  This program is a "win-win" situation for the veteran, the region, and for VA Medical Centers.  For the veteran, 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 Centers, each enrolled veteran means additional federal funding.

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

DISABILITY COMPENSATION/PENSION

   There are two VA entitlement programs which provide monthly compensation/pension to disabled veterans.  They are:

--  Disability Compensation.  Monetary benefits are paid to veterans who are disabled by injury or disease incurred or aggravated during active military service.

-- Disability Pension.  A wartime veteran can be paid a pension if he or she is of limited income and is no longer capable of being gainfully employed.

    There is no deadline for applying for either compensation or for pension.  If you believe you might be entitled to either compensation or pension or that you should be at a higher rate of compensation or pension, you should contact the Veteran Service Office to discuss the particulars of your situation.

VISUAL IMPAIRMENT SERVICES TEAM

   The VA Medical Centers have a superior program and benefits package for blind veterans, whether service connected or non-service connected.  The VIST (Visual Impairment Services Team) Program is designed to ensure that veterans are brought into contact with restorative services which can help the individual overcome the negative effects of blindness.

    To be eligible for the program, the veteran must have a discharge form active military service under other than dishonorable conditions and be legally blind.

    For details on the program, call Veteran Services at 728-8440.

VA COMPENSATION, PENSION EXAMS

   The VA Regional Office in Winston-Salem recently started participating in a pilot program where a privately owned corporation (QTC Medical Group, Inc) will conduct medical examinations of some individuals who have filed claims for VA Disability benefits.   QTC has extensive experience conducting disability medical exams for government programs and will conduct these exams at local medical clinics, significantly reducing the veteran's travel time.  It's hoped that privatization of this VA function will also have an impact on the quality, timeliness and cost of the examination process.

VETERAN SERVICES E-MAIL

   To better serve the veteran, the Carteret County Veterans Services is up in the Internet.   The office's E-Mail address is www.ccvso@coastalnet.com.   A web site is in the works and will soon be up on the Net.  The address will be www.carteretvets.org.   More to follow.

VETERANS DAY PARADE

   Planning for the annual Carteret County Veterans Day Parade has begun.  The event will be conducted on Saturday, November 7, in Morehead City.  If you or your group are interested in participating, marching, or would like to volunteer or assist in the event's planning and organizing, contact Tex Cavett, chairman of the Carteret County Veterans Council at 728-2411 or at 728-3878.