02-24-2022, 11:12 PM
Disability Pay for Troops with Debilitating Cases, or Their Survivors
Under sweeping veterans legislation approved 16 DEC by Congress, service members who contract
COVID-19 while on duty and suffer disability or death as a result will be eligible for Department of
Veterans Affairs benefits. A provision in the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care
and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 designates COVID-19 as a presumptive illness – a descriptor that
paves the way for affected service members or veterans who suffer long-term consequences of the virus to
receive compensation and benefits.
To be eligible for disability, the individual must have served on active duty for more than 48 hours at
one time and developed the illness during service or within 14 days after the qualifying period of duty. The
department has the ability to decide whether a veteran qualifies should they develop COVID-19 after the
14-day time frame. The benefit would apply to active-duty service members and Reserve members, as well
as National Guardsmen on training duty under Title 10; activated Guard members serving on or after 13
MAR; or those working full time during the national emergency as declared by the president.
It is unclear how many service members would be affected by the change, expected to be signed by
President Donald Trump in the coming days. Of the 14 service members who have died from COVID-19,
two were on active duty – Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker and Army
Staff Sgt. Setariki Korovakaturaga – and their families will rate benefits, according to the legislation. Of
the five members of the National Guard who have died, two were not activated at the time of their deaths
or before. The duty status of the remaining three has not been made public. Seven Reserve members have
died, including six soldiers and one Navy sailor. Of those, two were confirmed not to have been on active
duty at the time of their deaths or prior; the status of the remaining five has not been disclosed.
Of the 94,644 service members who have contracted COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak,
57,590 have recovered, according to Defense Department data published 16 DEC. Nearly 880 have been
hospitalized for the illness, an indication of a serious case of COVID-19 with the potential for long-term
effects and, possibly, VA benefits. In addition to the COVID-19 provisions, the legislation creates an Office
of Women's Health within the VA and mandates that every VA hospital have a dedicated women's health
provider. It includes a number of provisions to address sexual assault and harassment within the department,
expands services for Native American and homeless veterans, and contains a number of education benefits
measures.
Under sweeping veterans legislation approved 16 DEC by Congress, service members who contract
COVID-19 while on duty and suffer disability or death as a result will be eligible for Department of
Veterans Affairs benefits. A provision in the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care
and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 designates COVID-19 as a presumptive illness – a descriptor that
paves the way for affected service members or veterans who suffer long-term consequences of the virus to
receive compensation and benefits.
To be eligible for disability, the individual must have served on active duty for more than 48 hours at
one time and developed the illness during service or within 14 days after the qualifying period of duty. The
department has the ability to decide whether a veteran qualifies should they develop COVID-19 after the
14-day time frame. The benefit would apply to active-duty service members and Reserve members, as well
as National Guardsmen on training duty under Title 10; activated Guard members serving on or after 13
MAR; or those working full time during the national emergency as declared by the president.
It is unclear how many service members would be affected by the change, expected to be signed by
President Donald Trump in the coming days. Of the 14 service members who have died from COVID-19,
two were on active duty – Navy Aviation Ordnanceman Chief Petty Officer Charles Thacker and Army
Staff Sgt. Setariki Korovakaturaga – and their families will rate benefits, according to the legislation. Of
the five members of the National Guard who have died, two were not activated at the time of their deaths
or before. The duty status of the remaining three has not been made public. Seven Reserve members have
died, including six soldiers and one Navy sailor. Of those, two were confirmed not to have been on active
duty at the time of their deaths or prior; the status of the remaining five has not been disclosed.
Of the 94,644 service members who have contracted COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak,
57,590 have recovered, according to Defense Department data published 16 DEC. Nearly 880 have been
hospitalized for the illness, an indication of a serious case of COVID-19 with the potential for long-term
effects and, possibly, VA benefits. In addition to the COVID-19 provisions, the legislation creates an Office
of Women's Health within the VA and mandates that every VA hospital have a dedicated women's health
provider. It includes a number of provisions to address sexual assault and harassment within the department,
expands services for Native American and homeless veterans, and contains a number of education benefits
measures.