Help veterans get benefits

Deseret Morning News editorial
Published: Monday, Nov. 14, 2005 9:15 a.m. MST
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Last Friday, Utahns and the rest of a grateful nation paused to honor veterans. It is only appropriate that Americans honor those who have served their country with duty and honor. But it is not sufficient to confine those demonstrations of respect to a single day. Veterans should receive some acknowledgement year-round that their sacrifices are deeply appreciated.

One way to do that would be to ensure that veterans who are entitled to benefits receive them. The Utah Division of Veterans Affairs assists veterans in obtaining benefits such as pensions and health care, but some people who are entitled to them are too humble to seek them on their own. The division needs additional state funding to seek out veterans who need assistance.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. earmarked $100,000 in his budget last year to pay for veteran outreach services. Unfortunately, the Legislature didn't fund the request. Considering only 9.1 percent of Utah's 156,803 veterans receive pensions, there are likely more veterans who qualify. Nationwide, about 12 percent of veterans receive VA compensation and pensions. Surely Utah owes it to its veterans to ascertain if they qualify for such assistance.

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The return on such an investment would be huge. There are about 180,000 veterans in New Mexico, 13.5 percent of whom receive pensions for service-connected disabilities and low incomes totaling more than $732 million. Meanwhile, Utah veterans receive about $150 million in like pensions.

One Utah veteran with service-related disabilities profiled in a recent Deseret Morning News report said he had spent years relying on his wife's state insurance policy to pay for his health care. His health deteriorated to the point that he quit work. The veteran later learned that his medical problems were tied to exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. With the help of the Utah Division of Veterans Affairs, he received a back payment of $20,000 and another $2,000 a month in pension. It was a profound improvement in his household's quality of life.

Surely there are others who need similar assistance. Utah needs to do a better job tracking down deserving veterans. The Utah Legislature needs to make a special effort to ensure the state has sufficient resources to assist veterans in obtaining the help they need and the benefits to which they are entitled.

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