By BRIGID BRETT
March 5, 2010
"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest
appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." Although
this quotation is attributed to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, it might
just as well have been Scott Langhoff, CPO, U.S. Navy, retired.
If there is one thing that Langhoff wants veterans to know, it's that
it's never too late to find out what benefits they're eligible for.
At the Miramar Air Show, he met a Vietnam veteran who'd been treated
by the Veterans Administration health care system for diabetes for
the past nine years, yet had never been told that he might be
eligible for substantial benefits.
"Diabetes is a presumptive disease from herbicide exposure in
Vietnam, yet nobody told this veteran that he ought to file a claim,"
said Langhoff. "He probably lost $25,000 in compensation over the
past nine years."
Langhoff, who is the senior state service officer for the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, says this kind of thing happens all the time. "There
are millions of veterans who believe they can't get benefits from the
VA unless they were shot up in the war or unless they're homeless."
According to VA actuarial data, in 2008 California had approximately
2 million veterans, and more than 400,000 of them were enrolled in
the VA health care system. That's less than 20 percent. Nationally,
only 5 million of the 23 million veterans who served their country
are enrolled in the VA health care system.
"Veterans have massive misperceptions of what their benefits are,"
said Langhoff. "They'll ask for a benefit that doesn't exist or they
don't know the eligibility requirements. That's why outreach is so important."
He's so passionate about veterans getting their rightful benefits
that he co-hosts the radio show "Veterans Benefits for Dummies."
And his office in San Diego helped the payments of more than $19
million in VA benefits to 1,720 clients in 2008.
Langhoff will be speaking at a veterans outreach community event from
3 to 5 p.m. Friday at the Joslyn Senior Center in Escondido.
The free event is open to veterans of all generations, from World War
II to those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as
active personnel. No reservations are needed. The three main topics
that Langhoff will cover are Disability Compensation and Pension, the
Claims and Appeals process, and Health Care eligibility. Dinner (for
a small donation) and networking with other veterans will be
available at 6 p.m. next door at the Escondido VFW Post. Contact
Frank Daly at 760-505-0222.
Scott Langhoff can be reached at scott.langhoff@va.gov.
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BRIGID BRETT writes from Valley Center. Contact her at brigidbrett@aol.com.
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