J Basser: 0:02

Welcome folks to another episode of Jay Bassers Exposed Vet Productions on this beautiful sunshiny, hotter than you know what, july 24th 2025. It's hot out there in the Treasurer Mountains. I got my one and only famous co-host today, mr Ray Cobb. How you doing, ray?

Ray Cobb: 0:21

I'm doing great. I'm trying to stay cool inside right now. Yeah, it was well's well 90s here earlier today oh, it's just flat out hot.

J Basser: 0:31

We went out to a little town today and got something brought back and it just goes outside for about 20 minutes in it and I thought I was going to die and yeah, it's just too hot. But uh, being today's the 24th and we're going to discuss the value of benefits today Kind of a morbid topic, of course, you know. I mean, with all the people passing away lately, it kind of, you know, it's time to do one. I mean, we've lost a lot of folks. You know not just veterans, but you know well-respected celebrities. You know Hulk Hogan died just here yesterday, well-respected celebrity. You know Hogan died just here yesterday.

Ray Cobb: 1:05

Well, that's what I thought it sounded like Willie Nelson didn't do it too good either.

J Basser: 1:12

Well, willie's got some. You know he's got some problems. Of course, according to the tabloids, willie's died 10 times in the past 15 years. But uh, he lost a lot of folks.

J Basser: 1:26

And you know the reason we're saying is if you're veterans, there's a little different issue there Because there's survivor benefits from the VA that are available to spouses of veterans and we'll kind of cover that. I'll start off. If something happens to the veteran While he's got a claim Still active or an appeal, we'll start off with that. And you know we lost one here a while back that had a claim in and his representative took over and did everything right. And so if you're a widow, soon to be, and say your veteran passes while you have an active claim in, you know you're going to have your hands full. You've got so much stuff going on with planning and this and that and insurance and everything else that you know veterans benefits are going to be probably a little bit on the back burner. What you're looking at is if your veteran had a claim in and say, for example, he wasn't 100% and his claim he had in was one that would make him 100%, then you know it's possible.

J Basser: 2:32

So what you have to do is you have to do it yourself. If you can, you just might know what they're doing. First of all, because this is very, very unleveled ground. Let's put it that way. You're very unleveled around. Let's put it that way, getting a credit representative.

J Basser: 2:48

Personally, I would get probably an accredited VA claims agent, someone like that that knows what's done it before they can show you the ropes on it. Because the first thing you want to do is you want to file for two things you want to file for DIC, which is dependent indemnity compensation, and you also want to file an accrued benefits claim. And that means that you know, basically, when a veteran dies, the claim dies with a veteran. So the spouse not only the spouse, it can't be anybody else basically has to file an accrued benefits claim and that will. Anything the VA owes the spouse up to the date of his death will be paid to the living, the wife or whatever. The veteran, or, if the veteran is the female, the husband. You know, that's what it is. Yeah, there's another point there, john that.

Ray Cobb: 3:44

One other thing that I recommend to individuals that I'm talking with if you're the spouse and the veteran has a claim pending and it's obvious that he's going to pass away, probably before the claim is decided, and their medical conditions are still changing with him, it's important that the veteran, even if he really has to scribble it there's a form, and I'm sorry I don't remember the number on the form there's a form, and I'm sorry I don't remember the number on the form, but there's a form allowing the spouse and, like you said, only the spouse to intervene and add additional medical evidence to the claim. Yeah, both would recommend is that she by this time has a credited agent working with her or else some really computer-savvy, intelligent sons or daughters to help her. That would work. But you know that form has to be signed by the veteran, naming her the right to intervene.

Ray Cobb: 5:07

Now, what that also means, that makes it easier if he does pass it away, to file the form that you were just speaking of in order to continue to get the back benefits when the claim is decided. And to force the claim to be decided is decided. And to force the claim to be decided. That's really important there, because if you don't do that, then they don't have to make a decision on the claim. It just vanishes into clear air as if it never existed. Just because you have a claim in once that veteran's deceased and those other forms aren't filled out don't hold me to the time frame, but I'm thinking 30 days from his death then the claim just automatically goes away. It cannot be regenerated.

J Basser: 5:58

Unless the spouse has an incapacitating maybe. Say, for example, they're driving down to Florida on a little vacation, they get in a car wreck and he gets killed and she's in a coma and she's in there for like six months and she's incapacitated, can't do it. So that's one of the only caveats I see that would change that rule. Now, this is only we're talking about if you've got an active claim or an appeal. Okay, if you've got an active claim or appeal and you don't have an accredited representative, by all means go on the VAgov website and do the search for the people. You can call somebody close to you. There's a listing of the appeals agents and there's also a listing of the VSOs. Somebody knows what they're doing and you can qualify them and see. Basically, that's if you have an open claim or an appeal.

J Basser: 7:00

Now switch gears just a little bit. Dependent indemnity compensation is payable to a spouse of a veteran who has passed away due to a service-connected illness condition. You don't have to be 100%. If the condition itself is what caused the veteran's death or is mentioned in the veteran's death. It does not have to be the main cause. It just has to be a contributing factor. Say, for example, the veteran has lung heart disease and he dies of his lung disease, but his heart gives out. That's a contributing factor. If the veteran is married and has been service-connected for 10 years and had been married for how long, was that? 10 years or so, or was it different?

Ray Cobb: 7:53

My understanding it's the same, but that may not be correct, because someone had told me that once that it doesn't matter, once that the VA has acknowledged the spouse and she is receiving spousal benefits. Now, that's the way one person explained it to me.

J Basser: 8:19

Well, we'll check into that. But anyhow, the veteran's been in the service for 10 years and he's been basically 100% for 10 years and the spouse is covered supposedly is covered under any cause of death, regardless of whether it's accidental or anything like that, you know.

Ray Cobb: 8:38

Right.

J Basser: 8:39

So that's one benefit that again don't do this alone. Get an accredited representative to help you. I am tired of seeing and looking on all these veterans' websites and reading through and seeing all these old crap moments. Oh no, I got this. This happened, that happened. And why did that happen? Uh, I tried to do it by myself. Why did you do it by yourself? You didn't have a credit representation to help you. That could have avoided that.

Ray Cobb: 9:20

Well, yeah, I mean, we see that all the time, you and I do, you and I see it, we hear it, and it's just a basic and you always hear the same why do I want to give somebody else some money? Because if you don't, you're not going to get any money Probably, you know you're going to get. They're going to figure out ways to make you goof up, you know that's the reason. I said at it.

J Basser: 9:43

The reason I said that, ray, is I was reading one the other day. This poor person got denied on their claim so instead of filing for a high-level review or supplemental appeal, they decided to file again. So they did another intent to file. They won their claim based off that intent to file. With the other evidence they wouldn't go back to the date of the first claim, they went back to the date of the intent to file. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

Ray Cobb: 10:20

So they lost a few dollars.

J Basser: 10:23

Do not screw the pooch folks, Because there's two things you don't want to do. Of course they say don't poke the bear but don't screw the pooch either. But other benefits involved for the spouse will be say, for example, she wasn't 100% and he passed away with service naked disability. She gives her DIC based off service naked death. She should be entitled to CHAMP VA insurance, which 80% paid insurance, medical pharmacy, 80% no out-of-pocket costs, except for the 20% co-pays to the other doctor. But if you get Medicare, if you're 65 years old and you have Medicare, you're eligible for Medicare. You cannot get CHAMPVA unless you take Medicare Part B. They will not give it to you because you don't have Part B.

J Basser: 11:29

Medicare becomes primary and Champ VA becomes secondary. It's still worthless because it's free insurance. You don't have to pay the money for it. They'll pay the 20% of your other co-pays for Medicare. So you'll have no co-pays and it still acts as a medical card or as a medicine. You pay, or two, for prescriptions and it'll keep you out of the I guess, the donut hole. Or, if you want, you know, because you've got the D plan and all this other stuff and people say they don't need it. You know, but trust me, one day it'll come when you need it. You know, there's another thing.

Ray Cobb: 12:05

John, I don't know how it's working. Recently, as you're aware, pam has started having to go on a prescription that she's going to need to take the rest of her life. Now we were very surprised because, due to the fact of certain medications and there's a few other programs that are out there, but it's basically if it's a generic name or a generic drug with the same medication, and then also there's some groups out there Excuse me, rx is one of them and a couple of other medical things that reduce the cost of drugs. And this drug of hers her Medicare would not cover it, but Champ VA does, and between Champ VA and goodRx it's free. There's no copay.

Ray Cobb: 13:12

So without it it wasn't much. I mean, it was $18 a month if she'd had the copay. But because she signed up and got into GoodRx then and that's good at several drugstores I think CVS, walgreens and all the major ones accept that and some of them even have their own plan. So you need to make sure you get in that too, folks, because that can make a difference. I mean here, all of a sudden we're facing that we're going to need this prescription for, hopefully, 20 or 30 years. I don't know if she'll live to be 95,. But if she does, let's just hope she does yeah.

J Basser: 13:56

Just plan on it, make plans.

Ray Cobb: 13:59

That's covered. So those are some things that you also want to make sure that you can have in place before your veteran becomes deceased. And I don't know if there's an age limit on that or not, for some reason. I'm thinking when we signed up, it was 55. At least enroll in the one that we're enrolled in. Signed up it was 55. In order to at least enroll in the one that we're enrolled in.

J Basser: 14:31

Okay, now I know several veterans that have passed away and they've had children, some that became disabled at a little age. Some children get meningitis at a young age or polio or something like that, and they're disabled for life and the VA pays a dependent pay for them too. So I don't know how that actually works, in effect, if the veteran passed away. We lost one vet down in another part of Kentucky that had a child that was in bad shape, but he was in, but he was in constant care, and I think they're still paying for him. So that's something we need to investigate.

J Basser: 15:14

I mean, don't quote the show there, you know we can dig into it and see, but you can ask if you got that situation going. You can ask. I'd call the regional office and ask them personally, 1-800-87-1000, and explain to them what your question is and have them try to answer it. Losing a vet's not fun, but most vets that die of service-to-nest conditions are kind of battle casualties in my opinion. It just took them forever, it took them a long time to wind up and die, you know. Yeah, because we're going to lose more folks, you know, and it's going to hurt, you know, because I mean, the older we get, the more funerals we get to attend Right Ray.

Ray Cobb: 16:00

That's the way it is. And then all of a sudden you wake up one morning when you reach my age and you start counting back how many veterans that you've known that are no longer there. Or in mine and your case I'm sure. We sit back and we know of veterans that you helped and they got their benefits and now their wife's getting DIC and things and what that means to them. And it's kind of shocking when you stop and you say, wow, I know more that are gone than I know that are around.

J Basser: 16:36

You know we were talking to the lady that runs our camper storage facility over there in the town, across the way here, and see, there was a gentleman working on the motorhome changing the headlight a while back and he fell over dead right there in the lot with a massive heart attack. So they didn't find him for four hours and his wife called her asking if she'd seen him. Well, she knew that he'd found him, but she couldn't tell him. She had to look at the corner and give him the bad news. Yeah, another camper back in the back went down to the floor to another camper and the guy died in the fifth wheel, died in his sleep. But if you pull your number, it's time to go where you're going to go.

Ray Cobb: 17:19

Right, and then myself included, there's sometimes that we get a second chance.

J Basser: 17:29

We've lost a lot of good vets in the last year or so that had a big voice and a big heart and did a lot of help for veterans. I used to be associated with HATEDcom and a lot of those folks that are gone now that are really good, some really good friends that we worked hand-in-hand. You know, with this stuff and you know you look up and you see they're gone and it's just sad, you know. But you got to move on. So you know that's probably making friends. You know. Especially you know if you deal with veterans, especially as perked up as we are, you know time's not going to last forever, so it's better to make the best of what time you have while you're having it, you know. But other than that, what's some other benefits the spouses get once the pension passes away at the DIC? I know the DIC is configured a certain way. I guess it's kind of like bonus money. I can't pull this up and share my screen, right, okay, okay, let me see here my screen right, okay, okay, let me see here,

J Basser: 19:07

there you go Showing it. Okay, here's the surviving spouses of the infected December 1st 2024. If the veteran had a VA disability rating total, including IU, for eight full years leading up to their death and you're married to the veteran for those same eight years, so it's an eight-year rule To add a monthly amount. Basically it's 351.02. Well, you're right. After, okay, you have a disability and need help with regular daily activities like eating, bathing, that's eight attendance, which is $409 a month. If you can't leave your house because of your disability, it's $191.85.

J Basser: 20:05

Hmm, you have one or more children of age 18. Hmm, there's a transitional benefit for two years of $350 for the first two years after the veteran's death and then $400, so the partial rate is $453 for each child. So the total payment for the first two years, the monthly rate, is $16,5307. If you have a child, you get the transitional benefit of $350 after two years. Whoa, that's a pretty good lick. Well, that's the total. So that all depends on if you need aid, attendance people come and help you do stuff, you know, if you're elderly and things like that. But if you're married eight years, it's an additional $351. So you're looking at close to two grand anyways, without children, If you have eight attendants and you know you can get pretty much close to $2,400. But you know it's not going to, you're not going to get rich off of it, but I'm sure that'll help you a whole lot. You know, because you're going to get to vet your Social Security too, and your Social Security If you work, you probably draw your own list.

J Basser: 21:36

He was the hirer and you draw his. If you guys got a question about Social Security, about this stuff, about what happens if they pass away, there's an excellent little lady named Lisa Hiring. She's been on the show before and her website is Side by Side Solutions. You guys can look at it, wwwsidebysidesolutionscom and ask her questions or she'll help you with anything dealing with Social Security, with survival benefits and things like that with veterans. So I'll give her a shout out. She's pretty sharp, she retired from Social Security and she knows what she's doing. Other than that, that's what we do that way. Any other benefit you think of Ray for a spouse?

Ray Cobb: 22:32

well, not that I can think of. I think we covered most of them. I I mean the only, the only you know. You touched on some, but um, basically, if the spouse is on champ va, their champ va has all the same criteria that a veteran has when it comes to in-home care.

Ray Cobb: 22:56

And in-home care can be everything from a nurse coming in Well, I know a gentleman that his wife right now is on that and she has somebody to come into the home three days a week and then they send somebody to just to make sure she's okay and everything, and then two days. The other two days a week the lady comes in for, um, I think it's six hours each day and that's to wash and clean and cook and things of that nature.

J Basser: 23:35

Yeah, be able to get that.

Ray Cobb: 23:37

Yeah, now I don't think. Another good question is this could pull up, but I don't think the caregiver program goes over to. In other words, I don't think the spouse is entitled to the caregiver program at all. Someone was asking me about that last week and I said, in the best of my knowledge, no, the caregiver program is strictly the veteran's thing.

J Basser: 24:07

It was written. By law it has to be a veteran-only issue, but, like I said, it's kind of a morbid topic.

Ray Cobb: 24:19

Well, it is but if you look at it this way, it's no different than individuals. They go down and there's a way to look at it, in my opinion. You go down and you look at this the same way you would go down and pre-plan your funeral, so you get it done the way you want it done and relieve a lot of the pressure off your family. And that's exactly for the veteran. If you'll get all this lined up, you know another thing that you need to do. That is easier, it's not hard to do, but you got to do it. You got to make sure, ladies or gentlemen, whichever it affects, if you've had a divorce, you got to make sure you have both copies of both of your divorce decree. I did not know that. Our friend Alex Graham told me that have both copies of both of your divorce decree. I did not know that. Our friend Alex Graham told me that and fortunately he looked at mine and he said oh well, okay, that's all right, we got it. I mean, you know so if you both have been divorced, you've got to have both of your divorce decrees on file or ready to be filed. So that's something that a lot of people. I didn't know it, I overlooked it and just kind of getting my things in order. Now for PAM is you know, I wanted to make sure I had everything you need and you know they're going to give you five. Mostly in the state of Tennessee anyway, you get five copies of your death certificate without charging, so you're going to need two of those in the VA and so you need to make sure you have two of those in the VA, and so you need to make sure you have two of those and then Social Security's going to have to have one, and then you don't know what else you may need the others for. But if you've got some type of life insurance, banks, all that, a lot of that stuff can be predetermined and worked out ahead of time to make it easier on your spouse. And then you get the right things together for your DIC that you're going to need. Have them in a file folder.

Ray Cobb: 26:49

I've bumped into this one gentleman. He really had it down right. He fixed his wife a little notebook. It was an 8.5 by 11 sheet with little protectors in there and in the front of it it had everything she would need Forms, numbers and everything at the time to what she needed to do to get DIC and then, as you turn the page, for example, he was divorced.

Ray Cobb: 27:19

He had a copy of her divorce decree and then had a copy of his. Then they had a room and he had it written on a big white sheet of paper death certificate. And then right on down the line, and I think there's about eight or ten things that you're going to need and he had it booked in place ready to go, and she showed me that after his death and I thought, man, now what a great way to get that thing set up for your spouse is to make her a little book with sheet protectors in it and put the things in there she needs. And if there's something she needs that's unavailable until after his death, then just write what it is and put a sheet in there for that. But he had it all together for her.

J Basser: 28:15

Okay, well, there's also a survivor's pension right and basically a survivor's pension is a needs-based benefit based on surviving spouses and unremarried dependent children of wartime veterans unmarried, so the qualifier for that survivor's pension must not have been remarried after the veteran's death and the veteran must have had an honorable discharge, okay, or other than dishonorable Okay, no, dishonorable discharge.

Ray Cobb: 28:49

Isn't that $1,600 a month now?

J Basser: 28:54

I don't know yet, I'll have to look at it. It says that it depends on the veteran service dates and where they were served during the wartime period. So if you're a Vietnam vet like that, then you can do it. But the pension amount is based on the income and net worth and it's made for dependents. So basically, if you're going for a vet or later, you know that might include you because you might have kids at home or whatever. But it also depends on how much you draw and make and things like that.

Ray Cobb: 29:22

Yeah, I had this lady come to me it's been several years ago now wanting that. She had heard about it. She thought she deserved it and when I was talking to her, found out in our little community down the road from us called Flat Creek and it is just a Flat Creek community. She had a farm there with 250 acres and she didn't think that was fair, since she didn't live on it, that that should count as money. No, she didn't rent it out. No, none of that. It was just sitting there and she planned on giving it to her kids. That's great, but don't expect to be able to draw a pension, you know, just because you think you might deserve it, you've got certain. Those qualifications got to be met.

J Basser: 30:19

Be glad you're not a column whip buddy. You're sitting there on 250 acres. You don't touch it, especially in eastern Kentucky. If they find out there's coal on that property, they'll tax you for the unmined coal.

Ray Cobb: 30:32

Really Wow. I wonder if they do that in Texas with the oil I hope not.

J Basser: 30:44

I doubt it, I doubt it. I doubt it. You know it's become well. Also, here's a good one. The VA provides burial benefits, including a flood allowance and transportation assistance for eligible veterans and their spouses, which is pretty good. Now there is a lot of national veteran cemeteries and the veteran is eligible to be buried there. All national cemeteries, except for one, is managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The only one that is not is where it's got to be Arlington.

J Basser: 31:29

Arlington and yeah, that's a beautiful place. We were just there a few weeks ago. I wore out two walkers and a scooter getting through there, but no, the best thing about it is your spouse will be buried with you If you pass away and you want to go to, of course, arlington, it's a little different to get in there. Arlington is getting pretty much close to being full. You knowlington, it's a little different to get in there. You know Arlington's getting pretty much close to being full. You know that, ray.

Ray Cobb: 31:56

I did, I did, and you're kind of limited as to who can be there, you know.

J Basser: 32:07

But any National Cemetery you're buried in. The veteran can be buried there. The spouse can also be buried there. We've got one here. That's pretty close, which is pretty cool. We've got one down in Chattanooga that's pretty cool, Ray, yeah, there's some very famous folks in there. You know, that.

Ray Cobb: 32:24

I do. My football coach is in there, my high school principal's in there. They both served in World War II. And then you got some other famous people in there. Did you know Francis Scott Key is buried in Nashville?

J Basser: 32:42

Mm-hmm, actually, yes, we did a. I was an extra in a movie down there several years ago and we did a scene real close to his grave.

Ray Cobb: 32:59

That was the first place that the American flag was approved to fly 24-7. Mm-hmm.

J Basser: 33:11

Pretty cool man, yeah, pretty cool man and man, there's a lot of old, old, old stones in that place. I mean we're talking, yeah, there is a lot of fancy stones. I mean, you know, none of this little stuff, we're talking stones. You could walk under and things like that, you know, and just like humongous, beautiful place, you know, and I don't want to be there after dark, though. You know what I mean, I know.

J Basser: 33:40

But also, the spouse will be buried at National Cemetery with a bet. How they do it is if the veteran passes away first, they'll bury him, if the spouse passes away, they'll bury her on top of it. You know what they're stacked Mm-hmm, why? Hmm, I don't know. I mean, she's not going to know the difference, right? You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, mm-hmm. Well, they do get pulled. Well, they do get full military honors.

J Basser: 35:03

And now also, surviving spouse is also entitled to basically a CHAMP VA. She's entitled to education benefits too, whichever 35 and surviving children Say, even if that wasn't 100% of the time but he gets a service neck of death and died of a service neck condition, automatically the benefits go over to his children, you know. So they can get college tuition, things like that they don't really pay the tuition to the college. They pay the stipend to the student who can pay it, you know. So that's a good thing, yeah, and it's a good benefit. I mean, it's Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, hmm, what? Well, I've got one better for you. What kind of grades do you make? Well, the reason being is that, hmm, hmm, I want to give you one better.

J Basser: 37:39

If the child of the veteran, or any child actually, if, when they want to go to college, and as long as they make 3.0 grade point average or above, they can do this in high school too and apply. And as they make a 3.0 grade point average or above, they can do this in high school too and apply. And if they want to work for the government, they have to go into the engineering field, whether it be mechanical engineering, any type of engineering, any like computer, data science and things like that, any type of STEM they call it, which you've heard of the STEM programs. Right, they can apply for the DOD Smart School program. If they get accepted, they'll pick up a sponsor, we'll pick them up at the facility and they'll pay them pretty good, depending on what level, degree they want to do and how long they want to do it. You know if they want to go to a master's or even a PhD, they'll pay that and they'll pay them so much per year. With the higher level degree make more money you get from them, so they pay.

J Basser: 38:38

You say $40,000 a year just to go to school. They pay you and that's the lower end. Okay, it's $40,000 and $46,000 for the high end. They pay for your classes, they pay for your school, everything. They give you an allowance for health insurance for the student. It's not on Mom and Dad's policy.

J Basser: 39:02

Plus, when you graduate you have a job. It's a year for year. So if you go to college for five years to get an engineering degree, you got to work five years for the government or for DOD. But usually in those positions they put you in. It's an open mobility. You'll start at one grade next year, go to the next grade. It's always going up and up and up. So you'll start off. We're talking. These people are high grade people. The smarter you are, the more education you get, the higher grades you're going to get, the more you're going to get, more money you're going to make and you can pick any facility you want to go to. You know you can put in Fort, so you can pick Florida, any state you want to go to, basically, that has a military base, even for the one in your backyard, you know. So that's something you need to look at.

J Basser: 39:52

Mm-hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hey, mm-hmm. Okay, what do you decide then? Mm-hmm, thank you. Anywhere within the system? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. There's an ophthalmologist there. Actually, a regular optometrist is. Yeah, they go to optometry school. You know a regular optometrist, which is a regular eye doctor. But you get into ophthalmology and retinal specialists and things like that. You're talking medical doctors that went to medical school too, and then they went to ophthalmology school. So you're looking at probably 12 years of education. Mm-hmm, it's true, because our doctors are pretty different. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

J Basser: 42:44

Well if you've got kids, wouldn't there? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. It's a fact. Ai is going to do a lot of stuff like that, but right now we don't have the infrastructure or the power source sent to order to do this and, believe me, doing something about this firsthand. It takes a lot of computing type power to make it work and we don't have it, we don't have it, we don't have it.

J Basser: 43:58

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. That's a fact, man, but there's a lot of stuff involved with it. I mean, once we get the infrastructure set up, it's going to be a good thing, as long as they control it, because eventually it'll be doing surgery and everything on people and they'll be able to use machinery and the mechanics to get to places where hands can't go Brain surgeries and things like that. So so, so, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, very, very good, you don't forget. Yes, yes, yes, yes, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. No, no, mm-hmm. All right, you got to realize, though. I mean, especially with education benefits like that, I mean it's a good thing. You know, survivor benefits, there's a lot of stuff out there. But again, you know, there's a lot of criteria involved too. You know, because basically it's the same type of criteria being 100%, because once you get a veteran gets awarded 100% permanent total, then his family. You know, because basically it's the same type of criteria being 100%, because once you get a veteran gets awarded 100% permanent total, then his family you know, his children get the benefits. Fortunately, I was awarded 100% permanent total many, many months ago, over 20 now. Right, matter of fact, talk on the wood. Know what that means, don't you? Anyhow, my son was very young when that happened, so we had to wait several years in order for him to do that and it worked and he never had a problem with it. He did really well. Kentucky's got a good education benefit too, so he was very fortunate to do that stuff. Also, the spouse is eligible for the home loan. He can take over the veteran's home loan. If the veterans are getting property taxes in certain states, then she gets them too. The rival spouse gets them too. Or he will say you never know, because not all veterans are guys, they're both. And Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Well, kentucky, okay, they have a really good education benefit. They have a tuition-worthy program for, you know, college for $100,000. Add that to your check. They're probably doing pretty well.

J Basser: 48:06

The tax is basically the same as what do you call it? The home state exemption, and it's small potatoes compared to other states. You know most states. They won't pay a property tax on a house or whatever. But the best benefit perhaps for veterans in the state of Kentucky is back when Eisenhower built the interstate system. So when you get on that interstate you get the heck out of here.

J Basser: 48:50

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, the factor On their house. I thought I thought it was 100%. I thought it mm-hmm. So I thought it was 100%. I thought it was 100%, thank you. Well, tennessee used to waive the property tax, right, didn't Tennessee used to? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm? What about vehicles? Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, hello, how's that? Hello, hello, hello, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.

J Basser: 51:08

Okay, the difference between DIC and survivor's pension. Dic is dependent on indemnity compensation, the veteran's death, the cause of the veteran's death service-connected and the duration of the veteran's home-sickness disability rating. Survivor's pension, basically, is tied to the veteran's wartime service. So remember that, guys. That's the only difference. So if you're a Vietnam vet's wife that was over in the country, boots on the ground, then you know you qualify for the survivor's pension. But if you get the DS, even the VA, over-serviced death, then maybe you can get I guess I'd do the higher one. You know because I'm sure any time you talk about a pension there are caveats involved. Any time there's a survivor's pension there's caveats involved, because you start talking pension, you start talking offsets and you can qualify for this $1,000 as long as you hold your teeth right and you're laying like this and you can poke your teeth every night and you make this much money. But if you make this much money, that $1,000 goes to $50 and you get. You know it's calling VA. Be a math right. And we know that. We know the Jethro. The Ellie Mae made the first batch of biscuits and turned into Major League Baseball's. Yeah, ellie Mae made the first batch of biscuits and turned into Major League Baseball's or hockey play. Jethro may be a man. No, no. Remarriage of the surviving spouse generally disqualifies them from DIC and survivor's pension, though there are exceptions for remarriage after the age of 57 under specific circumstances related to veterans in the LGBTQ community that I don't know about. You can look that up, but I don't think I want to touch that with a 10 foot pole. But other than that, folks, well, I think that that a pretty good show.

J Basser: 53:35

Ray, we need to go ahead and finish her off here. I want to uh, thanks to do it. Uh, want to see if we can keep on charging and hard charging. Maybe. Uh, I want to see if we can keep on charging and hard charging. Maybe we'll do this again next week. And what? We'll go hard charging and we'll do it again next week We'll talk about something else. Another subject I'm sure we'll be able to have someone come in and discuss the medical condition and go from point A to point B to point Z, discuss the medical condition and go from point A to point B to point Z. But we'll try to get Jan's scripts on here. Go ahead, ron.

J Basser: 54:13

Thank you, it's like the All-Star Game. You know it's like the All-Star Game. You know about every 12 minutes in the air, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Come in for a day trip. If you need information about that, send an email to expoldgood at gmailcom and I'll send it down to Ray and he'll get your information. If you've got lodging questions or anything, he can help you out because I mean he takes care of his folks when they come back. He took care of us one time going down. We did a little veterans deal with him and a lot of fun down there, beautiful place. If you've got a Tennesseeessee fishing license, bring your fishing pole for a day or two and stay down there and catch some fish and beautiful lakes. They got down there all right, well, all right.

J Basser: 57:11

Well, guys, we appreciate you listening and watching the show. This will be up here on our YouTube channel here shortly after it gets downloaded, Ray. Thanks for coming on, man. We appreciate you always, you know, being a co-host and always helping out. We appreciate everything you do. We know you're a busy man, but we're glad you do it. And since this will be John, we'll see you next week. Folks, we'll be signing off for now, good night.