Cap Article from Army Times Website

[mikeylikey]

Saw this on the Army Times website.  Anyone know about this?

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_widowbenefits_080221/

Here's the Article....

Civil Air Patrol widow hopes to get benefits

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 21, 2008 18:25:11 EST
   
SHERIDAN, Wyo. — The widow of a Sheridan man killed when a Civil Air Patrol plane crashed in the Big Horn Mountains says she's getting some clarification about receiving military benefits.

Terese Meyer is the widow of 53-year-old Jim Meyer, who was killed along with two others when their plane crashed Aug. 20.

The three were searching for a missing 16-year-old boy who later turned up safe.

Terese Meyer says for months she wasn't sure what benefits she and her children were eligible to receive. But she now says personnel at the Wyoming Army National Guard Armory in Sheridan have arranged for a military attorney with the Wyoming National Guard to review the paperwork she needs to submit to the Army Reserve.

Meyer's late husband was a member of the Army Reserve. She says he had more than 20 years of active and Reserve service before he was killed.

[CASH172]

To me this sounds more like an Army Reserve wife that's needing to collect benefits for her late husband.  She is eligible for FECA benefits if the mission was an AFAM.  The title of the article does seem a little misleading though.  It looks more like some CAP wife that has no affiliation with the Army Reserve and getting benefits that way. 

[Johnny Yuma]

She'll probably need a lawyer to collect anything.

I know of a member who broke his leg on an ELT mission recently. They transferred him to 2 hospitals before they'd operate to put his leg back together and last i knew they still hadn't paid all the bills and it's over a year now.

BTW, a news flash: You'll only get FECA benefits if you die or are so horribly maimed you can no longer work again. This member, who was a roofer, was drawing seasonal unemployment and was about to go back to work when the accident happened. Neither FECA nor CAP pays for temporary disablility and because he was physically unable to work lost the remainder of his unemployment during the time he was laid up. His family nearly lost their home and relatives had to borrow money to help them out.

Great way to treat a member, eh?

Needless to say, we've lost him (and his wife) as members. I nearly turned in my 101 until I confirmed that I've got enough disability benefits through work to cover any off-duty injuries 100 percent.

[Eclipse]

I know of a member who broke his leg on an ELT mission recently. They transferred him to 2 hospitals before they'd operate to put his leg back together and last i knew they still hadn't paid all the bills and it's over a year now.

Johnny, you've told this story before, I still don't understand how this stuff about being transferred to different hospitals is relevant to his being a CAP member.

CAP does not provide health insurance coverage on any level.

[wingnut]

HEY READ

THE GUY BROKE HIS LEG ON an ELT MISSION
   ELT MISSIONS ARE AFAM, all of his medical bills should have been paid for

[isuhawkeye]

can anyone provide first hand experience of any member being injured on the job, and receiving acceptable support from either CAP, or the Air Force?

[jimmydeanno]

Shame on National HQ and the Air Force...

Why is this a shame on them?  Her benefits from the US Government have nothing to do with CAP or the AF.  Her benefits are coming from her husbands service to the US Army.  On the local Air National Guard Base they have a program set up to inform family members of what to do should somthing happen to their loved one.  It even tells them to sit down with their loved one and go over what benefits and stuff they have.  They even go so far as to give a nice brochure on who to call, when, who to talk to about what, etc.

How would CAP have any knowledge that she may be eligible to receive her husbands retirement benefit.  Don't place blame where it doesn't belong.

[DNall]

Listen real close... Neither CAP nor AF provide ANY health coverage whatsoever in any case whatsoever to CAP members on AFAM or any other kind of mission, regardless of circumstance, period.

What very limited benefits they do provide may reimburse a small part of medical bills or pay some unemployment, but that will be WELL after the fact & then only if there is no technicality to avoid payment. You volunteer at your own risk, and you need your own coverage.

Her benefits are coming from her husbands service to the US Army.

She'd get burial expenses up to 10k & SGLI if he elected to pay for that additional insurance. Otherwise, I'm not sure what she'd be trying to get. Being on an AFAM is not the same thing as active duty orders that you can't just get up & walk away from. That's the worst thing about being a volunteer is because you're not on orders or bound by contract/UCMJ, you are free to leave, which means you're freely deciding to assume a risk you don't absolutely have to do, which means you assume the financial responsibility for that risk as well.

[ZigZag911]

Given the cost of medical treatment today, CAP ought to have some kind of coverage for members injured "in the line of duty"....even if it is a low cost policy arranged by National as a 'member benefit' (maybe with some civic minded insurance carriers, yeah, right!).

I do know of instances where certain injuries have been covered on CAP activities, to a fairly high cost threshold.

[bosshawk]

Hey guys: if you really want the straight scoop on what benefits are available from the USG and CAP while you are on a AFAM, PM a gal named Alice, who is a member of this blog and ask her.  She is an attorney, a CAP legal officer and someone who has had first-hand experience with this whole question.  She also isn't reluctant to tell you how the grass grows.

I can assure you that, if a member is killed on an AFAM, there are death benefits and survivor benefits paid to the designated survivor.  I was in a Sq that had 5 members killed in two crashes(both AFAMs) and I was the survivor assistance officer for one of the guys.

That said, I know of no benefits available for injury or loss of employment.  I might suggest that instead of guessing, we should all do some research in the regs and get the right answer.

[Ned]

Given the cost of medical treatment today, CAP ought to have some kind of coverage for members injured "in the line of duty"....even if it is a low cost policy arranged by National as a 'member benefit' (maybe with some civic minded insurance carriers, yeah, right!).

Go ahead and call an insurance broker and price that out for us and let us know how it goes.

Remember to tell the broker that you are asking for coverage for about 50,000 cadets and seniors from 12 to 92 years of age.  Many of the seniors have existing disabilities.  Don't forget to mention that some folks are injured in plane crashes, or while performing ground team operations in difficult terrain.  The broker might be interested to know that the coverage has to be effective in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, as well as overseas.

Really, I'd be interested in just what that coverage would cost.  I'll bet you a beverage of your choice that you can't find comprehensive coverage for injuries for the entire membership for less than $250,000 year.

And then we can begin to decide if each members dues should go up $50/year or exactly which programs should be cut from the national budget.

Ned Lee
DCP, PCR

[isuhawkeye]

don't forget about the cool pictures on the internet of cap members hanging from ropes, repelling, and managing stokes baskets.

[DNall]

I can assure you that, if a member is killed on an AFAM, there are death benefits and survivor benefits paid to the designated survivor.

No one is disputing that. That is liability coverage, as in lose a finger = X dollars get killed = y dollars (oversimplifying obviously). It is NOT health insurance, as in show up at ER w/ lost finger & treatment will be covered. Two VERY different things.

...I know of no benefits available for injury or loss of employment.  I might suggest that instead of guessing, we should all do some research in the regs and get the right answer.

Federal employee disability insurance, but it can be restrictive as was mentioned earlier.

Point being CAP & govt provide some limited benefits, but not as much coverage as you need & not health insurance at all. You need to evaluate your own risk & make decisions accordingly. You def need health insurance, and probably additional life coverage. If you don't do that, then it's no one's fault but your own.

[Johnny Yuma]

I know of a member who broke his leg on an ELT mission recently. They transferred him to 2 hospitals before they'd operate to put his leg back together and last i knew they still hadn't paid all the bills and it's over a year now.

Johnny, you've told this story before, I still don't understand how this stuff about being transferred to different hospitals is relevant to his being a CAP member.

CAP does not provide health insurance coverage on any level.

Apparently the second hospital was cheaper than the first one. The first one was a Regional Medical Center and just as capable as the first to handle an orthopedic surgical procedure.

MY issue isn't the medical. The hospitals involved have dealt with government payment of bills, so they're leaving this couple alone. The issue I take is zero dollar compensation for temporary disability.

Had the doctors said he could never work again, he'd score about $35 grand a year for the rest of his life. But because he couldn't work for about 120 days he got zip.

Oh, didn't mention the other 30 days he was out of work this Summer when they pulled the steel out of his leg. Didn't get compensated there, either.

CAP isn't the only volunteer organization I work with. Every other volunteer organization that I do work with provides Worker's Compensation that pays for medical, permanent AND temporary disability.

[Johnny Yuma]

Listen real close... Neither CAP nor AF provide ANY health coverage whatsoever in any case whatsoever to CAP members on AFAM or any other kind of mission, regardless of circumstance, period.

What very limited benefits they do provide may reimburse a small part of medical bills or pay some unemployment, but that will be WELL after the fact & then only if there is no technicality to avoid payment. You volunteer at your own risk, and you need your own coverage.

That's pretty despicable on CAP, Inc.'s part.

My Amateur Radio Emergency Services group has worker's compensation through the county agency we work with. When we're on the job for them we're covered just like we were a paid employee. The cost to expand coverage to us believe it or not was pretty minuscule.

[RogueLeader]

Listen real close... Neither CAP nor AF provide ANY health coverage whatsoever in any case whatsoever to CAP members on AFAM or any other kind of mission, regardless of circumstance, period.

What very limited benefits they do provide may reimburse a small part of medical bills or pay some unemployment, but that will be WELL after the fact & then only if there is no technicality to avoid payment. You volunteer at your own risk, and you need your own coverage.

That's pretty despicable on CAP, Inc.'s part.

You know the risk when you start GES.  It is in the training that what gets covered and what isn't.  You participate at your own risk. Period.  End of story.

Now, if you want to change it fine.  Just what programs will you cut, or will you increase dues to compensate?

[Johnny Yuma]

Listen real close... Neither CAP nor AF provide ANY health coverage whatsoever in any case whatsoever to CAP members on AFAM or any other kind of mission, regardless of circumstance, period.

What very limited benefits they do provide may reimburse a small part of medical bills or pay some unemployment, but that will be WELL after the fact & then only if there is no technicality to avoid payment. You volunteer at your own risk, and you need your own coverage.

That's pretty despicable on CAP, Inc.'s part.

You know the risk when you start GES.  It is in the training that what gets covered and what isn't.  You participate at your own risk. Period.  End of story.

Now, if you want to change it fine.  Just what programs will you cut, or will you increase dues to compensate?

Actually, no. Most folks don't.

I've heard staffers TALK about FECA and the coverage, but they never seem to get into the details, specifically what isn't covered. I suspect if the details were more generously shared, we'd have extra coverage as incentive for members to do Es again.

As far as programs I'd cut, let's start with whatever program paid for the race car, this new Cadet Lite program and whatever kitty we're buying SDIS (satellites don't work)and ARCHER (1AF sees no need it serves) from.

[JohnKachenmeister]

Seriously, guys.

The government is slow to pay.

I have had Army troopers injured on weekend drill time and had them TURNED OVER TO COLLECTION by hospitals waiting for the government to pay.

Eventually, the doctors and hospitals all got paid.  I never could quite figure out how to machete my way through the red tape.  My BDU cap is doffed in sincere respect for anyone who can.

[ZigZag911]

When it starts getting on the 11 o'clock news, and members of Congress start asking questions, THEN things happen!

A shame, but true.....

[SAR-EMT1]

Prior to this discussion I had always been under the impression that CAP types would recieve disability benefits or workmans comp pay for temporary disability.
So had everyone else in my unit.

Seriously thinking of turning in my ES quals now...

( I was required to purchase a life insurance policy and a protective vest on my own dime before being hired into EMS)
- though I dont wear the vest 99.9% of the time as it hinders mobility in the rig.