TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Sighing as he got up, Navy Veteran Samba Jargu realized it was another day that it would be hard to get around his house.
“I’ll be walking and then all of a sudden it feels like the whole world just pitches and I start to fall over,” he said.
His caregiver and partner, Kelly Davis, helps him get around the house because the brain, breathing, and heart issues Jargu developed while serving make it hard to do daily tasks.
“Different tasks that he frequently remembers but are critical to his daily survival,” Davis said.
Together they’ve been in the Program Of Comprehensive Assistance for Family for four years and have gotten benefits like skills training.
However, past caregivers have cost Jargu $1,000 a month and he said the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs denied Davis monetary assistance three times.
“The fact that there are folks who are veterans who are paying for caregiving out of their disability…that’s not something that’s recognized either,” Jargu said.
Senator Mark Kelly is encouraging the V.A. to expedite the process for veterans and their caregivers to appeal care from the V.A.’s Program Of Comprehensive Assistance for Family after being disqualified.
The program gives veterans benefits like health insurance, skills training, group coaching, and even money.
Senator Kelly addressed this issue after saying he heard from veterans who were in this program for years and then all of a sudden got a notice saying they’re not qualified. Kelly said when the V.A. expanded the number of veterans who could qualify, the V.A. took some veterans off the program.
Jargu received a letter in 2020 that did not explain why he was denied monetary benefits.
Back then, the V.A. did not have to tell veterans and caregivers why they were denied, but that all changed because of a federal court decision this year.
Jargu and Davis still haven’t gotten the answers.
“They need to be recognized and taken care of as well. Veterans are a part of our history and our future,” Davis said.
The V.A. said if a veteran’s needs change over time, their eligibility in the program might also change.
The Quality of Life foundation said if people in the program have new information about their claims they can appeal and possibly get back pay.
The V.A. said veterans can request a higher level review and supplemental claim if they were denied after being in the program.
However, there is another option. They said they can go through a different process through the Board of Veterans Appeals.
During a joint hearing of the Senate Aging and Veterans Affairs Committees, Senator Kelly asked about how the program is moving along to the Advocacy Navigator for the Quality of Life Foundation’s Wounded Veteran Family Care Program. She told him it’s moving in the right direction, but it’s just a slow process.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
