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IMPORTANT
The office will be closed for the holidays on Monday, December 26th. We will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, December 27th. We will also be closed on Monday, January 2nd, 2023, and will reopen for normal business hours on Tuesday, January 3rd.
"9-1-1. What's your emergency?"
The holiday season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the time of the year when trips to the Emergency Room spike. This really shouldn't be a surprise. Damp leaves, snow, and ice factor into the rise in slip-and-fall injuries. Shoveling snow and other winter exertions frequently lead to cardiac events. Food poisoning is another big seasonal contributor to ER visits. Uninsured or underinsured hospital visits can be financially catastrophic.
One of the lesser-known benefits of enrolling in VA healthcare is that the VA may pay for some or all of a veteran's ER visit through the Community Care program. Even if you have an insurance policy that covers emergency care, VA may pay for costs beyond what your insurance covers. As with all things VA, there are important caveats. First, injury, illness, or symptom should be severe enough that any delay in seeking medical attention could reasonably be viewed as hazardous to life or health. Second, the VA must be notified within 72 hours of any emergency care. Anyone can make that notification on the veteran's behalf. It can be the spouse, doctor, neighbor, or anyone. VA's 72-Hour Notification Hotline is 844-72HRVHA (844-724-7842). This number is on the back of newly issued VA identification cards, but NOT on older versions. Veterans, if you are enrolled in VA healthcare, please make your loved ones aware of this benefit and how to use it. I personally keep a note in my wallet with the hotline number and instructions should I find myself incapacitated and unable to communicate.
There are other conditions and restrictions on this benefit. DO NOT allow these concerns to be an obstacle to seeking emergency medical care. Veterans, this is a benefit you have earned. Learn more about the restrictions and how the program works by visiting the VA's Community Care web page dedicated to Emergency Medical Care.
Let's take care of one another and have a safe and joyous holiday season.
The opinions expressed in this letter are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LCEWD or the Larimer County Commissioners.
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VA Healthcare "Special Enrollment Period" for Post-9/11 Combat Veterans
If you are a post-9/11 combat veteran who has not previously enrolled in VA health care and who was separated or discharged between September 11, 2001, and October 1, 2013, apply now under special enrollment as this window CLOSES on October 1, 2023. After that, you will need to be eligible under other criteria, which may not be immediate. This is an opportunity for more recently separated veterans who didn’t take advantage of the 5-year window when they were discharged or separated to enroll in VA health care if they don’t meet other eligibility requirements. Enrollment is free, there are no annual costs, and care may be free as well.
NEW! Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) Coming Soon
Beginning January 1, 2023, Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife) will provide guaranteed acceptance whole-life coverage of up to $40,000 to veterans with service-connected disabilities. Lesser amounts are available in increments of $10,000. Under this plan, the elected coverage takes effect two years after enrollment as long as premiums are paid during the two-year period. All veterans aged 80 and below with any service-connected disability rating are eligible to apply. The timeline and sunset of the current S-DVI program will be eliminated. Officials will close enrollment into the S-DVI program on Jan. 1, 2023.
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Free Year of LinkedIn Premium for Veterans
LinkedIn is offering veterans, VA caregivers, and Fry Scholars a free 1-year premium career subscription, including one year of access to LinkedIn Learning. The one-year free upgrade to premium includes access to a library of over 16,000 business, technical, and creative courses on LinkedIn Learning. This means that courses on software development, graphic design, leadership, data science, photography, and more are all available to eligible veterans. Almost every professional skill has a course on LinkedIn Learning. Visit VANews for more details, links, and additional benefits.
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 The English Bulldog, also known as "Teufel-hunden" or "Devil Dogs," is the mascot that symbolizes the ethos of the warrior culture of the U.S. Marines. The Marine Corps earned this nickname during World War I, when many German reports called the attacking Marines "teufel-hunden." "Teufel-hunden" were the vicious, wild and ferocious mountain dogs of German Bavarian folklore. The breed became the unofficial mascot of the United States Marine Corps after a recruitment poster featured a Bulldog wearing a U.S. helmet chasing a fleeing Dachshund in a German helmet.
246 years ago this Christmas, the Army of the United States conducted what many historians refer to as “America’s first special operation.” Encamped at Pennsylvania's Valley Forge, Washington's army was coming apart at the seams. The Continentals were wounded, sick, and demoralized. Desertions were rising and terms of enlistment were coming to an end. General Washington wrote privately that something must be done, or "the game will be pretty near up.” Across the swollen and frozen Delaware River, hundreds of Hessian soldiers were garrisoned in Trenton. Washington's crossing of the Delaware, the march on Trenton, and the astonishingly lopsided victory would become enshrined in American lore. The event became the fulcrum upon which the Americans salvaged their flagging revolution.
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Honoring Dale Erickson
 Dale Erickson served in the U.S. Army on the frontlines in Korea with Alpha Company, 17th Infantry Regiment of the 7th Infantry Division. He was awarded the Bronze Star but is most proud for having earned the Combat Infantry Badge. After his service, he would go on to have a successful 32-year career in the insurance industry in Fort Collins.
Remember and Honor, an organization dedicated to the preservation of veterans' stories, has recorded interviews with approximately 600 northern Colorado veterans since 2006. Many of these can now be viewed on YouTube. Subscribe, watch and share.
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If your veteran-related non-profit or service organization has an upcoming event you’d like mentioned here, send us the details. Email: lco...@larimer.org
- Wednesday, December 7, 6:00 P.M. Pearl Harbor Remembrance 80th Anniversary. Harold Dwayne Webster Veterans Park, Loveland. Annual remembrance of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. Program to include guest speaker, candlelight vigil, and military honors. Total time about 20-30 minutes. This is an outdoor event, so dress appropriately for the conditions.
- Thursday, January 5, 6:30 P.M. Timberline Veterans Ministry is hosting the Larimer County Veteran Services Office and the Cheyenne VA Medical Center for a casual community Q&A at Timberline Church at 2908 S Timberline Rd, Fort Collins. Veterans and/or families of veterans are invited. Bring questions about VA benefits and healthcare.
- Tuesday, January 17, 7:00 P.M. Associated Veterans of Loveland is hosting the Larimer County Veteran Services Office and the Cheyenne VA Medical Center for a casual community Q&A at the Veterans Club at 305 N Cleveland Ave,
Loveland. Veterans and/or families of veterans are invited. Bring questions about VA benefits and healthcare.
Recurring Events
Pathways Hospice in Fort Collins is seeking volunteers, particularly younger veterans. Please contact Deb Hayman, Volunteer Coordinator, at (970) 690-8316 for details.
- Mondays, 7:30 A.M. Veteran Breakfast Club at IHOP, 5450 Stone Creek Circle, Loveland.
- Wednesdays, K9PT Free drop-in dog training at Stillwater Ranch in Loveland has CLOSED for the winter. Keep an eye on this space or their website for its reopening in the Spring.
- Thursdays, 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. Free Veterans Writing Workshop. CSU Campus, Education Building Room 4. Open to all veterans, active military, dependents, family members, and military affiliates. You DO NOT need to be a CSU student. Email Ross Atkinson for more information.
- Saturdays, 9:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M. PAMVET Breakfast Club at Golden Corral, 1360 Sculptor Drive, Loveland. A gathering of veterans that started in Loveland in 2008 with two veterans, it has grown to 100 – 130 veterans every week. Enjoy a buffet breakfast for about $10.00 plus tip. Hang out with AWESOME people.
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External Link Disclaimer: This site contains links that may take you outside of the Larimer County website. Larimer County does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.
Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development is an equal opportunity agency and supports veterans priority of service. Qualified persons with disabilities can request reasonable accommodations with seven business days' notice by emailing lcew...@larimer.org or calling 970.498.6600 or Relay Colorado 711. Accommodation requests will be honored when possible but may be unavailable if advance notice is not provided.
Copyright © 2020 Larimer County Economic and Workforce Development, All rights reserved.
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larimer.org/veterans | 970.498.7390
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Fort Collins, Colorado, 80521
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