Blind Rehabilitation Centers (64.007)
Program
64.007 Blind Rehabilitation Centers
Federal Agency
VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Authorization
38 U.S.C. 101(2), 1705, 1710, and 5303A.
Program Number
64.007
Last Known Status
Active
Objectives
To provide personal and social adjustment programs and medical or health-related services for eligible blinded veterans at selected VA Medical Centers maintaining blind rehabilitation centers.
Types of Assistance
Provision of Specialized Services.
Uses and Use Restrictions
To assist in the rehabilitation of blinded veterans.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicant Eligibility
Any blind veteran who meets the following requirements: Must have enlisted in the armed forces before September 7, 1980. Veterans who enlisted in the armed forces after September 7, 1980, or entered on active duty after October 16, 1981, must have 24 continuous months of active duty service or completed the full period of time for which the individual was called or ordered to active duty. In either case the individual must have been discharged or released from active duty under conditions other than dishonorable. Must be enrolled in the VA health care system or have: A VA service-connected rating of 50 percent or greater, an adjudicated service-connected disability, or; been recently discharged from the military (within the past 12 months) for a disability the military determined was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty. When approved, the VA and at the Department of Defense request, active duty personnel may be transferred to a Blind Center.
Beneficiary Eligibility
All blinded veterans.
Credentials/Documentation
Military discharge papers.
Application and Award Process
Preapplication Coordination
None. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.
Application Procedure
Application may be made by completing a VA Form 10-10EZ, "Application for Health Benefits." Applications may be made: (1) In person at any VA health care facility; (2) through any veterans organization's representative; or (3) by mailing the 10-10EZ to the nearest VA health care facility.
Award Procedure
VA ward physician determines, with recourse to Hospital Director.
Deadlines
None.
Range of Approval/Disapproval Time
Appeals
Not applicable.
Renewals
Not applicable.
Assistance Considerations
Formula and Matching Requirements
Not applicable.
Length and Time Phasing of Assistance
Following admission, veterans are provided specialized inpatient rehabilitation in a VA Blind Rehabilitation Center plus any necessary medical or health related services. The time that a veteran spends in a Blind Rehabilitation Center is individual to each veteran. Normally the stay is 8 to 10 weeks, but will vary.
Post Assistance Requirements
Reports
Not applicable.
Audits
Not applicable.
Records
Not applicable.
Program Accomplishments
By the end of fiscal year 2001, 1,730 veterans had received the personal and social rehabilitation program at the 9 Blind Rehabilitation Centers.
Financial Information
Account Identification
36-0160-0-1-703.
Obligations
(Salaries and Expenses) FY 02 $56,192,000; FY 03 est $58,333,000; and FY 04 est $60,555,000.
Range and Average of Financial Assistance
Not applicable.
Regulations, Guidelines and Literature
"Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents," VA Fact Sheet 80-991-1, $5.00, available from Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Fax orders (202) 512-2250. Mail Requests to P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Coordinated Services for Blinded Veterans, IB 11-59 (Revised), available from Director, Blind Rehabilitation Service (117B), Department of Veterans Affairs, Central Office, Washington, DC 20420.
Related Programs
64.009, Veterans Medical Care Benefits; 64.011, Veterans Dental Care.
Information Contacts
Regional or Local Office
Initial contact should be made at the nearest VA Medical Center or outpatient clinic listed in Appendix IV under the Veterans Health Administration.
Headquarters Office
Blind Rehabilitation Service (117B), Patient Care Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC 20420. Telephone: (202) 273-8481/82.
Web Site Address
Examples of Funded Projects
Not applicable.
Criteria for Selecting Proposals
Not applicable.
