Many Veterans are frustrated when they are not able to receive their concurrent payments for retirement and VA disability payments. As of 2004, in general, a Veteran who served for 20 years and has at least a 50% disability rating is entitled to receive the full payments. This is called concurrent receipt.
However, for those Veterans who have a medical retirement, but did not serve for 20 years, concurrent payments are not available. Senator Jon Tester and Senator Mike Crapo are hoping to change that, along with Representative Bilirakis and Representative Ruiz. The Star Act has been reintroduced in both the Senate and the House.
The Star Act is named for Richard Star. Star served in the Army Reserve and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. He medically retired in 2018 after being diagnosed with lung cancer that was linked to toxic exposure from those deployments. He died Feb. 13, 2021 at the age of 51.
The Star Act would allow all medically retired veterans to receive full retirement and disability checks — not just veterans with more than 20 years of service. This would be a huge change for many Veterans.
Gardberg and Kemmerly is open for calls and online assistance and will continue to help our Veterans in any way possible, including staying up to date on any pending legislation like the Star Act. If you have a claim for disability and need assistance, please call our office and speak with one of our qualified Veterans’ Disability attorneys. Gardberg and Kemmerly is committed to helping injured and disabled Veterans obtain the benefits they deserve. If you need help with a disability claim, call the office at 251-343-1111 or 1-800-332-1529 for a free consultation. Gardberg and Kemmerly is proud to serve Veterans across the country from our home office in Mobile, Alabama.
