The HEART Act changes the way the agency treats certain cash payments to members of the uniformed services and veterans under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which will enable some of them to continue to receive government disability benefits and others to receive a higher benefit amount.

“This law allows the men and women of our armed forces, veterans, and their families to keep more of their military-related payments while also maintaining eligibility for valuable cash and healthcare benefits,” Commissioner Michael Astrue said. “We must provide support and assistance to our active duty military and our wounded warriors, and the HEART Act improves our ability to do so.”

Aged, blind or disabled individuals who have limited income and resources can qualify for monthly SSI benefits from the Social Security Administration and Medicaid from the states. As a general rule, if other income goes up, the SSI payment will go down. Income and resources are major factors used in deciding SSI eligibility and SSI payment amount.

The HEART Act does the following:

• Treats most cash military compensation as earned income for SSI purposes, which generally provides a higher benefit to the service member as a result of the SSI program’s more favorable consideration of earned income.

• Excludes certain state annuity payments to disabled, blind or aged veterans from countable income and resources used to determine SSI eligibility.

• Excludes any cash or in-kind payments provided by AmeriCorps State and National and AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps from countable income.

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Salon writes today: “Late last month, the Army announced data showing the highest suicide rate among soldiers in three decades. At least 128 soldiers committed suicide in 2008. Another 15 deaths are still under investigation as potential suicides. And suicide is only one manifestation of the mental health ills coming home with U.S. troops. Four years after Salon first exposed problems with healthcare at Walter Reed Army Medical Center that ultimately became a national scandal, the situation, at least at some Army posts, has only deteriorated. For the “Coming Home” series, in which today’s two entries are the second installment, Salon put together a sample of 25 cases of suicide, prescription drug overdoses or murder involving Fort Carson soldiers since 2004. A close study of 10 of those cases exposed a pattern of avoidable deaths, meaning that a suicide or murder might well have been prevented had the Army better handled the predictable and well-known symptoms of combat stress. (Read the introduction to the “Coming Home” series here.) As Alderman’s death shows, part of the problem is an apparent tendency of Army doctors to substitute large doses of prescription medication for adequate mental healthcare.” Personal stories of preventable deaths here

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