Recommendation made on vet's home maintenance fees

A recommendation has been made regarding maintenance fees at Illinois' veterans' homes, including one in Anna.

The Illinois Veterans Advisory Council, IVAC, voted on and approved a recommendation regarding  the maintenance fees.

The maintenance fee is what veterans who live at the homes pay each month.

The action came at a regularly scheduled meeting  of the IVAC. The meeting was Dec. 13.

IVAC chairman Terry L. Woodburn sent letters dated Dec. 13 regarding the maintenance fee action to Gov. Pat Quinn and to Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, IDVA, director Erica J. Borggren.

The governor and the IDVA director have been asked to review the recommendation.

In his letter, Woodburn wrote that the IVAC quarterly meeting and vote followed a series of town hall meetings which were conducted at the four veterans' homes which are located throughout the state.

"IVAC solicited input and feedback from the veteran and resident communities on the way forward for maintenance fees," Woodburn wrote.

Meetings took place Sunday, Dec. 4, in Anna; Tuesday, Dec. 6, in Quincy; Thursday, Dec. 8, in LaSalle; and Saturday, Dec. 10, in Manteno.

"At each of the meetings, there was a general, if reluctant, understanding of the need for an increased maintenance fee cap, including from the Quincy Resident Advisory Council and many other homes' residents and families," Woodburn stated.

"While there were individuals at every meeting who thought there should be no increase (or even no maintenance fee at all), in general the concern was more over the particulars of an increase."

Woodburn reported to the governor and the IDVA director about a five-point unanimous recommendation made by IVAC which he state was "largely reflective of input and feedback" gathered at the town hall meetings. The five points include:

1) For all residents, current and future: A $100 increase in the monthly "deductible" from a resident's income before the 90 percent rule is applied (that is $200 total off the top).

2) For all residents, current and future: A recommendation to set an IDVA-determined income "floor" for residents' spouses (such that, if a spouse's income is less than X amount per month, monies from the resident's income would be counted as spouse income until the spouse reaches the floor).

3) For future residents: Beginning in Fiscal Year 2013, a $500 increase to the cap (that is $1,429 per month, maximum).

4) For current residents: A $150 increase in Fiscal Year 2013 (that is $1,079 per month, maximum), then a $100 increase each year until a $500 total increase is reached in Fiscal Year 2017 ($1,429 per month, maximum), plus the Fiscal Year 17 COLA increase from number 5.

5) For all residents: Annually beginning in Fiscal Year 2017, an increase to the maintenance fee cap to that year's Social Security COLA less 1 percent.

IDVA communications director Louis G. Pukelis shared in an email that the department was "grateful for the work of the Illinois Veterans Advisory Council in gathering input from the veteran community across the state earlier this month.

"The department is in receipt of the IVAC's recommendation regarding maintenance fees, and we are appreciative of its thorough reflection of the community's concerns.

"Over the coming weeks, we will review the impact of this proposed course of action, as well as explore options for the recommended 'income floor' for our residents' spouses."


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