IMPORTANT VIP GRANT INFO

Maximums will be up to your in-home assessment by your VAC CM when she see's your needs.

If there is maximums they are not advertised or given. I have another call from VAC in the next week so I will ask.

Hey,Teen, Is there maximum dollar amounts?

Rex the formula used will be updated yearly.

In my research I found out that this formula has been used by VAC for over ten years now when the CM sends the info from an in-home assessment of the client.

Everyone must remember that if your "circumstances/health needs change that the client needs to contact their CM immediately for a re-assessment.

Thanks teen. this is good news for many who may need to use that money for emergencies, or for those that are not able to manage their money properly, who now won't have to stress about paying it back if it does get used for other things. I honestly do not see this going well, as many services will charge an individual a certain rate, but may have offered VAC a corporate or group rate, if they had several clients referred to them, so even if the money does get used as intended, it may not go as far as it has in the past.

I also wonder how they will account for the rate increases in these services. Will the Veteran have to inform VAC of any rate hikes so the grant can be increased as required, or will the grant money be indexed? If it is indexed, what happens if the rate hikes exceed the indexation amount? It will put the Veteran either going without the service or paying out of pocket, and neither is acceptable. The old plan was so much simpler. The service provider sends the bill to VAC and they pay it. This move is purely about cutting jobs and has nothing to do with reducing red tape to benefit the Veteran community.

great info teen thanks.

propat

Just got the phone call from VAC and the VIP Grant will not be audited

The info will be sent to the NCCN and there will also be a message when you call the NCCN.

So again no audit on VIP Grant.

OK spoke to VAC today about this audit of the VIP grant system and he says Blue Cross is wrong.

So, not being paranoid or anything, I asked for a news release from Minister Blaney stating that the VIP Grant will not be audited. At the very minimum I will get something on paper to post here and in VVi's database in case someone at Blue Cross wants to audit a vet.

The HRT (Health Related Travel) Claim can still be audited so make sure you get your stamped office card and hold onto it for a year.

Even better to keep your life easy...just get the claim stamped while you are there. I know I am because I don't need another file folder with appointment cards to manage. I am still using the old HRT claim and VAC told me that if I'm comfortable with that claim then go right ahead and use it.

There's always something!

Just got off the phone with Blue Cross and found out the following information about the VIP grant system which is very important for EVERYONE to remember and do.

You still need to get receipts for services and keep them for one year in the event that Blue Cross does a random audit.  If you do not have the receipts to prove you used the grant money for housekeeping and grounds keeping then you will have to pay VAC back!!

Also money for non-routine housekeeping and window cleaning will be included in your grant totals.  But keep the receipt for a year to prove you have used it.

ok ,just noticed this note on the first page of the rate tables.

Note : The National Rate Table is not used to convert current recipients of VIP
housekeeping and grounds maintenance services from the Veterans
Independence Program to a grant. The initial grant amount is calculated
based on expenditures incurred in the past year and current needs. The
Grant Determination Tool (and the associated National Rate Table) is
used for new applications and to assess current needs when there has
been a change in circumstances for the recipient.

That might explain why ours is higher than those tables... we have been using Molly Maid for at least 6 years now.

Well, according to the tables linked above, Fredericton gets the least amount per hour for housekeeping for the entire country!! Our amount must have included snow removal even though they said it didn't ... it doesn't make any sense at all... very nervous to see our July payment!

Did anyone get a breakdown of what they were getting paid for, on ours the cheque stub just said VIP services or something like that, no breakdown of how many hours or at what rates, etc.

News flash , I win , everyone else looses.

Molly Maid (Fredericton) is $65.00 an hr for two ladies to clean. The reason I went with Molly Maid was they direct billed, and are bonded & insured. They also were highly recommended by my CM at the time. Plain & simple VAC is cutting corners and $$. Funny thing is my grounds keeping amounts didn't change, despite the new calculator.

I am really confused, I use Molly Maid here in Fredericton and our cheque for VIP was more than what they were paying before this. Surprised to hear people are getting less... Very puzzling.

We lost our groundskeeping , supposedly, although I am wondering if that might be the difference. I won't pay my kids to mow the lawn or shovel the driveway and then bill the government to pay for it... somethings kids have to do just because they are part of a family! I am assuming once they move out and it is just us here we will be able to get it started again.

My wife and I are both vets, and my CM, before she vanished, also said that VIP benefits are one per household.
My wife has VIP therefore I cannot.

Just what I was told.