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MGIB Benefits Widen
By Capt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret., Director; Lt. Col. William A. Pierce,
USA-Ret.; Cmdr. Katherine O’Neill Tracy, USNR-Ret.; and Phil Dyer,
CFP Benefits Information Benefits Information
Can today’s reservists qualify for the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB)
active duty benefits?
If you served on active duty continuously for 24 months, you now
may be eligible for MGIB active duty benefits. To qualify, you must:
- have no active duty service prior to July 1, 1985;
- have been called to active duty service under Title 10 U.S.
Code after July 1, 1985;
- have served a minimum of 24 months on continuous active
duty;
- have honorable service for your active duty period;
- complete the DD Form 2366 election to participate in the
MGIB active duty program; and
- pay $1,200 to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service to
enroll in the program.
MGIB Benefits Comparison
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Active Duty Benefit
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Selected Reserve Benefit
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Currently pays two-year enlistees
up to $800 a month for full-time training and may be used
any time up to 10 years after the claimants’ last release
from active duty. |
Currently pays $282 a month for full-time
training and must be used while you are actively drilling
with your Guard or Reserve unit. Once you leave the Guard or
Reserve, your benefits end. |
| Allows for
reimbursements up to $2,000 for the cost of licensing
and certification tests. |
Doesn’t allow reimbursement for
the cost of licensing and certification tests. |
Allows for accelerated payment
for courses leading to employment in a high-tech industry. |
Doesn’t allow accelerated payments for
high-tech courses. |
| Allows for
contributions of an additional $600 to the MGIB program,
which would increase claimants’ monthly payments by as much
as $150 for full-time training. |
Requires no out-of-pocket cost
to sign up for the program. |
SNF Restrictions
Are there restrictions on how long a person may remain in a
skilled nursing facility (SNF)? What if he or she shows no
improvement?
The purpose of an SNF is to make a patient well enough to leave the
facility. If a physician sees a need for continued SNF care, the
patient most likely will remain in the SNF. If the patient shows no
improvement but no longer requires medically necessary skilled care,
then the care might be deemed long term or custodial, and the person
would be transferred to a long term care setting. Neither TRICARE
nor Medicare covers long term care.
A move to long term care can be appealed. The fact that a physician
may order, prescribe, recommend, or approve a medical service does
not mean the service is covered under TRICARE. For more information,
visit www.tricare.osd.mil or call Medicare at (800)
MEDICARE
(633-4227).
Pay Inquiries
To whom should retirees address inquiries regarding their pay
accounts?
Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force retirees should contact:
Defense Finance and Accounting Service, U.S. Military Retirement
Pay, P.O. Box 7130, London, KY 40742-7130, (800) 321-1080, fax:
(800) 469-6559.
Coast Guard and NOAA retirees should contact: Commanding Officer,
Coast Guard Personnel Service Center, 444 S.E. Quincy St., Topeka,
KS 66683-3591, (866) 772-8724.
USPHS retirees should contact: Division of Commissioned Personnel,
Officer Development Branch, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857,
(800) 638-8744.
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