Welcome to Sioux County Veterans Affairs

The office of Sioux County Veterans Affairs is located across the street from the courthouse in Orange City, above ‘Community Health Partners’ (Public Health), on the second floor of the Sioux County Annex Building. There is an elevator available for those who are unable, or do not wish, to use the stairs.

The office will close when necessary for trainings, veteran outreach events, holidays, illness, etc. (so please call to make sure the VSO is available for your needs!)

Kathi Wetter * Phone (712) 737-1175 * Fax (712) 737-9115
213 Central AVE SE P.O. Box 191 * [email protected]

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Home Base Iowa

PACT Act

Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs

Sioux Falls VA

Links\Forms

Veterans Affairs Information:

The 08/10/2022 'PACT Act' and your VA benefits

The PACT Act is a new bi-partisan law, signed by President Biden on August 10, 2022, that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. This law helps us provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.

This website: VA.gov/PACT will help answer your questions about what the PACT Act means for you or your loved ones. You can also call VA at 800-698-2411 (TTY: 711). And you can file a claim for PACT Act-related disability compensation or apply for VA health care now.

What does it mean to have a presumptive condition for toxic exposure?

To get a VA disability rating, you must have a current disability that can be connected to your military service. For many health conditions, you need to prove that your service caused your condition.

But for some conditions, we automatically assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition. We call these “presumptive conditions.”
We consider a condition presumptive when it's established by law or regulation.

If you have a presumptive condition, you don’t need to prove that your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption.

Please call 712-737-1775 to set up an appointment with the Veterans Service Officer to discuss your qualifying service, diagnosed conditions related to your service (presumptive or otherwise) and if criteria to do so are met, file a claim for service connection.

Things to bring with you to your appointment include: DD214(s), names/birthdates/social security numbers for your dependents living in your household; a current medical diagnosis list; names/addresses/phone numbers of your private care medical doctors and treatment facilities for the claimed conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who are our Sioux County VA Commissioners and how can I contact them?

Chairman - Roger A. Johnson, Hawarden, US Army 1966-1968
Commissioner - Peter DeBeer, Orange City, US Army 1972-1975
Secretary - Virginia L. Linneman, Hull, US Air Force, retired, 1980-2000

Call the VSO office at 712-737-1775 with your contact information (name, address, phone number) and the VSO will request that the Commissioner from your area of the county return your call as soon as possible.

How can I obtain a copy of a veteran’s DD214 (report of separation)?

DD214 requests can be submitted to the National Archives electronically or by mail using a Standard Form 180 (SF180). To complete an online request, or to access a printable SF180 here: Only veterans (or qualifying immediate family members if the veteran has passed away) can request copies of their records stored at NARA. Access to both the online request form and the printable paper form, along with instructions and types of records available, fees, etc., can be found here: https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records.

How do I get enrolled in the VA Healthcare System?

Contact the VSO office at 712-737-1775 to set up an appointment to fill out a VA Form 10-10EZ if you’ve never applied before, or a 10-10EZR if you applied previously but were denied because your income was in excess of VA limitations.

VA still considers all gross household income when determining eligibility for healthcare enrollment. They match reported figures against IRS figures, and asset transfers from one investment account to another may count as income because the law states it must be, even if reinvested immediately. However, if you were previously denied because your total asset value was in excess of limitations set by congress, please note that the VA removed this restriction several years ago. Income generating assets revenue must still be reported as income, however, the value of the asset (such as farm ground) no longer is counted against a veteran when determining eligibility for VA healthcare enrollment

What is VA ‘Aid and Attendance’ and how do I apply for it?

Aid and Attendance is a set monthly monetary benefit paid out in addition to standard VA Pension for qualified applicants in need of a nursing home level of care. To be considered for A&A, an applicant must first be eligible for VA Pension, meeting the active duty and length of service requirements for service during WWII, the Korean, Vietnam, or Gulf Wars to present. Applicants must also meet strict financial criteria for standard VA Pension before A&A can be considered, and the doctor must verify the medical level of care needed for the applicant. We most often see this benefit utilized for qualifying veterans or surviving spouses who are in nursing homes and have exhausted their resources to pay for their nursing home care, however the benefit can be paid out to a qualifying applicant at home who meets the resource limitation and is incurring predictable out of pocket expenses for their in-home medical services that lower their monthly income to an amount under the maximum benefit paid out by VA to qualifying applicants.

Contact the VSO office at 712-737-1775 to discuss possible eligibility for this benefit. Verification of military service in the form of a DD214 and detailed financial information will be needed prior to proceeding with an application.

What about all these Camp Lejuene water contamination health issue commercials I’ve been seeing on TV?

If you served at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune or Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in North Carolina, you may have had contact with contaminants in the drinking water there. Scientific and medical evidence has shown an association between exposure to these contaminants during military service and development of certain diseases later on. If you have qualifying service at Camp Lejeune and a current diagnosis of

Adult leukemia
Aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
Bladder cancer
Kidney cancer
Liver cancer
Multiple myeloma
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Parkinson’s disease

you may be able to get disability benefits. Additionally, certain costs for out of pocket medical issues incurred for exposed family members may be reimbursable as well.

What is my Health E Vet?

If you are a Veteran and use the VA health care system, then a Premium My HealtheVet Account can help you keep track of your VA appointments, prescribed medications, order prescription refills, access your VA medical records, and send messages to your VA care team.

Ask your VA care team provider to help get you set up with an account next time you are at the Sioux Falls VA Hospital/Clinic or at the Sioux City CBOC. Once signed up, you can access the log in portal at https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/home.