AARP Helps Florida Veterans Claim Benefits

Retired Col. Bob Busch has a motto for veterans wondering if they qualify for health care coverage or other benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: “Apply, apply, apply.”

And if you don’t get it the first time, he emphasizes over and over to people, appeal.

“You just don’t know if you’ll be eligible until they say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ ” Busch, 77, told veterans and military family members in an AARP virtual forum in September.

But, he notes, any benefits have been earned — by you, a parent or another loved one. “You’ve got to be persistent,” he adds.

Busch, who is from the Tampa Bay area and retired as a full colonel after 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, devotes up to 25 hours per week volunteering with AARP Florida to help veterans, their caregivers and families. In addition to hosting monthly virtual forums, Busch writes a monthly digital AARP newsletter — both a Florida and a national edition — that showcases many of those issues and resources.

Among his aims: help veterans ward off scammers, withstand the strain of caregiving, and navigate the VA.

Florida has 1.4 million veterans — one of the top three states in the nation, along with California and Texas, according to estimates from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Of that, about 700,000 are 65 or older.

In partnership with the American Red Cross, AARP Florida hosts virtual small-group discussions for veterans with specially trained behavioral health professionals, says Jill Auld, an AARP Florida associate state director of outreach and engagement. AARP Florida volunteers have participated in a military spouses event in Jacksonville and marked Memorial Day in Tallahassee by placing small American flags at veterans’ headstones.

AARP Florida also organizes social events — including a fishing trip — for veterans struggling with homelessness. The events include presentations on protecting brain health, fighting fraud and other issues.

HELPING — AND EMPOWERING

It’s all part of an effort to provide information and “empower our veterans,” says Juanita Jiménez-Soto, AARP’s national manager of veterans and military families. Jiménez-Soto’s husband is a Navy veteran, and her son is an Army lieutenant.

“I don’t say ‘help’ because you don’t help a veteran,” she adds. “Those are some tough cookies. You empower them.”

Even so, Jiménez-Soto says, many face challenges exacerbated by military service.

For example, she says, military families might care for loved ones for long periods because of severe service-related injuries they received at young ages, adding to the out-of-pocket costs and emotional strain that many caregivers grapple with. In 2024, 5.5 million veterans had a service-connected disability, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

AARP recently updated its Military Caregiving Guide to provide veteran-specific resources as well as advice, such as how to create a caregiving plan and find support.

Jiménez-Soto says fraud hits veterans harder. A 2025 AARP survey found that 27 percent of veterans nationally reported losing money to fraud, compared with 23 percent of the general population.

Jiménez-Soto notes that veterans are often a target because “they’ve got those benefits and money coming in.” The AARP survey found that 2 in 5 veterans had received unsolicited contact from somebody claiming to be from the VA or other agencies.

Auld says scammers will charge fees to supposedly help access VA benefits — a process that’s free and can be navigated with help from accredited veterans service organizations, such as the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Others exploit veterans’ service-mindedness by posing as veterans charities, she says.

“Veterans are caring people,” Auld says. “They have big hearts. They serve their country. They look out for their own.”

Busch says he’s looking out for them as well. As a fellow veteran, he has mastered how VA health benefits mesh with Medicare — a combination he calls “mindboggling.” He successfully established his service-related disability. And he’s learned to make the most of his VA benefits.

“There are so many things that they will help you with,” Busch says of the VA.

Katherine Shaver has been a journalist for more than 30 years, including 26 years at The Washington Post.

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