January 7, 2026 • 9 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Veteran related needs. Tons of services offered by the Clemon
County Veteran Services, and every county has one. Steve Belzo
is with the Clermont County Veteran Services. They do a
fantastic job and Steve is always a pleasure having in
the studio. Man, welcome back and happy dear to you
and everybody else at Clement County Veteran.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Services, Ryan Brother, thanks for what you do for us,
and it is it's a good new year, so we'll
try above the ground. We're not pushing up daisies. We
may complain about small ailments, right, but yet we're still breathing, right.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah, I know, I'm telling you off area here. It's
the seventh of January and we've I feel like we've
already experienced enough profoundly impactful news stories for like six
months worth of.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Life, right right, Actually, yeah, we have news commentators that
are speed reading right now after a teleprompters. There's so much.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Well, there's always though, something positive in all of the mix,
as you just pointed out, so that we're gonna be
positive about going into the new year. So you run
into a little you know, the lemons that life will
hand you make lemonade out of them, or just search
around for something else that is positive, and you'll at
least have that to look at and be thankful for,
which is what I try to do as I live
(01:07):
my life now with that in mind. My veteran friends
out there, we have talked about some common misconceptions, and
it always puzzled me that it seemed to me that
a lifetime worth of health care, which is what you
are pretty much entitled to as long as you faithfully
serve your country and get a DD two fourteen discharge edition,
(01:29):
is kind of an incentive. It's like a pension program.
You know, if there's a job that's offering you a
pension and one that's not, you might consider the pension
job because that's an extra perk that somebody else is
an offering. So you may not make all the money
in the world serving your country, but you're doing something
that's profoundly important. It shows profound respect for your country.
You're defending our nation from adversaries foreign and domestic, and
(01:52):
you also get a lifetime of free health care. Almost
almost almost there are categories. That's why we have you.
But that's right that veterans who are eligible for it,
just pass on it or sign up. This is what
we're going to try to focus on today.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Absolutely, there's yeah, there's if you can consider this in
this matrix, here's Joe and when did you serve and
how many years? And you're following this flow chart. But
it's what's running in the mind of many veterans. If
you know, there's especially from our older generation, our parents,
the children that grew from parents that came through the depression.
(02:34):
You straighten every nail, you throw it in the bucket,
you pick up every penny. Nothing goes to waste. There's
only a limited amount to go around. There's victory gardens
going in and so those children from those parents, well,
I don't want to go to get to the VA
and get a set of hearing age because I can
hear the TV if I turn it up loud enough.
Well so can three apartments down here in your TV.
(02:55):
But yet they're afraid that if I take those hearing aids,
another veteran needs a more than me is not going
to get their hearing aids. And that's an upside down
way to think about it, because the VA actually gets
their budget off of the amount of veterans signed up
for healthcare, which means they're going to get a bigger
(03:15):
budget and they can afford more hearing aids and they're
not going to run out of stock.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Right, And among my listening audience and my personal perception is,
you know, if there is a worthy expenditure of taxpayer dollars,
our veteran community is a worthy expenditure, you know, because
we're filled with the government likes to pay for literally everything.
Most of it is batcrap and sane, but these are
folks that, you know, literally put their lives on the line.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
It's going back to the founding father, maybe Abraham Lincoln,
whether you consider him founding father or not yet for
him to quote, to care for him who has borne
the battle exactly, He's been the presence of America either
on foreign shores for our interests.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
So in other words, for that veteran who wasn't getting
the hearing aids turning the TV up, and not only
is that person overlooking the cognitive decline and other health
issues that will go along with that. Absolutely by not
getting the hearing aids the V eight, he's maybe reducing
the likelihood that somebody else is going to get hearing
aids because of funding levels.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Because of funding levels, or he's spending six to eight
thousand dollars out on the open market. That's yeah, I
know for us out of hearing aids, right, I mean
they're expensive.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, I like to hope that the government has haggled
and negotiated a good contract for hearing aids that they're
not fitting at full rate. You just let me interject
that comment right there. So and the other conception, you
didn't have to serve in combat or be injured while
serving your country to be eligible for VA benefits. I
guess that's another thing that runs through some of the veterans' minds.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So a lot of them consider yes, short answer. Typically
we look at as a veteran, what were my injuries
on active duty? And what is the VA going to
do about them? Because my my life has been hindered
by my injuries from active duty. But yet the VA
(05:06):
still has a healthcare program where I just pay a
colpay And so if I'm fifty percent disabled or more
by the VA, then my healthcare is free through the VA.
But if I'm ten percent, zero percent, I can still
get healthcare through the VA. It might come with a
small col pay, but I can still have a primary
(05:26):
care physician at the VA.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
But the great thing about Cincinnati, right is the VA
has done a tremendous job here locally in picking up
It's not just its service, but its impression as well.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yep, veterans have told you that, Yes, you survey them regularly.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I have a friend of the family who's gone through
cancer and the VA has taken him through every step,
and he says, I hear all the stories, but I
will tell you I'm an advocate for the Cincinnati VA.
They've treated me so well. What more do you need?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Nothing? Not anymore than that. And then, of course a
lot of veterans are awesome hires. If an employer is
looking for a quality worker, hire a veteran. Along with
getting a job quite often comes your medical insurance from
your employer, and a lot of veterans out sure have
that and perhaps think that just because I have insurance
from my employer, I shouldn't even bother with the VA.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So here's here's here's some of the anomalies. So I
retired from active duty, I have trycare. I get it
for the rest of my life. I get health care
by the government. I also, because I work for the county,
have health care through the county, but because of my disabilities,
I also have health care through the VA. So I
actually have three programs I can run with, but I
(06:41):
use the VA because I'm no longer paying for a
co pay for my medications. All my prescriptions I get
ninety days at a time. I call the phone number
they set up appointments for me. It's a phenomenal way
to have. I really don't need the other two in
that sense, but it's I'm not your every day Joe,
I guess. But to have that opportunity, even if I
(07:04):
do go to work to one tell the mister employer, man, hey,
if I decline your healthcare because I have healthcare at
the VA, will you bump me up an extra six
to ten K? You would be paying for my health care.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I like that, right, Hey, the fools, the one that's
not looking out for his own best centrists. It's worth
asking the question anyway.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Absolutely, it's it's a no until you do ask. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I love that's the first time you brought that one up.
That is people the wheels are spitting in their heads
right now. I'm gotta try that one out. They can
almost smell it in the remaining minute we've got here.
You can enroll online. This does not require a trip
to the VA hospital to do this.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
No, the initial it's a ten ton easy, that's just
submitting to start your healthcare. They're going to look at
your records. If you have a copy of d D
two fourteen, you uproll it there. If not, they'll search
records for it. But you can VA dot gov apply
from your home on your computer.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
And if you have any questions or how to do that,
the climat County Veteran Services will help you through the
process as well, won't.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
They climat County Veterans dot com or five to one
three seven three two seven three six three.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
And one concluding point, as I find out, there is
not a waiting period after active duty for a veteran
to enroll in the VA, So just you know you
get discharged, head on over the website sign up.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
They're doing a great job for veterans leaving active duty
right now that they're assessing them prior to leaving. I've
been asked for that for years at We're not completely
there at by base station, right, so your your larger
camps or forts or stations are having more availability of
that type. Your smaller locations, some of your snake eater
(08:44):
locations out in the woods probably won't have that. They're
gonna have to go to a begger one. But we're
starting to roll.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That out, man. We should get that in place everywhere. Listen,
you got them right there, they're still serving. Give them
the information about enrollment or just enroll them right there.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Their physicians are there right now. Do the Nexus letters,
I mean everything to support them.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Steve Belzo, God bless you, sir. I appreciate what you're
doing with the veterans. I love your enthusiasm. I love
your profound appreciation for veterans and everything that you do
to help improve the services at the VA. You got
any problems, the VA wants to know about it, so
please make sure you let them know. If you run
into an issue, be nice about it. But they'll do
everything they can to address any concerns you have while there.
That is, Steve, a great year we're going to have together.
(09:26):
Look forward to having you back on man.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Oh. I can't wait till next month. Thanks Brian.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Keep up the great work. Vanguard of the American has
caused Gary Minoy hoping pronouncing that name correctly. He's going
to join the program with his book after the top
of the Our News then, of course
Veteran related needs. Tons of services offered by the Clemon
County Veteran Services, and every county has one. Steve Belzo
is with the Clermont County Veteran Services. They do a
fantastic job and Steve is always a pleasure having in
the studio. Man, welcome back and happy dear to you
and everybody else at Clement County Veteran.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Services, Ryan Brother, thanks for what you do for us,
and it is it's a good new year, so we'll
try above the ground. We're not pushing up daisies. We
may complain about small ailments, right, but yet we're still breathing, right.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Yeah, I know, I'm telling you off area here. It's
the seventh of January and we've I feel like we've
already experienced enough profoundly impactful news stories for like six
months worth of.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Life, right right, Actually, yeah, we have news commentators that
are speed reading right now after a teleprompters. There's so much.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Well, there's always though, something positive in all of the mix,
as you just pointed out, so that we're gonna be
positive about going into the new year. So you run
into a little you know, the lemons that life will
hand you make lemonade out of them, or just search
around for something else that is positive, and you'll at
least have that to look at and be thankful for,
which is what I try to do as I live
(01:07):
my life now with that in mind. My veteran friends
out there, we have talked about some common misconceptions, and
it always puzzled me that it seemed to me that
a lifetime worth of health care, which is what you
are pretty much entitled to as long as you faithfully
serve your country and get a DD two fourteen discharge edition,
(01:29):
is kind of an incentive. It's like a pension program.
You know, if there's a job that's offering you a
pension and one that's not, you might consider the pension
job because that's an extra perk that somebody else is
an offering. So you may not make all the money
in the world serving your country, but you're doing something
that's profoundly important. It shows profound respect for your country.
You're defending our nation from adversaries foreign and domestic, and
(01:52):
you also get a lifetime of free health care. Almost
almost almost there are categories. That's why we have you.
But that's right that veterans who are eligible for it,
just pass on it or sign up. This is what
we're going to try to focus on today.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Absolutely, there's yeah, there's if you can consider this in
this matrix, here's Joe and when did you serve and
how many years? And you're following this flow chart. But
it's what's running in the mind of many veterans. If
you know, there's especially from our older generation, our parents,
the children that grew from parents that came through the depression.
(02:34):
You straighten every nail, you throw it in the bucket,
you pick up every penny. Nothing goes to waste. There's
only a limited amount to go around. There's victory gardens
going in and so those children from those parents, well,
I don't want to go to get to the VA
and get a set of hearing age because I can
hear the TV if I turn it up loud enough.
Well so can three apartments down here in your TV.
(02:55):
But yet they're afraid that if I take those hearing aids,
another veteran needs a more than me is not going
to get their hearing aids. And that's an upside down
way to think about it, because the VA actually gets
their budget off of the amount of veterans signed up
for healthcare, which means they're going to get a bigger
(03:15):
budget and they can afford more hearing aids and they're
not going to run out of stock.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
Right, And among my listening audience and my personal perception is,
you know, if there is a worthy expenditure of taxpayer dollars,
our veteran community is a worthy expenditure, you know, because
we're filled with the government likes to pay for literally everything.
Most of it is batcrap and sane, but these are
folks that, you know, literally put their lives on the line.
Speaker 2 (03:40):
It's going back to the founding father, maybe Abraham Lincoln,
whether you consider him founding father or not yet for
him to quote, to care for him who has borne
the battle exactly, He's been the presence of America either
on foreign shores for our interests.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
So in other words, for that veteran who wasn't getting
the hearing aids turning the TV up, and not only
is that person overlooking the cognitive decline and other health
issues that will go along with that. Absolutely by not
getting the hearing aids the V eight, he's maybe reducing
the likelihood that somebody else is going to get hearing
aids because of funding levels.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Because of funding levels, or he's spending six to eight
thousand dollars out on the open market. That's yeah, I
know for us out of hearing aids, right, I mean
they're expensive.
Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, I like to hope that the government has haggled
and negotiated a good contract for hearing aids that they're
not fitting at full rate. You just let me interject
that comment right there. So and the other conception, you
didn't have to serve in combat or be injured while
serving your country to be eligible for VA benefits. I
guess that's another thing that runs through some of the veterans' minds.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
So a lot of them consider yes, short answer. Typically
we look at as a veteran, what were my injuries
on active duty? And what is the VA going to
do about them? Because my my life has been hindered
by my injuries from active duty. But yet the VA
(05:06):
still has a healthcare program where I just pay a
colpay And so if I'm fifty percent disabled or more
by the VA, then my healthcare is free through the VA.
But if I'm ten percent, zero percent, I can still
get healthcare through the VA. It might come with a
small col pay, but I can still have a primary
(05:26):
care physician at the VA.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
Right.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
But the great thing about Cincinnati, right is the VA
has done a tremendous job here locally in picking up
It's not just its service, but its impression as well.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Yep, veterans have told you that, Yes, you survey them regularly.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
I have a friend of the family who's gone through
cancer and the VA has taken him through every step,
and he says, I hear all the stories, but I
will tell you I'm an advocate for the Cincinnati VA.
They've treated me so well. What more do you need?
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Nothing? Not anymore than that. And then, of course a
lot of veterans are awesome hires. If an employer is
looking for a quality worker, hire a veteran. Along with
getting a job quite often comes your medical insurance from
your employer, and a lot of veterans out sure have
that and perhaps think that just because I have insurance
from my employer, I shouldn't even bother with the VA.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
So here's here's here's some of the anomalies. So I
retired from active duty, I have trycare. I get it
for the rest of my life. I get health care
by the government. I also, because I work for the county,
have health care through the county, but because of my disabilities,
I also have health care through the VA. So I
actually have three programs I can run with, but I
(06:41):
use the VA because I'm no longer paying for a
co pay for my medications. All my prescriptions I get
ninety days at a time. I call the phone number
they set up appointments for me. It's a phenomenal way
to have. I really don't need the other two in
that sense, but it's I'm not your every day Joe,
I guess. But to have that opportunity, even if I
(07:04):
do go to work to one tell the mister employer, man, hey,
if I decline your healthcare because I have healthcare at
the VA, will you bump me up an extra six
to ten K? You would be paying for my health care.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
I like that, right, Hey, the fools, the one that's
not looking out for his own best centrists. It's worth
asking the question anyway.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Absolutely, it's it's a no until you do ask. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I love that's the first time you brought that one up.
That is people the wheels are spitting in their heads
right now. I'm gotta try that one out. They can
almost smell it in the remaining minute we've got here.
You can enroll online. This does not require a trip
to the VA hospital to do this.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
No, the initial it's a ten ton easy, that's just
submitting to start your healthcare. They're going to look at
your records. If you have a copy of d D
two fourteen, you uproll it there. If not, they'll search
records for it. But you can VA dot gov apply
from your home on your computer.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
And if you have any questions or how to do that,
the climat County Veteran Services will help you through the
process as well, won't.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
They climat County Veterans dot com or five to one
three seven three two seven three six three.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
And one concluding point, as I find out, there is
not a waiting period after active duty for a veteran
to enroll in the VA, So just you know you
get discharged, head on over the website sign up.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
They're doing a great job for veterans leaving active duty
right now that they're assessing them prior to leaving. I've
been asked for that for years at We're not completely
there at by base station, right, so your your larger
camps or forts or stations are having more availability of
that type. Your smaller locations, some of your snake eater
(08:44):
locations out in the woods probably won't have that. They're
gonna have to go to a begger one. But we're
starting to roll.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That out, man. We should get that in place everywhere. Listen,
you got them right there, they're still serving. Give them
the information about enrollment or just enroll them right there.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
Their physicians are there right now. Do the Nexus letters,
I mean everything to support them.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Steve Belzo, God bless you, sir. I appreciate what you're
doing with the veterans. I love your enthusiasm. I love
your profound appreciation for veterans and everything that you do
to help improve the services at the VA. You got
any problems, the VA wants to know about it, so
please make sure you let them know. If you run
into an issue, be nice about it. But they'll do
everything they can to address any concerns you have while there.
That is, Steve, a great year we're going to have together.
(09:26):
Look forward to having you back on man.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Oh. I can't wait till next month. Thanks Brian.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Keep up the great work. Vanguard of the American has
caused Gary Minoy hoping pronouncing that name correctly. He's going
to join the program with his book after the top
of the Our News then, of course
Brian Thomas News
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