For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
Anatomical loss earns
special benefitsQuestion: I am a female veteran who has lost a breast due to what I believe was a service-connected condition. I heard about a special monthly compensation for female veterans like me. Is this true?
Answer: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a final regulation that awards special monthly compensation to women veterans with service-related loss of one or both breasts.
Such anatomic losses may include simple, modified or radical mastectomies.
Federal law provides a special monthly benefit of $80 for certain service-related disabilities suffered by veterans. This special benefit is paid in addition to VA's regular disability compensation.
To qualify, recipients must have their conditions officially recognized by VA as being service-connected. I
In addition to loss of breasts, this special benefit is paid for a variety of other anatomical losses and for certain conditions affecting speech, hearing and sight.
The new regulation became effective March 18.
For more information, contact the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical and Regional Office Center at 433-1000 and speak to a veterans counselor.
Q: How long does a former prisoner of war have to be continually rated totally disabled for his surviving spouse to be eligible for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation even if his death is not service-connected?
A: A former prisoner of war who died after Sept. 30, 1999, needs to have been continually rated totally disabled for one year prior to death in order for his surviving spouse to qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits.
If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran,
call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049
or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin,
can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.
