For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
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Bring discharge papers for health services
Question: How do I begin to receive Department of Veterans Affairs health benefits and medical services?
Answer: Bring a copy of your honorable discharge (DD 214) to the VA Medical Clinic located at the Tripler Army Medical Center.
Due to a large number of requests for our health care services and a high volume of enrollment applications, it is possible that the facility has reached full patient capacity and is in the difficult position of having to identify and first schedule those veterans who are most medically in need of VA primary care.
If you are currently under the care of a non-VA health care provider, please continue until you receive an appointment from VA. If you do not have a physician and/or require urgent medical care, please contact the medical center.
At your first appointment, your primary care provider will conduct a physical examination, obtain a medical history, review your current medications, and arrange for any laboratory or diagnostic tests. Veterans should bring copies of medical records from his or her private provider.
For more information on the VA health benefits package, contact the VA Medical Center at 433-0600.
Q: Who may be paid the VA burial and plot-interment allowances?
A: The VA will pay the allowances to the person (or entity) that paid for the veteran's burial or funeral and has not been reimbursed by another government agency or some other source such as the veteran's employer.
To apply for VA burial allowances, you need to complete VA form 21-530 (application for burial allowance). A death certificate (if not already furnished to VA) and copies of paid funeral and burial bills should be attached.
There is no time limit for claiming reimbursement of burial expenses for a service-related death. In non-service-related deaths, the claim must be filed within two years of the veteran's burial.
For more information on VA burial allowances, call (800) 827-1000.
If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran, call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049 or visit the VA Web site at
www.va.gov/hawaii or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.