For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
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VA discourages some mammograms
Question: October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Does the Department of Veterans Affairs promote this type of cancer awareness for its veterans?
Answer: The chance that a woman will be diagnosed with breast cancer over her lifetime is one in eight. However, many men are diagnosed with breast cancer, too. Mammograms every year for women 40 to 70 years old, especially for high-risk women who have had a first-degree relative diagnosed with breast cancer, are encouraged in order to help detect breast cancer at the earliest and most treatable stages. However, a VA study urges discreet use of mammograms for women older than 70, as the radiation exposure from mammograms may outweigh the potential benefits for elderly women in very poor health. For further information, contact the VA Medical Center at 433-0600.
Q: What is Veterans' Mortgage Life Insurance?
A: Veterans' Mortgage Life Insurance is available to severely disabled veterans who have been approved for a specially adapted housing grant. Maximum coverage is $90,000 and is payable only to the mortgage company. Protection is issued automatically, provided the veteran submits information required to establish a premium and does not decline coverage. Coverage automatically terminates when the mortgage is satisfied. If the mortgaged property is sold, VMLI may be obtained on the mortgage of another home. For additional information on VMLI, contact the VA at (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.