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Kokua Line
Question: I am a veteran and my friends told me that I can get prescription drugs from the new vets hospital at Tripler. I am retired and don't have any drug or eye care plan. How do I find out if I am qualified for a drug plan from the new veterans hospital? If I do, how do I apply? New hospital offers
services for veteransAnswer: There is a drug and eye care plan available to veterans.
You should consult with a Veterans Affairs benefits/enrollment counselor as to what you qualify for, but the basic criteria for health care benefits are time in service and honorable discharge/character of service.
To receive any type of health care, you must first be enrolled in the VA system, according to VA spokesman Ronald Yonemoto. To enroll, go to the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center, on the grounds of Tripler Hospital, with a copy of your discharge papers.
The application has standard questions, including financial. Although the financial questions need not be answered, they would help determine whether you qualify for free prescriptions, Yonemoto said.
Once your service information is verified and your application checked, you will be issued a plastic ID card, which would make you eligible to be seen in the VA Outpatient Clinic for any health problems, except dental, he said. Included would be any medical conditions that are not service-connected, eye exams, hearing exams and medication for $2 per month per prescription. A co-pay charge may be involved for "non-service connected" services.
Generally, eyeglasses are not provided when vision loss is the result of aging. But eyeglasses will be provided in special circumstances and if a veteran has a service-connected disability rating of 10 percent or greater, for any condition, Yonemoto said.
Although there usually is a $2 co-pay charge, prescriptions are free for veterans in certain cases of disability and income. That can be explained in more detail by a VA counselor.
Call 433-1000 for information or visit the enrollment office in the Ambulatory Care Center, second floor, Spark Matsunaga Medical and Regional Office Center.
How to contact the veterans hospital
"I wanted to call the new Spark M. Matsunaga Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Tripler Army Medical Center. The number is not published yet because it just opened. So I called the federal information number, which gave me Tripler information -- 433-6661. The VA center is at Tripler, but they're different entities. Tripler was nice enough, but told me I should call the VA number, 433-0880. I called the government operator again, saying that if any vets call, to tell them to call 433-0880. But when I called info again, they again gave me Tripler. Please inform any veterans what the correct number is. -- A Vet(There is a problem with the phone numbers, VA spokesman Ronald Yonemoto acknowledged. Because the VA recently moved into the new medical center at Tripler, two numbers -- 566-1000 and 433-0880 -- have been given out, he said.
(Military information has no listing for the VA, he said, and refers callers to 1411 -- general information -- where the erroneous number 566-1000 is given. That number should be updated soon to the correct one, 433-1000.
(In the meantime, veterans can call the VA directly at 433-1000. Neighbor islanders, call toll free 1-800-827-1000.
(GTE operators also have been apprised of the correct numbers when callers ask for the "VA" or The Spark Matsunaga VA Medical and Regional Office Center.)
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
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