For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's militaryBy Gregg K. Kakesako
Sunday, December 9, 2001
See also: In The Military
Question: I have a service-related disability awarded by the Veterans Affairs but am having difficulties in obtaining insurance. Is there a special VA insurance policy that covers veterans like me? Disabled vets can get
special life insuranceAnswer: Yes. The service-disabled veterans insurance is a life insurance for veterans with service-related disabilities. The basic program, RH Insurance, insures veterans up to $10,000. A supplemental policy, called "supplemental RH Insurance," gives certain disabled veterans extra coverage of up to $20,000. To be eligible for RH Insurance, you must have left the service after April 24, 1951, received notification from VA that you have a service-related disability, are healthy except for your service-related disability, and have applied within two years of being notified of your disability. For eligibility for RH Supplemental Insurance, you must have RH Insurance and be notified by VA that you don't have to pay your insurance premiums, that you applied within one year of being notified of the waiver and that you are under 65 years old. You may be eligible for a waiver of RH premiums if you become too disabled to work before your 65th birthday and stay that way for at least six months. Premiums for supplemental RH insurance cannot be waived. For more details, call the VA Insurance Center in Philadelphia toll-free at 800-669-8477, or the local VA at 800-827-1000, at Tripler.
Q: I recently left the military service and have found an error on my discharge papers that is hindering my request to file a claim with the VA. How can I correct it?
A: The secretary of a military department, acting through the Board for Correction of Military Records, has authority to correct any military record. Applications for correction of a military record, including review of discharges issued by courts-martial, may be considered by the Correction Board.
The veteran, survivor or legal representative generally must file a request for correction within three years after discovering it. This can be waived by the board. It is the responsibility of the applicant to show why the filing was delayed and why the board should consider it.
To justify any correction, it is necessary to show the board that the alleged entry or omission in the records was in error or unjust. Applications should include all available evidence, such as signed statements of witnesses or a brief of arguments supporting the requested correction. The form you will need is a DD Form 149 and is available from the VA.
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 can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.
