For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
Status sets priority for
health care enrollmentQuestion: I hear all the time about Department of Veterans Affairs priority groups. Can you explain what they are?
Answer: In October 1996, Congress passed Public Law 104-262, the Veterans' Health Care Eligibility Reform Act. This law created an uniform benefits package -- a standard enhanced health benefits plan available to all enrolled veterans. Once a veteran applies for enrollment, eligibility is verified based on the veteran's specific status, and a priority group is assigned.
Priority groups range from 1 to 7, with 1 being the highest priority for enrollment. Under the uniform benefits package, the same services are generally available to all enrolled veterans. Priority Group 1 applies to veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or more disabling. Group 2 is for veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 percent or 40 percent disabling.
Group 3 is for several categories of veterans: former POWs; veterans whose discharge was for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty; and veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 10 percent or 20 percent disabling.
Group 4 is for veterans who are receiving aid and attendance or housebound benefits, and veterans who have been determined by VA to be catastrophically disabled. Group 5 is for nonservice-connected veterans and service-connected veterans with no disability rating whose annual income and net worth are below the established dollar threshold.
Group 6 is for veterans receiving care solely for disabilities resulting from exposure to toxic substances or radiation, or for disorders associated with service in the Gulf War, or for any illness associated with service in combat in a war after the Gulf War. Group 7 is for nonservice-connected veterans and veterans whose needed care cannot be provided by enrolling in any of the groups above and who agree to pay specified copayment.
Congressional appropriations determine the number of veterans accommodated each year. At this time, enrollment in all seven categories is open. If you have been considering enrollment, be sure to bring a copy of your honorable discharge certificate to either the Ambulatory Care Center registration area on the second floor of the VA at the Tripler Army Medical Center for medical benefits, or the VA's E-Wing (first floor) for monetary benefits and disability compensation claims. For more information, call 433-0600 for medical enrollment, or 433-1000 for VA benefits and services.
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.
