For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
VA provides a $300 burial
allowance in some casesQuestion: My spouse had a service-connected disability but died of other causes. Am I eligible for burial benefits?
Answer: A $300 burial allowance is available if the veteran received or was eligible for VA compensation or a pension. It's also available if he died in a VA facility.
Although burial in a national cemetery is free to these veterans, all other mortuary expenses are the responsibility of the family. Transportation to a national cemetery will be provided only if the death occurs in a VA facility and the cemetery is not farther than the residence of the deceased. The $300 interment allowance applies when burial is in other than a national cemetery.
If a spouse dies of a service-connected disability, a $2,000 burial allowance is available. It may be used to cover some of the funeral director's expenses, the casket and transportation to the cemetery.
Although a marker is available at no charge, the private cemetery will probably charge a fee for placing it on the grave.
For more information on burial benefits, call the Honolulu VA office at 433-1000 or visit the VA Web site at www.va.gov/hawaii.
Q: I read something about VA co-payment refunds. Can you elaborate?
A: Veterans insured by the Hartford Life Insurance Co. or the USAA Life Insurance Co. may be eligible for a refund of their VA co-payments.
In a recent settlement with the VA and a coalition of insurance industry groups, Hartford and USAA paid VA approximately $11.1 million. The settlement involves payments for care provided by VA to insured veterans with Medicare or Tricare supplemental coverage from Jan. 1, 1995, through Dec. 31, 2001.
Veterans insured by Hartford or USAA who paid VA co-payments for VA medical care received during the above time frame may ask VA for a refund of their co-payments on a first-come, first-served basis. All requests for refunds must be postmarked by April 1, 2004.
The VA will notify by mail those veterans who may be eligible for refunds according to records on file. Other veterans who believe they may be eligible for a refund may obtain a claims application form by calling a special toll-free number (866-258-2772) between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. EST, Monday through Friday. They also may download the application from the VA Web site at www.va.gov/hottopic.
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.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.