For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
Co-payments apply only
to outpatient medicationsQuestion: Is there a medication co-payment charge for all items received from U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pharmacies?
Answer: No. A medication co-payment is only charged for prescriptions and over-the-counter medications on an outpatient basis. Co-payments are not charged for medical supply items, such as diabetic supplies.
Additionally, veterans receiving medications prescribed for service-connected disabilities are not charged co-payments.
Payment options include paying at the time you drop off your prescription, with cash, check or charge card, or you can receive a monthly billing statement in the mail. The payment address is printed on the statement.
By the way, the medication co-payment is the same for mail-in pharmacy service as it is for medications picked up at the VA outpatient clinic.
For more information, contact the VA at 433-0600.
Q: I am a former POW and have recently been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. My captivity was a long time ago. Is this condition related to service, and can I seek medical treatment and file a claim?
A: Yes. The U.S. Code, Title 38, designates 15 diseases considered to have been incurred in or aggravated during active duty service by former POWs detained or interned for at least 30 days, even though there is no record of such diseases during the period of service. Each listed disease must have become manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more after active duty service.
Results of a study by the Institute of Medicine found a significantly higher risk of cirrhosis among former World War II POWs compared with control groups. You may ask about alcohol consumption, but it appears consumption of alcohol does not provide an explanation for the higher mortality rates identified in POWs.
For more information concerning this new determination, or about how to seek medical treatment, contact the VA at 433-0600.
If you wish to upgrade your existing disability compensation or are a former POW and have not contacted the VA before, please call the same number.
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.
