For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
Long-term care requires
financial forms from vetsQuestion: I already provided financial information on my initial VA application for medical care. Why is it necessary to complete a separate financial assessment for long-term care?
Answer: Unlike the information collected from the means test, which is based on your previous year's income, the 10-10EC is designed to assess your current financial status, including current expenses.
This in-depth analysis provides the necessary information to determine whether you qualify for cost-free care or a significant reduction from the maximum copayment charge. The social worker or case manager involved in your long-term care placement will provide you with an annual projection of your monthly copayment charges if required.
It should also be noted that the financial threshold to be eligible for medical care changes.
Q: My husband recently received a final disposition on his VA claim, but he just passed away. Can I receive any of his monetary benefits from the claim?
A: Generally, benefits to which a VA beneficiary was entitled but had not received from VA at the time of death are payable to specific survivors. For example, benefits that had accrued to a veteran but had not been paid before the veteran's death may be paid to the surviving spouse or children. The accrued benefit is paid until the first of the month of veteran's death.
The surviving spouse should be aware of VA form 21-534, which is an application for dependence and indemnity compensation and accrued benefits.
Current law limits the payment of accrued benefits to a two-year period after of the deceased's entitlement. For instance, if a veteran who had prevailed after an appeal taking several years received his check the day before death, all retroactive benefits for the time the claim was pending would have been paid and would presumably be available for the surviving spouse.
If another veteran in the same situation was awarded retroactive benefits after a long pending claim or appeal but died before the treasury check could be issued, the surviving spouse would receive benefits for only the last two years of the veteran's entitlement.
For more information on survivor entitlements, call the VA at 433-1000 or log on to www.va.gov/hawaii.
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.