• Kaua‘i Veterans Corner is a monthly column about the services and events available to veterans. Upcoming events • Memorial Day Observance: May 27, 10 a.m. to noon at Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery. • 4th of July Information Fair: July 4, 9
• Kaua‘i Veterans Corner is a monthly column about the services and events available to veterans.
Upcoming events
• Memorial Day Observance: May 27, 10 a.m. to noon at Kaua‘i Veterans Cemetery.
• 4th of July Information Fair: July 4, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kaua‘i Veterans Center.
To find out more about these and other planned activities call Aida Cruz at 246-1135.
Kaua‘i’s VA Rural Health Outreach Team
The Kaua‘i VA Clinic conducts weekly outreach sessions on both the North Shore and Westside of the island. Veterans who are not currently using VA for medical or mental health services are encouraged to stop by and check out what the VA can do to help you.
Veterans are asked to bring a legible copy of their military discharge paper unless already enrolled with VA. Dates/times and locations are:
• Monday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kilauea Parish Hall of Christ Memorial Church.
• Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Hanapepe United Church of Christ.
• Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Hanalei Community Center.
For questions about these and other services offered by the VA, call 246-0497.
Discuss benefit claims via video conference
Veterans can speak directly via video conference with a VA benefits adviser in Honolulu to ask questions and discuss concerns involving their benefit claim(s). To participate, a veteran must first schedule an appointment by emailing a request to pctc.vbahon@va.gov. A VA representative will contact the veteran with an appointment date/time. On the day of the appointment, the veteran simply shows up at the CBOC with any pertinent documents and a VA staff member will guide him/her to the designated room for the video conference. Assistance will also be provided with faxing any additional documents to VA Honolulu prior to the veteran’s departure.
Questions? Call the Vet Center at 246-1163 or KOVS at 241-3348.
TriCare Prime medical care option
Effective Oct. 1, military retired veterans, their dependents and their surviving spouses (under age 65) will no longer have the option of selecting TriCare Prime health care coverage. Instead, everyone will automatically be enrolled in TriCare Standard.
Those already enrolled in TriCare Standard will see no charge in coverage or cost. However, those being switched from TriCare Prime to TriCare Standard will see the following changes:
• No premium charged for enrollment in TriCare Standard.
• Annual deductible of $150 (per individual) or $300 (per family).
• Once the annual deductible is met, enrollee’s must pay 20 percent of remaining total cost of services.
• Annual catastrophic cap of $3,000 applies.
• Enrollee’s select their own network or non-network provider(s).
• Providers continue to file claims to TriCare.
For comprehensive information on this change and to learn more about TriCare Standard, visit http://www.tricare.mil/Welcome/MediaCenter/CurrentTopics/ChangestoPSAs.aspx
• SgtMaj Tony Elliott USMC (Ret) is a member of the Hawai‘i Office of Veterans Services on Kaua‘i.
