143. Medical and Dental Care. Retired personnel are entitled to medical and dental care on an outpatient basis at VA facilities or by private doctors and dentists when authorized by the VA for service-connected conditions provided:

a. Treatment is required for a disease or injury adjudicated by the VA as incurred or aggravated in service.

b. Retirement was because of a disability incurred or aggravated in line of duty.

c. For dental services, treatment and related dental appliances, the following additional requirements must be met:

(1) The service-connected must be:
(a) Compensable; or

(b) Due to combat wounds or service trauma; or

(c) Of a former prisoner of war; or

(d) of a Spanish-American or Indian War veteran, such treatment as is necessary will be provided.

(2) For all other veterans needing treatment for service-connected dental conditions, it must be shown that the condition was in existence at the time of separation (this includes

retirement) from active service. Application for treatment must be filed within 1 year of date of separation or retirement. In addition, treatment of a service-connected noncompensable dental condition is limited by the VA to that "reasonably necessary," generally one complete episode of treatment indicated; therefore, except as provided herein, when dental treatment in this category of veterans' dental benefits has once been satisfactorily completed, repeat episodes of treatment may not be authorized.

(3) Adjunct dental treatment may be furnished for service-connected physical disability.

(4) There are no time limitations for filing an application for dental treatment, except as indicated in subparagraph c(2) above.

d. Veterans receiving vocational rehabilitation may receive such medical care, treatment, hospitalization, and prostheses as may be necessary to accomplish the satisfactory completion of such training.

See

144. Detailed Information on Benefits. your nearest VA office after your retirement for detailed information regarding availability or limitations on these benefits.

1 February 1966

145. Persons Eligible for Hospitalization in VA Hospitals. Retired members in the following categories are eligible for hospitalization in VA hospitals:

a. Retired members for treatment of disability incurred in or aggravated during service. Retired members who had honorable service during a period of war including the Korean Campaign who were not retired for disability in line of duty or who have no service-connected disabilities are entitled to hospitalization in VA facilities for any disability if the retiree is unable to defray the expense of necessary hospital

care.

b. Members or former members of the uniformed services, temporarily or permanently retired for physical disability, who having eligibility do not elect hospitalization as VA beneficiaries, are required to pay subsistence as they would have to pay subsistence in a hospital of the uniformed services.

146. Admission. Admissions to VA hospitals are made on a priority basis. Eligible persons who require hospitalization for a service-incurred or aggravated disability are accorded first priority and veterans requiring hospitalization for a non-service-incurred disability are admitted when beds are available.

147. Applications. VA hospitals are located in every State, except Alaska and Hawaii. When in need of hospital care, the retired person should apply in person at the nearest hospital or to any VA Regional Office having medical facilities. An application may be made by mail. Application forms are available at any VA office or hospital, and from most service organizations.

148. Location of Veterans Administration Medical Facilities. The following is a list of VA medical facilities. The number following the city indicates the type of facility. Most VA hospitals provide outpatient service even though they do not all have complete clinics organized.

(1-Hospital; 2-Domiciliary; 3-Hospital and Domiciliary; 4-Outpatient Clinic)

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Washington

FLORIDA:

Bay Pines

Coral Gables

Lake City

St. Petersburg GEORGIA:

Atlanta
Augusta
Dublin

Thomasville

HAWAII:

Honolulu

1

4,1

1

1

1

1

3

1

1

3, 4

1

1

1

1

1

None available

1

1

1

1

1

3

1

1

3

2

149. Insurance:

a. General. The Servicemen's and Veterans' Survivor Benefits Act of 1 January 1957 repealed the Servicemen's Indemnity Act of 1951 and thus terminated the indemnity or "free insurance" protection effective as of that date. This does not affect those members who retired before 1 January 1957 with term policies on which premiums had been waived or permanent plan policies on which the pure insurance risk portion of the premiums had been waived, including the 120 days after separation. Premium payments must have been timely resumed or continued in order to keep such Government life insurance in force after expiration of the 120-day period following separation. Members who retire must resume or continue premium payments for the first premium due after the 120-day period.

b. Cash-Surrendered Policies. Persons who cash-surrendered their permanent plans of Government life insurance while they were in active service on or after 25 April 1951 and before 1 January 1957, in order to be covered by the free indemnity, may replace or reinstate their policies on application made while in active service or within 120 days after separation. To apply for replacement of his cash-surrendered permanent plan policy, the member must pay the premium at his attained insurance age on the same plan and not in excess of the amount surrendered, or he may reinstate his old plan by paying the required reserve and the premium for the current month. No medical examination is required. Members having questions concerning replacement or reinstatement which cannot be answered by insurance or personal affairs officers should direct their inquiries to the appropriate Veterans Administration Center (see paragraph 153, this pamphlet).

c. Replacement of Expired Term Policies. Persons who allowed their 5-year level premium

term policies to expire while they were in active service after 25 April 1951 or within 120 days after separation, and in either case, before 1 January 1957, in order to be covered by the free indemnity, may replace their policies on application made while in active service or within 120 days after separation, provided they meet health and other requirements. To apply for replacement of his expired term policy, the member must pay the premium at his attained insurance age on the amount of term insurance not in excess of the amount which was allowed to expire. A complete medical examination is required. Members having questions concerning replacement which cannot be answered by insurance or personal affairs officers should direct their inquiries to the appropriate Veterans Administration Center (see paragraph 153, this pamphlet).

d. Reinstatement of Lapsed Term Policies. Persons whose 5-year premium term Government life insurance expired on or after 23 July 1953, and which was lapsed for failure to pay either or both of the last two monthly premiums of the term period, may reinstate and renew their policies if they can meet the requirements. Application may be made at any time during the succeeding 5-year period. For information on the reinstatement of this or other types of lapsed Government life insurance, contact the appropriate Veterans Administration Center as soon as possible after retirement (see paragraph 153, this pamphlet).

e. Retired Personnel With Service-Connected Physical Disability. Retired personnel, who have a service-connected disability, but are otherwise in good health should apply for one of the seven insurance plans under the nonparticipating NSLI within 1 year from the date the VA finds their disabilities to be serviceconnected. A physical examination report is required in this case together with the payment of the required premiums.