Medicare Facts
By CWO4 Lewis Tolleson, USCG-Ret., Director; Lt. Col. William A. Pierce, USA-Ret.; and Capt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret.

Will the eligibility age for Medicare increase in 2003?

No, it will remain 65 despite the increase in eligibility age for full Social Security benefits for people born in 1938 or later. If you will be eligible for Medicare before you begin to receive your Social Security benefits, enroll by calling the Social Security Administration at (800) 772-1213 about 90 days before you turn 65.

What is Medicare Easy Pay?

Medicare Easy Pay is an electronic payment option in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services bill Medicare premiums directly. Easy Pay automatically deducts premiums from beneficiaries' savings or checking accounts free of charge. For more information, contact a Medicare customer service representative at (800) MEDICARE (633-4227).

VA Burial Benefits

What are my Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) burial benefits?

VA burial benefits include a grave site in any of the 120 national cemeteries with available space, opening and closing of the grave, perpetual care, a government headstone or marker, a grave liner for casketed remains, a burial flag, and a presidential memorial certificate, at no cost to the family. Cremated remains are buried or inurned in national cemeteries in the same manner and with the same honors as casketed remains.

Will the VA provide the burial flag?

The VA provides a U.S. flag to drape across the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran who served honorably in the U.S. armed forces. You may apply by completing VA Form 21-2008 (Application for United States Flag for Burial Purposes), available at any VA regional office or U.S. post office. When burial is in a national, state, or post cemetery, a burial flag will be provided without an application.

How should a burial flag be displayed?

The proper way to display a flag depends on whether the casket is open or closed. VA Form 21-2008 provides the correct method for displaying and folding the flag. A burial flag is not suitable for outside display because it can be damaged easily by weather.

Who keeps a burial flag?

Generally, the flag is given to the next of kin after the funeral service. If there is no next of kin, the VA will give the flag to a friend who requests it. Families of veterans buried in a VA national cemetery that has an Avenue of Flags may donate burial flags to be flown on patriotic holidays. The VA cannot replace a flag if it is lost, destroyed, or stolen. However, some veterans' organizations or other community groups may be able to help you get another flag.

VA Home Loans

How can I obtain proof of military service to get a VA home loan?

Fill out Standard Form 180 (Request Pertaining to Military Records) to apply for proof of military service. Once it is completed, mail it to the appropriate custodian of military service records. The VA does not process this form, and instructions are provided on the back of the form.

Is the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran eligible for the home-loan benefit? How about children of a living or deceased veteran?

The unmarried surviving spouse of a veteran who died on active duty or as the result of a service-connected disability is eligible for the home-loan benefit. To apply, contact a VA eligibility center. In addition, a surviving spouse who obtained a VA home loan with a veteran prior to his or her death (regardless of the cause of death) may obtain a VA guaranteed interest rate reduction refinance loan. The children of an eligible veteran are not eligible for the home-loan benefit.