August 17, 2001

Effective October 1, a new medical benefit called "CHAMPVA for Life" will kick in for certain veterans' spouses or dependents who are 65 or older and have Medicare Parts A and B. CHAMPVA beneficiaries who reached age 65 as of June 5, 2001, but were not enrolled in Medicare Part B on that date, will be eligible even though not enrolled in Part B. In all cases, the veteran must have a permanent and total service-connected disability, or must have died of a service-connected condition, or must have been
totally disabled from a service-connected condition at the time of death. CHAMPVA for Life is payable after payment by Medicare or other third-party payers. For services not covered by Medicare or other insurance, such as outpatient prescription medications, CHAMPVA will be the primary payer. CHAMPVA coverage remains unchanged for beneficiaries 65 and older who do not qualify for Medicare.

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