Veteran’s cremation was made easier earlier this year when the VA announced it was abandoning the previous reimbursement model in favor of automatic, at-need disbursements to the surviving family. This change was enacted, in part, because the VA typically made restitution to the family in the highest amount legally allowed in most every case.
Prior to July 7 of this year, families were required to shoulder each of the costs associated with the death, preparation, and interment. The family was required to submit paperwork and receipts to the VA for review and eventual reimbursement. Many of the reimbursements made were for small, one-time payments that the VA almost always payed out at the maximum amount permitted by law anyway.
According to the VA website, “These regulations will authorize VA to pay, without a written application, most eligible surviving spouses basic monetary burial benefits at the maximum amount authorized in law through automated systems rather than reimbursing them for actual costs incurred.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be the VA (or any other governmental bureaucracy) if there weren’t specific date and eligibility requirements that must be met to qualify for the new automated disbursement plan. Several factors, including the nature of service discharge, whether the deceased was being treated at or living in a VA facility, and whether or not they were receiving or eligible for a VA pension, affect the type and amount of reimbursement available.
Preplanning a Minneapolis veteran’s cremation with the Neptune Society takes much of the guesswork out of your veteran’s memorial and interment. The Neptune Society’s dedicated family service representatives in Minneapolis are trained to answer your questions about veterans’ cremations and to help you and your family secure the VA benefits your service has entitled you to.
If you have any questions about your VA benefits or you simply want to take advantage of preplanning your Minneapolis veteran’s cremation, contact the Neptune Society of Minneapolis today to learn more about the dignity and respect a Minneapolis cremation can afford you. Request your Minneapolis veteran’s cremation guide today.
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The Neptune Society is the nation’s oldest and largest provider of affordable cremation services. Whether you have an immediate need or want to plan cremation services in advance, we are always available to assist you and your family.
Call 1-800-NEPTUNE (800-637-8863) today or contact us online to learn more.
