December 9, 2016

A rule change at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will allow veterans to apply for burial in national cemeteries before their death, rather than requiring family members to apply on their behalf after it.

Veteran burial benefits previously were approved at the "time of need." For families, that meant waiting until after the veteran died to apply for the benefits via fax or email by sending in a copy of the veteran's DD-214 or separation documents and then following up by phone.

The rule change instead allows veterans to be approved for burial in a VA national cemetery "pre-need," or before death, through a form submitted by fax, email or mail. The form can be filled out by the veteran or by someone else on his or her behalf.

More than four million people are buried in VA cemeteries.

The change is an easy way for the VA to simplify the burial process for grieving families, officials with the Veterans of Foreign Wars said, and allow veterans to put their affairs in order.

Predetermination forms can be submitted by fax to 1-855-840-8299, email to Eligibility.PreNeed@va.gov or mail to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office, P.O. Box 510543, St. Louis, MO 63151, according to the VA.

Download Predetermination Form