Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 60 Part 1.djvu/936

 60 STAT.] 79TH CONG., 2D SESS.--H. 869-AUG. 8, 1946 this section: Provided further, That where treatment or care is ter- minated by the veteran against medical advice or as the result of disciplinary action the amount by which any pension, compensation, or retirement pay is reduced hereunder, shall be paid to him at the expiration of six months after such termination or, in the event of his prior death, as provided in paragraph (2) hereof; and the pen- sion, compensation, or retirement pay of any veteran leaving against medical advice or as the result of disciplinary action shall, upon a succeeding readmission for treatment or care, be subject to reduction, as herein provided, from the date of such readmission, but if such subsequent treatment or care is continued until discharge therefrom upon certification, by the officer in charge of the hospital, institution, or home in which treatment or care was furnished, that maximum benefits have been received or that release is approved, the veteran shall be paid in a lump sum such additional amount as would equal the total sum by which his pension, compensation, or retirement pay has been reduced under this section subsequent to such readmission. (2) In the event of the death of any veteran subject to the provisions of this section, while receiving hospital treatment, institutional or domiciliary care, or prior to payment of any lump sum authorized herein such lump sum shall be paid in the following order of preced- ence: First, to the widow, or widower; second, if the decedent left no widow, or widower, or the widow or widower be dead at time of settlement, then to the adult or minor children in equal parts; third, if no widow, widower, or children, then to the father and mother in equal parts; fourth, if either the father or mother be dead, then to the one surviving; fifth, if there be no widow, widower, children, father, or mother at the time of settlement, then to the brothers and sisters in equal parts: Provided, That if there be no persons in the classes named to whom payment may be made hereunder, no payment shall be made, except there may be paid only so much of the lump sum as may be necessary to reimburse a person who bore the expenses of last sickness or burial, but no part of the lump sum shall be used to reimburse any political subdivision of the United States for expenses incurred in the last sickness or burial of such veteran: Provided further, That no payment shall be made under this paragraph unless claim therefor shall be filed with the Veterans' Administration within five years after the death of the veteran except that if any person so entitled under this paragraph be under legal disability at the time of death of the veteran, said five-year period of limitation shall run from the termination or removal of the legal disability. (B) Where any veteran having neither wife, child, nor dependent parent is being furnished hospital treatment, institutional or domi- ciliary care by the Veterans' Administration, and shall be rated by the Veterans' Administration in accordance with regulations as being incompetent by reason of mental illness, the pension, compensation, or retirement pay for such veteran shall be subject to the provisions of subsection (A) of this section: Provided, That no payment of a lump sum herein authorized shall be made until after the expiration of six months following a finding of competency: Provided further That in any case where the estate of such incompetent veteran derived from any source equals or exceeds $1,500, further payments of such benefits will not be made until the estate is reduced to $500: And pro- vided further, That all or any part of the pension, compensation, or retirement pay payable on account of any incompetent veteran may, in the discretion of the Administrator, and in accordance with instruc- tions issued by the Administrator, be paid to the chief officer of the institution wherein the veteran is hospitalized, to be properly accounted for by said chief officer and to be used for the benefit of the veteran; 909 Treatment termi- nated against medical advice, etc. Readmission. Lump-sum pay- ment. In event of death. Reimbursement 1t burial, etc. Restriction. Filing of claim Time limitation Veterans rated I- competent. Lump-sum pay- ment, restriction. Estate of or exmed- ing $1,600. Payment to chie officer or guardian.

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