I receive this info from my Senator's Capitol update newsletter. Pretty interesting. I wasn't aware that the benefits were THAT low in the first place, but I'm glad to see that its now been raised to a decent level.
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From Senator Tiahrt...
Congress increased the maximum life insurance benefits for service members from $250,000 to $400,000; the onetime death gratuity for combat related fatalities is increased from $12,000
to $100,000 and is made retroactive to the start of the conflict in Afghanistan.
We have also put veterans' medical care as a high priority in this year's budget. The Fiscal Year 2006 budget calls for the highest funding level in history for veterans medical services, with an increase of 9 percent or $1.6 billion over last year. Since 2001, Veteran's medical care funding has increased by 40 percent.