Court rules VA must pay for veterans' emergency room care at non-VA hospitals

[DaveMatthewsBand]

This is a couple weeks old but it is really good news for a lot of Vets!


https://www.nbcnews.com/news/veteran..._njMHrrpk0Prmo

[WhittleBurner]

I had to have care in an emergency care non VA hospital a few years ago. The VA paid the bill. You must notify the VA I believe it was withen 2 days of going to a non-VA hospital though or they may not pay the bill. I was in the hospital for a week. I had notified the VA and they looked at was going on with me and decided it was best to leave me where I was at. Depending on what is wrong though they may have you moved to a VA hospital. One other thing is if this ever happens to you is when you talk to the billing department at the hospital make sure they know that they must bill the VA first. Before medicare or any other insurance program. If they don't the VA will not pay. I went through that with the x-ray people. If they don't bill them first, if they want their money from the VA they will have to pay back the money they already got from someone else and bill the VA first. Things I have learned from going through this situation. As I said a very important thing to do is you or someone else call the VA with your name and social security number and report your being at a non VA hospital withen two days or you could have a very hard time.

[LV Naturist]

I had to have care in an emergency care non VA hospital a few years ago. The VA paid the bill. You must notify the VA I believe it was withen 2 days of going to a non-VA hospital though or they may not pay the bill. I was in the hospital for a week. I had notified the VA and they looked at was going on with me and decided it was best to leave me where I was at. Depending on what is wrong though they may have you moved to a VA hospital. One other thing is if this ever happens to you is when you talk to the billing department at the hospital make sure they know that they must bill the VA first. Before medicare or any other insurance program. If they don't the VA will not pay. I went through that with the x-ray people. If they don't bill them first, if they want their money from the VA they will have to pay back the money they already got from someone else and bill the VA first. Things I have learned from going through this situation. As I said a very important thing to do is you or someone else call the VA with your name and social security number and report your being at a non VA hospital withen two days or you could have a very hard time.

Interesting! I will have to check in to this. I'm a rated Vet (10% disability) and just started using the VA a few months ago. Previously I was using just TriCare but found there are definitely advantages to enrolling in the VA. I was reluctant to go to the VA initially because of the horror stories but they seemed to have gotten much better. Biggest question is will the VA pay for non-VA emergency services for all tiers or just those above 50% disability? Again, I'll have to do some research...

And thank you for your service Gary!

John

[WhittleBurner]

I couldn't tell you if the percentage would make a difference or not but I wouldn't think so. You would have your percentage to pay though I would think.

[DougW9876]

Interesting! I will have to check in to this. I'm a rated Vet (10% disability) and just started using the VA a few months ago. Previously I was using just TriCare but found there are definitely advantages to enrolling in the VA. I was reluctant to go to the VA initially because of the horror stories but they seemed to have gotten much better. Biggest question is will the VA pay for non-VA emergency services for all tiers or just those above 50% disability? Again, I'll have to do some research...

And thank you for your service Gary!

John

Being at 10%, as I recall, gets you medical coverage, vision, and prescriptions with a deductible which is quite reasonable. Being at 50% myself I get full coverage without the deductibles. The people at enrollment and eligibility at your local VA facility will be able to tell you all you need to know.

[DaveMatthewsBand]

Just for reference, according to the VA I am listed as a combat vet with zero disability and I did not retire from the Navy.
So I probably get the bare minimum benefits. I don't remember the classification title, I think they had like 6 or 7 of them.

I have been fortunate and have never needed the VA for hospitalization so I can't speak to those services. I'm hoping this trend continues.
Once a year I visit the local VA clinic for my checkup which includes bloodwork to check the usual things like cholesterol, etc.
I've always paid a tiny copay for this.

I am blessed with a healthy immune system so I am rarely ill, but I did have the flu in 1998 and in 2008 and visited the nearest VA clinic where I was seen by the onsite doc and given a shot. I paid a tiny copay for those services.

I've read and heard some horror stories but I've always been really happy with the care I received at the VA clinics I've visited.

* Just for the record, I was a typical kid and got sick all the time back then and broke bones and even went into the hospital a few times. But something they gave me in boot camp cured me and made me into some kind of super human. : P

[WhittleBurner]

Just for reference, according to the VA I am listed as a combat vet with zero disability and I did not retire from the Navy.
So I probably get the bare minimum benefits. I don't remember the classification title, I think they had like 6 or 7 of them.

I have been fortunate and have never needed the VA for hospitalization so I can't speak to those services. I'm hoping this trend continues.
Once a year I visit the local VA clinic for my checkup which includes bloodwork to check the usual things like cholesterol, etc.
I've always paid a tiny copay for this.

I am blessed with a healthy immune system so I am rarely ill, but I did have the flu in 1998 and in 2008 and visited the nearest VA clinic where I was seen by the onsite doc and given a shot. I paid a tiny copay for those services.

I've read and heard some horror stories but I've always been really happy with the care I received at the VA clinics I've visited.

* Just for the record, I was a typical kid and got sick all the time back then and broke bones and even went into the hospital a few times. But something they gave me in boot camp cured me and made me into some kind of super human. : P

The new VA has been transformed. They are nothing like what they used to be. Some still need some help in some areas, like making appointments some take a long time. They do have walk-ins if you need help right away. I have been to three different VA's and will be visiting my fourth this winter and have been treated well at all of them. I did have a problem at one but that was by one doctor that has no business being a doctor. If you do have a problem with a certain person you do have options. As far as disability's if you served or even visited certain areas or your work involved working with certain products you could have problems later in life. If you do there are presumptive illness's that you could come down with and you should familiarize yourself with them. A few are diabetes, Neuropathy and ischemic heart disease. Along with some cancers.

[Jerryr]

Sorry for the long posting but this issue gets my blood boiling.

I’ve been using the VA for over 25 years with almost ZERO issues. The only problem I ever had was a VA pharmacy error. After I called the IG, they immediately investigated and fixed the issue so it would never happen again.

A few days ago while watching Fox News I almost vomited when I heard the guy say that going to government controlled medical care is a bad thing to do, just look at the VA.

I’m 30% service connected disabled. Before I went on Medicare I was paying $24 deductible for 90 day supply of my medications that are not related to the disability. If you’re at 50% or over there is no deductible.

Now that I’m on Medicare I don’t pay anything for VA doctor visits, medicines, labs or any X-ray or MRI Procedures at the VA. One of my medications at a local pharmacy is $950 for 90 days. I get it for free at the VA.

I do an annual VA wellness visit and annual labs at the VA to keep my file active. But I also have Medicare and BCBS Federal PPO So I can go anywhere I want without referrals and no out of pocket costs so I also have an outside Primary care doctor.

I may be slightly biased because my wife worked 30 years for the VA as an RN. Before that she worked at the Air Force hospital that I was stationed at then worked the private sector for 15 years.

I don’t know anybody that currently uses the VA that bad mouths them.

If you think waiting for medical care at the VA is a problem, last year our outside Primary care Dr retired. We tried to get a new Primary and the wait was 7 months before we could get an appt. That’s with Medicare AND BCBS. My wife’s oncologist was able to call in a favor and get us set up with a new outside primary in a few weeks.

When my VA Primary left the outpatient clinic to go to work at the VA hospital I was immediately reassigned to another primary. Both of those VA Dr’s were the more thorough than any outside primary I’ve ever had.

I currently am deaf in one ear and the other has loss. The VA provides special Bi-Cros https://www.hearingaidknow.com/cros-...s-hearing-aids hearing aids to allow audio on the deaf ear to transmit to my hearing ear. They work great.

I hear our current president saying HE was able to sign a bill allowing Veterans to use outside Doctors. That bill, Veteran’s choice, was created and initiated by the previous President, he just signed a revision called VA Mission Act which expanded coverage for caregiver coverage for families of disabled veterans.

[Chiefblueman]

Sorry for the long posting but this issue gets my blood boiling.

I’ve been using the VA for over 25 years with almost ZERO issues. The only problem I ever had was a VA pharmacy error. After I called the IG, they immediately investigated and fixed the issue so it would never happen again.

A few days ago while watching Fox News I almost vomited when I heard the guy say that going to government controlled medical care is a bad thing to do, just look at the VA.

I’m 30% service connected disabled. Before I went on Medicare I was paying $24 deductible for 90 day supply of my medications that are not related to the disability. If you’re at 50% or over there is no deductible.

Now that I’m on Medicare I don’t pay anything for VA doctor visits, medicines, labs or any X-ray or MRI Procedures at the VA. One of my medications at a local pharmacy is $950 for 90 days. I get it for free at the VA.

I do an annual VA wellness visit and annual labs at the VA to keep my file active. But I also have Medicare and BCBS Federal PPO So I can go anywhere I want without referrals and no out of pocket costs so I also have an outside Primary care doctor.

I may be slightly biased because my wife worked 30 years for the VA as an RN. Before that she worked at the Air Force hospital that I was stationed at then worked the private sector for 15 years.

I don’t know anybody that currently uses the VA that bad mouths them.

If you think waiting for medical care at the VA is a problem, last year our outside Primary care Dr retired. We tried to get a new Primary and the wait was 7 months before we could get an appt. That’s with Medicare AND BCBS. My wife’s oncologist was able to call in a favor and get us set up with a new outside primary in a few weeks.

When my VA Primary left the outpatient clinic to go to work at the VA hospital I was immediately reassigned to another primary. Both of those VA Dr’s were the more thorough than any outside primary I’ve ever had.

I currently am deaf in one ear and the other has loss. The VA provides special Bi-Cros https://www.hearingaidknow.com/cros-...s-hearing-aids hearing aids to allow audio on the deaf ear to transmit to my hearing ear. They work great.

I hear our current president saying HE was able to sign a bill allowing Veterans to use outside Doctors. That bill, Veteran’s choice, was created and initiated by the previous President, he just signed a revision called VA Mission Act which expanded coverage for caregiver coverage for families of disabled veterans.

Jerry, I'm glad to hear you are receiving good care from the VA. IMHO, all veterans should receive top notch, hassle free health care for little or no cost. You all did your part for this country. Your health care is a small price for our country to pay for your service.

BTW, I'm not a vet, just have the utmost respect for those that are serving and have served our nation.

[WhittleBurner]

Jerry, I'm glad to hear you are receiving good care from the VA. IMHO, all veterans should receive top notch, hassle free health care for little or no cost. You all did your part for this country. Your health care is a small price for our country to pay for your service.

BTW, I'm not a vet, just have the utmost respect for those that are serving and have served our nation.

I agree. Other than that one instance which was because of a particular doctor I have had excellent care. I don't pay anything for my healthcare either as I am 100%. My primary care is in Detroit Mich. and where I get most of my care. My heart surgeries are done at the VA in Ann Arbor. My doctor Is the second in charge of cardiology at U of M in Ann Arbor Mich. I have glaucoma and my eye doctors in Detroit are from the Kresge eye institute. We have talked of moving to Florida but with the care I am getting here in Detroit, I'm not so sure I should.