Obama Care

[yoshi]

I am fully covered by the Dept of VA. Are there any benefits to enrolling into additional health care coverage? Just asking because I received a letter from the VA today asking me if I want to enroll. What are the pluses to enrolling into additional coverage's, and how does enrolling int additional coverage's affect a Veteran's current coverage?

[TiredCoastie]

In our experience, having additional medical insurance coverage does not take anything away from care I receive from the VAMC. If anything, the VA Health Administration may attempt to bill any health insurance you have for care you receive through them. But seeing as you're rated at 50%, can't imagine the VA would attempt to charge anyone for care they said you get for free. We're a retired military family, and the VAMCs I've used have yet to attempt to bill TRICARE either before or after I received my 60% rating.

Broncovet is dead on in his description...more insurance means more choice. It's allowed me to pick and choose what I get from the VA rather than have to accept whatever they'd like to throw at me. With my conditions being complicated, I'm much more comfortable working with top doctors in our region rather than VA specialists. In fact, when I've mentioned to my VA PCP which practices are treating me, the response is that the VA cannot top that.

Edited August 22, 2013 by TiredCoastie

[BakerGeckos]

If anything, the VA Health Administration may attempt to bill any health insurance you have for care you receive through them. But seeing as you're rated at 50%, can't imagine the VA would attempt to charge anyone for care they said you get for free. We're a retired military family, and the VAMCs I've used have yet to attempt to bill TRICARE either before or after I received my 60% rating.

They go after my insurance for any treatment that is NOT service connected....I usually don't mind because it wipes out my Deductible....

[BakerGeckos]

Oh BTW: That's how my private insurance found out I have Diabetes. Now I get all kinds of Phone Calls and Material in the mail from my private insurance for the DM....

[Pete53]

When VA collects from our Insurance they turn over all our Medical Records to Insurance and Insurance turnsd it over to their reporting Agency. So much for medical privacy.

[Chuck75]

Are there any benefits to enrolling into additional healthcare coverages?

Curious because I usually use the VA for all of my health care needs, but I am thinking of enrolling in Medicaid/Medicare for additional coverages where the VA lacks-i.e. hospitals in the local area. I like my benefits the way they are now. I just don't want to lose any coverage from the VA if I pick up an additional carrier. Does anyone know what kind of affect adding an additional insurance will have on my VA Healthcare plan? Thanks.

Medicare is a must if you intend to use non VA local medical services and doctors. Many of the employers are basically forcing retired employees out of the mainline medical insurance carried by "active" employees. The replacement is something like "Medicare Advantage" or a similar program. For those who don't mind paying, say two to three thousand a month, they may be able to maintain coverage in the active employee plans. The Medicare advantage plans basically require that the insured maintain Medicare A&B, as well as drug coverage. (They do NOT consider VA drug benefits as qualifying) So, in essence, someone under this scheme will pay roughly $200+ for Medicare coverage with a few extra perks.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Chuck75

[Chuck75]

In our experience, having additional medical insurance coverage does not take anything away from care I receive from the VAMC. If anything, the VA Health Administration may attempt to bill any health insurance you have for care you receive through them. But seeing as you're rated at 50%, can't imagine the VA would attempt to charge anyone for care they said you get for free. We're a retired military family, and the VAMCs I've used have yet to attempt to bill TRICARE either before or after I received my 60% rating.

Broncovet is dead on in his description...more insurance means more choice. It's allowed me to pick and choose what I get from the VA rather than have to accept whatever they'd like to throw at me. With my conditions being complicated, I'm much more comfortable working with top doctors in our region rather than VA specialists. In fact, when I've mentioned to my VA PCP which practices are treating me, the response is that the VA cannot top that.

They can try to bill "private" insurance. They cannot bill Medicare or other government medical "insurance". An exception seems to be Tricare, in that Tricare picks up some of VA charges for non SC'd conditions.As far as I know, they can bill insurance companies that insure government employees.

Years ago, until the government changed the laws, the VA or a military hospital would not have been paid by a private insurance company.

For a short time, (1970's) we were impacted by the old law. My then employer, due to contractual agreements with the government, ended up picking up the difference, (other than a $25-30 copay)

When all was said and done, military retirees using military medical services, and that had "private" group insurance were paying the premiums, and the military medical system was reaping benefits.

Edited August 23, 2013 by Chuck75