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Va Choice Cards

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About the Program

Many Veterans will now have the option to receive non-VA health care rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

Beginning November 5, 2014, the new Choice Program will begin to cover non-VA care for eligible Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. Veterans are eligible if any of these situations apply to you:

You have been told by your local VA medical facility that you will need to wait more than 30 days from your preferred date or the date medically determined by your physician

Your current residence is more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility

You need to travel by plane or boat to the VA medical facility closest to your home

You face a geographic challenge, such as extensive distances around water or other geologic formations, such as mountains, which presents a significant travel hardship

More info at:

http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/

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  • HadIt.com Elder

About the Program

Many Veterans will now have the option to receive non-VA health care rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

Beginning November 5, 2014, the new Choice Program will begin to cover non-VA care for eligible Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. Veterans are eligible if any of these situations apply to you:

You have been told by your local VA medical facility that you will need to wait more than 30 days from your preferred date or the date medically determined by your physician

Your current residence is more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility

You need to travel by plane or boat to the VA medical facility closest to your home

You face a geographic challenge, such as extensive distances around water or other geologic formations, such as mountains, which presents a significant travel hardship

More info at:

http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/

The time delay problems are just going to continue.

Example in my case

VA Clinic 81/2 miles away. Schedule an appointment? ~ 30 days or more.

PCP or PA only, no specialists.

VAMC 50 mile away. Marginally qualified specialist, not to my knowledge board certified or interventional qualified.

Nearest fully qualified civilian specialist and medical facility 18 miles away. Delay in getting appointment after referral by PCP

Unknown, may be more or less than 30 days.

If the VA has it's way.

30 days to see the PCP.

PCP does request for outside specialist.

Unknown delay for VAMC to process. (This is the same VAMC that had it's director fired/retired for unacceptable delays in processing

1,500 requests for outside "consults", what the VA calls medical care from outside providers.

There is no operating area VA provision for non emergency "urgent or "acute" care situations requiring appropriate medical care

within hours or days. A veteran can go to the local emergency room, then fight with the VAMC for payment. Reimbursement for

"urgent" care facilities ???? (It's not an emergency room, so it's likely that the veteran will be SOL.

I don't see how the outside care law is going to make much difference if the VA insists that "any VA medical care facility"

within 40 miles negates the eligibility for care under the new law.

Remember that the PCP level of VA care is over scheduled, at about 125%,, is the primary level care delay is encountered,

and the level most involved with the scheduling fiasco.

Edited by Chuck75
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  • In Memoriam

I had another stroke about 1 month ago. I called the VA and told them I was going to private hospital. The gal said that she would make annotation. Just today I got a paper from the VA stating that they paid the 4700. VA asked me to please tell them if medicare or medicade of SS also paid the bill. I suspect this is because of double billing. I just don't want to go to these rats unless I have to. I have humana also. I live 24 miles from the VA.

Please forgive my attempt at humor, but here goes.

Just like I said before throw a piece of cheese and watch them scramble for it.

Edited by Stretch
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  • In Memoriam

I found this in my record. This was to a private hospital.

Chief Complaint: TIA

Patient Admitted? Yes

Date/Time:

Admission Diagnosis:
Attending-Treating MD:
Type of Bed:
Veteran requesting transfer?

Additional Comments:

VHSO was notified within 72 hours, due to Veterans eligibility, this
is VA expense permanent and total disabled service connected
Veteran. Eligibility form faxed WRMC.

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Stretch...

And how would WE know whether or not medicare/medicaid paid a portion of the bill? I doubt they send us a copy, and even if they did, did they really expect us to keep it on file "just in case" VA has questions?

Are we expected to know the inner workings of VA AND medicare to get benefits? We already know we have to have intimate knowledge of VA claim process (or else step on our necktie by doing things like not filing a Nod within a year, not specifying DRO review/hearing, not filing out the I9, etc., etc.,).

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