Non VA medical bills

[JohnsWidow]

My husband was 100% service connected disabled USMC veteran. He passed away Oct.22, 2016. He had gone to 2 seperate non VA hospitals via ambulance before his passing. The hospitals were aware he was 100% service connected disabled. They have been sending bills for hospital services and he had told their billing departments to send the bills to VISN 16 Consolidated fee unit PO box 320164 Flowood, MS. 39232 several times. Now that he has passed and the same bills are still coming I decided to just enclose a note in all bills stating to remit all bills for payment to the VISN address. They still don't get it. What am I doing wrong? Can anyone suggest a better alternative? Thank you for your time.

Edited January 2, 2017 by JohnsWidow

[jbasser]

Take them to your local VA along with his 100 percent letter and give it to the patient advocate and ask them to fix it.

[JohnsWidow]

Thank you!

[Buck52]

 So sorry to hear of your Loss.

I agree with jbasser and any bills you may have paid ask to be reimbursed.

If patient advocate can't help you or seems to be no help??

I'll let in on a little secret never trust them to do what they say they will do...always be there and make sure you have it in black & white  as proof they got this straighten out.

if the Patient advcate Can't help  then

go to the Hospital Director Office  and ask to be pointed in the right direction.

[JohnsWidow]

Thank you also. John was always the one who dealt with the VA. I must admit I never had the patience he had with them. I have posted my question on this forum less than an hour ago and received 2 responses. I have spent 2 months trying to get an answer from the VA and have just been transferred and hung up on.  

[Berta]

This is the directive for non VA emergency care:

https://www.va.gov/PURCHASEDCARE/programs/veterans/nonvacare/emergency_care.asp

I too regret your loss. I am a widow of a SC USMC veteran.

Have you formally filed for DIC?

Did he have any VA claims pending at death?

If so have you filed to substitute as the claimant on those claims?

It is hard to think about any VA benefits that you might be eligible for, when you are still dealing with grief.

But the DIC application, if filed within one year after his death, gives you the best EED (Earliest effective date) and they will only process and award accrued claims ,only if the accrued claim is filed within that first year.

[JohnsWidow]

Thank you Berta. I will follow up with the information you have given me. I inadvertently filed for something with the Texas Veterans Commission while I was begging the VA for treatment for my husband and that led to her filing for the DIC claim after John's death. It was in the Conroe,Texas branch next door to the  office of Catrina Dale-Washington the patient Representative. I did not know I was still able to use these services as I am not a veteran.  

Edited January 2, 2017 by JohnsWidow
I goofed it up.