Va Benefits While Living In A Different Country? South Korea

[Bkorea70]

DISABLED VET WANTS TO LIVE IN SOUTH KOREA AND STILL GET VA BENEFITS

I have been searching the last couple months on the topic of VA care and just dealing with the VA in general if I live in a different country. I have been able to find very little information about this topic. I am certain that I will continue to get my 40% disability pay, but I'm not sure about some other things. Maybe you guys can help me. My wife and I plan on moving back to South Korea where I met her and was stationed for 3 1/2 years. Here are my questions.

• Does the VA have any medical facilities in South Korea or approved facilities? My guess would be that I could go to a military base for medical and the VA would cover that.
• Who would be my primary care doctor living in South Korea?
• Who handles new claims or increases to current claims?
• Where do I go for my compensation exams?
• Does anybody know who within the VA I could contact to find out more information?
• Does anybody have any solid information via a website that will give me more details about living abroad in general and more specifically about living in South Korea? I've looked at the U.S. Embassy and State Department websites and they give you very little information.

I want to make sure I will still receive VA care and be able to file claims and/or increases while living in South Korea. I would hate to move there and then have the VA tell me they don't have any support in South Korea and I would either have to come back to the U.S. to deal with the VA or I can't get any claims processed or medical care.

[robert51]

DISABLED VET WANTS TO LIVE IN SOUTH KOREA AND STILL GET VA BENEFITS

I have been searching the last couple months on the topic of VA care and just dealing with the VA in general if I live in a different country. I have been able to find very little information about this topic. I am certain that I will continue to get my 40% disability pay, but I'm not sure about some other things. Maybe you guys can help me. My wife and I plan on moving back to South Korea where I met her and was stationed for 3 1/2 years. Here are my questions.

• Does the VA have any medical facilities in South Korea or approved facilities? My guess would be that I could go to a military base for medical and the VA would cover that.
• Who would be my primary care doctor living in South Korea?
• Who handles new claims or increases to current claims?
• Where do I go for my compensation exams?
• Does anybody know who within the VA I could contact to find out more information?
• Does anybody have any solid information via a website that will give me more details about living abroad in general and more specifically about living in South Korea? I've looked at the U.S. Embassy and State Department websites and they give you very little information.

I want to make sure I will still receive VA care and be able to file claims and/or increases while living in South Korea. I would hate to move there and then have the VA tell me they don't have any support in South Korea and I would either have to come back to the U.S. to deal with the VA or I can't get any claims processed or medical care.

i live in the philippines and i think this is the only place outside the us you can get help for your SC only... There are bases in Korea manybe you will be allowed to get medical help there but i am not sure...

[LarryJ]

I know that the U.S. Embassy or the nearest U.S. Consulate office has "connections" to the VA for such stuff as scheduling C&P's or locating a medical provider for Disabled Veterans. The medical care in other countries for veterans living in those locales is usually handled on a "fee basis" just the same as for veterans that live in the USA that are too far removed from a VA Medical Center (A friend of mine in Craig, Colorado, comes immediately to mind!).

I will look and see if I can find the information that you need, in print, in an "official VA publication".

One of the reasons that I am knowledgable about this is the fact that I have a son-in-law that lives (along with my daughter) in Israel, and he is a veteran of OIF and disabled and he receives his care, there, with no problems. I am considering moving there as soon as my wife retires.

Edited October 15, 2010 by LarryJ

[john999]

I think you need to be sure about c&p exams being available without having to come back to the USA.

[LarryJ]

I think you need to be sure about c&p exams being available without having to come back to the USA.

Just got an original, 78rpm, UNPLAYED John Coltrane. Youngest son (the UL college of music graduate) just sent it to me. I KNEW that that Masters degree would someday pay off..........!!!!!!!!!!!

[LarryJ]

From VA WARMS:

Hospital or Nursing Home Care and

Medical Services in Foreign Countries

§17.35 Hospital care and medical services in foreign countries.

The Secretary may furnish hospital care and medical services to any veteran sojourning or residing outside the United States, without regard to the veteran’s citizenship:

(a) If necessary for treatment of a service-connected disability, or any disability associated with and held to be aggravating a service-connected disability;

(b) If the care is furnished to a veteran participating in a rehabilitation program under 38 U.S.C. chapter 31 who requires care for the reasons enumerated in §17.47(i)(2). (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1724)

[55 FR 11370, Mar. 28, 1990. Redesignated at 61 FR 21965, May 13, 1996; 74 FR 30228, June 25, 2009]

Supplement Highlights reference: 48(1)

I know that this does not address the C&P portion of his original question, but, for those "eligible" persons, the WARMS does state that, if a person is traveling for a C&P examination, then they are qualified for VA re-imbursement travel expenses. And, it does not state HOW FAR they will pay. Just that they will pay for C&P travel. Period.

Interesting question.

[hurryupnwait]

This link should help you

My link