ptsd Nam Vet With Er Services Covered Under "millennium Act"?

[FLvetwife]

My husband is waitng for his service connected disability rating.

We have no income, he has no health insurance.

We have been selling off assetts to live.(This is not a complaint,just a fact of life)

He has been treated for severe PTSD at the VA for the last 2 years.

His claim is over 2 years old at this point. Should be decided soon as all info is before rating board now.

Question:

Conflict with a neighbor, police called, husband had mental breakdown, police enacted the "Baker Act" (under this act:instead of jail, police take him to the ER then Mental Hospital for evaluation).

I am waiting on the 10-583 form.

I read the HR 2116 subtitle B sec 111

"Millenium Health Care Act; reimbursement for ER treatment"

As this is PTSD, flashbacks, service connected but not yet rated..... who pays the bills?

Does the Millennium Act come into play?

Anyone with advice on what to do next?

Any information on medical expense reimbursment for expenses in a non-authorised facility while claim is pending?

please advise

[rattattat]

I have a friend that was in a similar situation a couple of years ago. He was not service connected, had no insurance and no money. He had an emergency situation and spent the night in the local hospital. He told the hospital to bill the VA. They did , and he received a letter from the VA and a form. He sent VA the info they wanted and they paid the bill.

Hope this helps.

[Guest jangrin]

Flvetwife,

We were in a similar situation over the past 18 months waiting for the claim to be decided. Selling off assests, and actually moving out of our home we had lived in for the previous 17 years, etc. Not complaining, but like you, a fact.

You will find support here fromthe Hadit fambly, as many have walked in your shoes.

Once your husbands claim is decided and he is service connected, any unpaid bills for emergency treatment from the time you all filed the initial claim, and the decision recieved by the VARO making the service connection should be paid retroactively. You will have to fill out all the VA forms but you should get reimbursed for expenses and unpaid bills for PTSD should be paid.If he is awarded TDIU, then all expenses for any medical should be paid. Did you file for TDIU? with his PTSD claim?

Jangrin

[FLvetwife]

Thanks for your reply. I think we are on the right track. We have not applied for TDIU as of yet, still waiting on rating determination, then will most likely apply. The claim was filled in '05, incident was in '07.

I was told reimbursemant was NOT retoactive. But since this incident has happened while waiting on the rating.... maybe we still have achance at recovering expenses? If not....guess I will scream to the congressman's office........

After all, if they can convict a Congressman and imprison him and still pay a pension, surely a Nam vet deresves some med treatment payment.

We were in a similar situation over the past 18 months waiting for the claim to be decided. Selling off assests, and actually moving out of our home we had lived in for the previous 17 years, etc. Not complaining, but like you, a fact.

You will find support here fromthe Hadit fambly, as many have walked in your shoes.

Once your husbands claim is decided and he is service connected, any unpaid bills for emergency treatment from the time you all filed the initial claim, and the decision recieved by the VARO making the service connection should be paid retroactively. You will have to fill out all the VA forms but you should get reimbursed for expenses and unpaid bills for PTSD should be paid.If he is awarded TDIU, then all expenses for any medical should be paid. Did you file for TDIU? with his PTSD claim?

Jangrin

[Guest jangrin]

FLvetwife,

Is your husband currently working? If the PTSD is keeping him from working, or has diminished his ability to succeed at his Usual occupation and gainful employment, he should file for Social Security Disability and TDIU.

TDIU is based on ones inability to work, if your husband is not able to work you should file for TDIU right away, so it can be considered when they rate his claim. It could mean the difference in having to wait for many more months before a decision is made, when they could make the decision now and it may influence how they rate your husbands PTSD, if they know he has not been able to work. If you wait until after the decision it could be many more months until they make a decision on the TDIU and a loss of compensation pay at the 100% rate. I would file now if he can't work.

Jangrin

[FLvetwife]

We just recently signed my husband up for early SSI.

Thank you for the TDIU info. I thought I had to wait on the decision and then file TDIU.

I am setting up an appoinment with our VA Rep. He is new to the office but a Nam Vet too. He doesn't have all the answers but has been very considerate, returns phone calls, and digs around for what he may not know. At least he will discuss things about the VA process with me as my husband is now almost all but non-communicative.

My husband has not worked in years, could not get SS disability (not enough paid in), now I have to stay at home with him can not leave the house. Of course we live miles from anywhere as well.

I have trouble even going to the grocery because of his anxiety and flashbacks.

His PTSD has become worse. He has been getting treatment from the VA for the last 2 yrs, (last GAF from VA Doctors was 35) some meds help, but he has dire reactions to most of the meds, almost to the point of death from adverse reactions.

We also have a Congressional inquiry on the table with the VA over his claim.

I really appreciate any info you pass on,

Kameron

[Guest jangrin]

Kameron,

I really want to pass on some information to you.

Go to the Hadit homepage and click on the search button, you will have a choice to seach google or Hadit, choose Hadit then type in ..TDIU. Start reading about TDIU from other members here who have also posted, also you can download the TDIU form from a link that BERTA posts about once a week for someone in a similar situation like you and us.

You cannot always trust that the VA Vet Rep knows everything. They did not want to file the TDIU form but because of Hadit and the members here we forced the issue and they filed the form. It made a difference of about 8 months of compensation at 100%. Also it lets the one rating your claim know that this problem is more severe because your husband can't work.

ALso what ever you do get a copy of everything that is sent to the VA. Unfortunately, the county service officer we used to file our claim helped fill out our paperwork. When we filed for PTSD for my husband we also wanted to file for MDD (depression) as recent medical diagnosis for problems had an effect on my husband mental status. We talked about this at great length. We thought she understood, but just recently we got the C-file, and she did not put down depression as we had asked. So it was never considered. Make sure you get a copy of everything.

Also when we got the copy of our c-file, we found that the rater had NO RECENT MEDICAL REPORTS OR ACTVITY, except the results from the C&P exams. Make sure you request copies of all medical reports and police reports and doctor edxaminations and office visit notes. Copy them and send in the information to the rater at the VARO to be included. We thought that they were being sent but we found out that was not the case. When my husband was rated I am surprised he got the 60% TDIU based on the C-file.

Just some tips..the folks here at Hadit are more informative than most Vet reps and they have been through this many times. Learn to use the search button there are many VERY informative posts here that you will be able to learn from. You'll still have questions but you'll gain lots of knowledge by researching the Hadit website.

Jangrin

Edited July 5, 2007 by jangrin