Va Healthcare With Supplemental Insurance?

[hurryupnwait]

Just curious

What would be a good supplemental private insurance to have with VA healthcare. My clinic does not provide emergency services and my VA regional Hospital is 3.5 hours away. I like my PCP and other doctors at the clinic, but when I have to go to the Hospital for appointments, well the service there drops considerably.

Paul

[john999]

That is a good question since supplemental policies are expensive. Do you have medicare? I don't believe there is any good supplement for your VA care. What is your percentage rating? I think you would probably have to get a stand alone policy. and that would be very expensive. Do you have health insurance now? If you are unable to work try and get medicare via SSD. I have a group policy BC/BS with my former employer and it costs me and the government about 1200 dollars a month. When people tell you you can get a good health insurance policy for a few hundred dollars that is just not accurate. The cheap policies have very high co-pays and deductibles. If you are able move closer to the VA hospital. Being 3.5 hours away makes ER care impossible. Maybe with health care reform you may get a better answer one day.

[hurryupnwait]

That is a good question since supplemental policies are expensive. Do you have medicare? NO I don't believe there is any good supplement for your VA care. What is your percentage rating? 10% I think you would probably have to get a stand alone policy. and that would be very expensive. Do you have health insurance now? If you are unable to work try and get medicare via SSD. I do not qualify for SSD, not enough credits in the last ten years I have a group policy BC/BS with my former employer and it costs me and the government about 1200 dollars a month. When people tell you you can get a good health insurance policy for a few hundred dollars that is just not accurate. The cheap policies have very high co-pays and deductibles. If you are able move closer to the VA hospital. not really an option Being 3.5 hours away makes ER care impossible. Maybe with health care reform you may get a better answer one day.

Im gonna call Blue Cross and see if they have something that just covers ER and Hospitalization.

[Pete53]

I know in Dallas the Public Hospital sells a Major Medical at a reasonable cost that covers about 80% . A couple of years ago it was about 140 bucks a month.You need to look around before you do something.

Good Luck

[LarryJ]

And, Social Security Disability will not get you Medicare-------until you've been on SSD for two years. Two year waiting period for Medicare.

[john999]

Pete

Is that major medical policy for 140 bucks a month only good at the Dallas Public hospital. If you are in ICU for two weeks you could have a 100,000 dollar medical bill. 20% of that is $20,000 dollars. I have a very good BC policy. My wife is included. She went to an in network hospital for a week, and we still got about 700 bucks worth of bills. ChampVA paid it all after many phone calls. The fine print in the medical policies can kill you.

[Pete53]

John:

Its good in Dallas metroplex they actually include some of the deadbeat counties around Dallas that don't support the hospital with taxes nor pay if one of their citizens go to the Hospital.

I guess my point was to look around and just share something I knew about Dallas.