High Income Va Rejects Vietnam Veteran

[buickx]

Just had the second Vietnam Veteran rejected for va medical help....both were told they both make to much money after filling out income disclusure ..whats up with this?

[Testvet]

When I first started using the va in 2000, and had private insurance, I never got charged for anything and I was at 0 service connected. This billing your insurance co started about 3 yrs ago..

they billed the Blue Cross for my bypass surgery in 1997 and then charged me a 3,000 dollar co-pay maybe your VAMC didn't start until 3 years ago but that was a failure of their part......they have been billing for years

[john999]

TestVet

I am about two years away from the ten year rule for DIC. No, I don't want to die in a VA hospital. The point I was making is that you need good documentation of a SC death. If you die from a SC death before the ten year time on Total disability you have to prove it. Also, if you die from SC death after ten years as total the VA has to pay for your funeral. It is a little thing but it means a few extra bucks for the spouse. Berta knows that dying from direct SC has some other benefits but I don't remember. If is wise to get an autopsy because you want the death certificate to reflect a SC death. Death certificates without autopsises are maybe just a word or two. Once you reach 10 years nothing is so important, but I want my spouse to get every benefit since a SC condition is going to kill me one day.

[Testvet]

TestVet

I am about two years away from the ten year rule for DIC. No, I don't want to die in a VA hospital. The point I was making is that you need good documentation of a SC death. If you die from a SC death before the ten year time on Total disability you have to prove it. Also, if you die from SC death after ten years as total the VA has to pay for your funeral. It is a little thing but it means a few extra bucks for the spouse. Berta knows that dying from direct SC has some other benefits but I don't remember. If is wise to get an autopsy because you want the death certificate to reflect a SC death. Death certificates without autopsises are maybe just a word or two. Once you reach 10 years nothing is so important, but I want my spouse to get every benefit since a SC condition is going to kill me one day.

Thanks John I will have to let my wife know that, I am always happy to learn NEW information that I had never heard about before

[Pete53]

If the VA is going to bill your insurance why not use your insurance with regular Docs and Medics?

[john999]

Well, I have a lot of pills and I don't have to pay for them at the VA. I agree that if the VA is going to charge my insurance for some treatment I usually get it done by private doctors. However, the VA has told us all that they want to "own" our medical care from the date we are discharged to the day we die. I want to hold them to this to some extent. I am going to have cataract surgery. I won't be getting it done at the VA. I will use my insurance and medicare because I don't trust the VA with something that important.

I know the VA falls far short of the quality care we deserve. I do like the idea that all your medical records are in one place. Since I have duplicate doctors in private sector I had instant second opinions on anything the VA finds. If we middle class types don't use the VA it will just become a charity hospital. Charity patients don't buck the system or ask for improvements. They just take what they can get. My VAMC is a charity hospital to a great degree. The whole idea of excluding richer vets and charging co-pays should go out the window. That again divides vets. If rich vets want to use the VA more power to them.

[LarryJ]

I use the VA Medical Center in Dallas. I use it A LOT!

I depend on them for all my prescriptions.........which, if I got them from outside the VA system, would run several hundred dollars a month.

I've used the ER twice in the last couple of years, for stuff that came up on, like Friday night, that wouldn't wait until a Monday, and, even though there are other vets there, on Friday night, for the same reason, that they couldn't wait until Monday, the VA has seen me both times and gotten my prescriptions that were prescribed by the ER doctor, within 2 to 3 hours, which is as quick, if not quicker, than if I had gone ANY "public" hospital and MOST "private" hospitals.

Whether I'd have them perform neurosurgery or transplant surgery...............I dunno, fortunately I haven't faced that decision,,,yet.