Va Stealing Money From Veterans Through Private Health Insurance!

[Troy Spurlock]

Moderators....not sure if this is the right forum for this discussion, but it does fall under the issue of disability compensation since it is directly related to it. So I made my best guess, but if I am wrong feel free to move it to the appropriate forum.

Anyhow, I, as the veteran, who is 100% service connected for a bladder disorder, chronic thoracic, cervical, and lumbar muscle strain, degenerative disc disease of the entire spine, fibromyalgia, IBS, and several other conditions just learned that the Department of Veterans Affairs has been billing my 3rd party private insurance company since July 2009 for examinations, blood tests, an MRI, and follow-up office visits for these service-connected conditions to a tune of over $5,000!!!!

On May 17, 2009 POTUS Obama proposed that he was considering having the VA charge 3rd party insurance for service related conditions; however due to the intense backlash, he nixed that idea on May 18, 2009.

http://www.cnsnews.c...px?RsrcID=45117 (May 17, 2009 article)

http://tpmdc.talking...health-care.php (May 18, 2009 article)

Despite the POTUS rescinding this plan, the VA is doing it anyway; and now I have just become a victim of it.

Has anyone else discovered that the VA has been charging their private health insurance for service-connected disabilities? I want to hear your story, as I am preparing an op-ed to submit to every newspaper and media outlet physically possible. I want to reignite the hail storm Obama got on May 17, 2009 for such an asinine proposal by proving it's happening nonetheless (probably under secret order of his Administration to do so regardless of his public announcement that he wouldn't do it)!

T.S.

Edited July 31, 2010 by Troy Spurlock

[Notorious Kelly]

The VA has been doing this since at least the 90's.

I didn't think much about it when they were trying to recoup funds.

But- come to Think of it.............

[john999]

I have private insurance as part of my retirement benefits from the federal civil service. When the VA is allowed to cost shift to my private insurance it helps to drive up my premiums. This is a small part of why my premiums keep going up, but I still resent it. The VA is supposed to "own" my medical care. Well, I think they outsource the costs. The VA knows they can bill the insurance companies for service connected care because the insurance companies have no way of knowing what is and what is not SC'ed. Even if they know it costs more to separate them out than to pay them. This is what BC/BS told me.

[Testvet]

this has been going on for years this did not start last year it may be the first time you have ever seen it but the Army hospitals and the VA both having been doing this since 1994 that I know of I used to complain to my private insurance company about it and like John said they don't care it's easier for them to just pay the bill they will make it up someplace else when they bill the govt for something I don't see any of the health insurance companies filing bankruptcy anywhere this is not a democratic or republican issue this has been going on since Bush 41 and maybe even before that

Edited July 31, 2010 by Testvet

[Vync]

I go to my VAMC business office at least every couple of years and have them reverse the charges. If you don't stay on them, they will ignore you.

Note: Even though I'm rated 70%, they were only able to reverse charges for my service connected conditions. They still billed and collected for my NSC conditions.

[Chu Lai69]

I have private insurance as part of my retirement benefits from the federal civil service. When the VA is allowed to cost shift to my private insurance it helps to drive up my premiums. This is a small part of why my premiums keep going up, but I still resent it. The VA is supposed to "own" my medical care. Well, I think they outsource the costs. The VA knows they can bill the insurance companies for service connected care because the insurance companies have no way of knowing what is and what is not SC'ed. Even if they know it costs more to separate them out than to pay them. This is what BC/BS told me.

John999 I doubt very much that the VA is the reason your private insurance premiums go up??? The VA was very up front with me when I signed up for VA medical insurance that if I had Private insurance too, they would send the private insurance company a bill in hopes that it can recoup some of the charges. By the way it never happens. My private insurance company never pays any of the cost. The VA medical center informed me of that from day one. Also it informed me even if the private insurance company did NOT pay any of it, I would NOT have to pay for anything. The VA would provide me with 100% free medical insurance which I do get and am very happy that I do.

Edited August 1, 2010 by Chu Lai69

[john999]

The rule is that the VA can bill even 100% vets for NSC treatments. That is not really ok with me. A vet who is 100% service connected disabled should have all this medical care paid for by the VA. The VA got their foot in the door on this. Recently, a bill to charge insurance even for SC conditions was defeated. The VA is good for two things: cheap pills and documenting your treatment for disabilites. I wonder how the VA decides which of my treatments are NSC since I am SC'ed for CAD, DMII, Chronic Pain, PN and mental health conditions. They don't bother. They just send the whole bill to my private insurance.

Chulai

Would you go to the VAMC if you needed open heart surgery since you have the option of using your private insurance, and picking your own doctor? I know you say you are happy with the care you get from the VA, but if your life depended on it would you use the VA?