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

[john999]

Blue Cross said they could not untangle what was SC from NSC in the bills the VA sent them so they just pay them all. They said it is cheaper than fighting with the VA. Hey, I told BC/BS they were being ripped off. I would just like the VA to tell me what part of my care is not related in some way to my SC disabilites. I will start a case with patient advocate.

[jbasser]

You need to check and verify with your Private Insurance and confirm what they pay the VA. They do bill private insurance companies for a fact, but my private insurance does NOT pay them a dime. By law if you do have private insurance they can and will send them a bill. But MOST all private insurance will NOT pay them anything. They don't have to. At least mine does not pay them. Again, confirm with your private insurance that they actually paid the VA(wrote a check) anything and let me/us know that they did write them a check. Be most interesting.

The VA has the right to bill your insurance company for non service connected treatment. The only thing you dont pay is co payments.

Your insurance company has to pay by law.

Dont tell these folks this information since it is not correct.

This would be a good SVR topic in the future.

J

[Chu Lai69]

The VA has the right to bill your insurance company for non service connected treatment. The only thing you dont pay is co payments.

Your insurance company has to pay by law.

Dont tell these folks this information since it is not correct.

This would be a good SVR topic in the future.

J

Sorry Mr. Jbasser, just going by what MY PRIVATE INSURANCE CARRIER quoted me. I even went to their office to show them the copy of the bill the VA sent them and the copy of the reply they sent the VA. All replies were sent to me at my home. So?? What am to believe? You telling me I am not correct? This is one confusing issue. I would love to hear it brought up on the radio show. Can we ask questions on the show?? I have listened to it but do not know how to join in the topic with questions?

[jbasser]

Brrother, just be careful. I hate it when a Good Vet gets caught in between the VA and an insurance company. That would be like being trapped in between 2 tractor trailers as they hit head on.

Fot th e SVR, just go to the hadit home page and follow the commands. It will be a while before we can discuss this issue as we have a full plate for the next month or so, but I would like to bring an insurance specialist to explain the VA billing and ECT.

J

[john999]

The law is that the VA must bill your private insurance for NSC treatments as John said. If you are over 50% you don't pay co-pays. I think this is morally wrong, but it is the law. The problem is when they just bill your insurance for everything. How does your company know what is and is not SC? The VA billed my private insurance for a C&P exam and for all the tests including two stress tests. I told them this was bogus. The idea that the VA shifts costs onto the backs of private insurance is disgusting. The least they could do is pay for the entire health care costs of 100% vets. The more well off vets are subsidizing poorer vets even if the poor vet is totally NSC and the richer vet is 100% service connected. I know a trial ballon was sent up to bill even service connected vets insurance. The day this happens is the day I never set foot in a VAMC again. The hypocrisy of praising vets and at the same time shifting the cost of their care to private insurance is a disgrace. I do vote for giving us all a card like a medicare or champva card and burning the VAMC's to the ground. Throw the doctors and staff on the flames as well. The VA's ultra cheap drug formulary gets praise from politicians, but this is another slap in the face. The VA does not believe that I as a veteran deserve the most effective drugs if they cost more than a generic drug. I could not get prilosec when it was still under patent even though it was effective for me. I could not get any of the new drugs like celebrex a few years ago, but they would give me morphine because it is cheap. That was their entire rational for giving me morphine that I had pain and it was cheap. Now I get the fentanyl patch it is a struggle every month because it costs more than morphine or methadone. When I asked for oxycontin they said no because it was a bad drug when in fact it is the cost. It costs more than morphine or methadone. The good or bad effect on me does not matter. Just the cost matters.

[Troy Spurlock]

Troy once again lets try this. I did NOT say nor did I mention to you I get free Dental. I do not. I quoted in my post, I am 70% SC and get FREE 100% MEDICAL CARE THROUGH THE VAMAC. DENTAL CARE IS DENTAL CARE, MEDICAL CARE IS MEDICAL CARE. They are NOT one of the same. I agree in order to get free dental care you have to be rated 100% But you only have to BE rated 50% or above to receive 100% free MEDICAL TREATMENT!

First, on the dental issue all you're doing is rebutting with semantics. Dental is a branch of medicine, hence it is a part of the medical profession.

Second, lay OFF THE CAPS; it's the same as YELLING and improper netiquette.

Lastly I repeat myself, 50%-100% does put you in the Priority 1 group for access to VA health care but it is no guarantee of "free" health care; especially for non-service connected conditions when you have private health insurance (as others have clearly indicated and commented on same).

Nuf said.

T.S.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Troy Spurlock