The Sob's Are Getting To Me Again

[carlie]

SSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHEEEEEEEETTTTTTTTT !!!!!!!!!!

Nov 2010 - I travel out of state.

End up with ambulance transport to a VAMC.

About 60 days later I get the bill for the ambulance ride.

I call my VAMC - Fee Basis - they say contact fee basis

at the VAMC that I was seen at in a different state.

I contact them they say mail us a copy of the bill.

I do this and also have the ambulance provider fax

them a copy in Jan 2011.

Last week I get another bill from the ambulance provider.

A note on the bill states make arrangements or pay in 30 days

or it goes to collections.

I call them and they say yes we faxed a copy of the bill in January.

I call fee basis again today in at the VAMC the emergency room service was provided in.

Fee Basis now tells me - oh - we don't pay that - you have to talk to Beneficiary Travel

so I get connected to them - and Beneficiary Travel tells me THEY WON'T PAY

because I did not submit this bill within 30 days of the ambulance travel that was provided.

Hell - I din't even get a bill until after 30 days and the VAMC sent me to Fee Basis.

AND THE FREAKING AMBULANCE RIDE TO THE VAMC WAS FOR A SC'D CONDITION !!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm seeing red - blood red !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Carl the Engineer]

Carlie,

I hope that it gets fixed for you.

I is a shame that the first person you talk to or email does not have the (common sense) and power to fix this and make it right. It is just so easy to blame the patient or pass the buck. Know-one takes personal responsibility any more.

I am a believer in that in the end, if you do get reimbursed, then we just wasted resources and time for nothing, when they could have just payed the bill. The whole jump through hoops thing is just a bunch of crap.

Long ago when I was a 2LT, I was in the NG and 20 of us went on a 2 week exercise and I was the OIC. We always got paid on the 2nd Thursday before coming home. Well they dropped off the checks and some were missing. Apparently when I called to fix it, they said that only the first sheet got paid and the second sheet fell behind the printer and they did not get paid. However, because there system was state of the art and world renowned as the best, they could guarantee me that my troops would get on the first of the next month. What!, that was like 14 days away. I told them that that would not work and they told me that there was nothing they could do as they only cut checks at certain times, etc. I called the Adjutant General for the state and told him that his USPFO was inept (in so many words) and he said he would take care of it. He did, however USPFO said they would be cut the next Monday and sent out mail. I told them that was not good enough and that I was coming for them. They said I couldn't pick them up because I wasn't a pay agent. Wrong again, I was a certified pay agent from our last annual training. (Remember when they paid by check in the field). Anyway I picked them up and paid my guys on Friday, before they went home.

So like I said, it can be done, just know-one takes personal responsibility anymore.

Again, hope you get your bill paid soon,

Hamslice

[halos2]

They (VAMC) told me whenever an emergency occurred the VAMC needed to be notified and then they gave a # to Kansas City which also had to be notified within 3 days and it would be covered...This happened when my father-in-law had a spell??Heart attack and ambulance was called, and helicopter needed to transport so he was air lifted to hosp and dx was numerous lung embolisms(blood clots) anyway I notified the VAMC and then the KC # and they paid the $6500.00 bill cause I called them both right away. They paid on the hosp bill too, till he was stablized...So I was always told to do it that way and it worked out for him, but I was timely. I hope you can prove with the steps you have taken already you followed the protocol told to you.

[SonnyBurnett]

Had the same situation. Several phone calls to various offices at the VA failed. A personal visit to the patient advocate finally cleared it up.

[Philip Rogers]

It's a shell game and they hope you'll give up. They just denied my 4 day hospital stay, in Nov. I had the hospital's social worker call within 72 hrs and get it approved, which she did. Now, they're denying it. Just more BS!!!!

pr

[boomer2]

Carlie and everybody

Unfortunately, in today's society we have to assume that no one wants to help us with problems we incounter with our health or for that matter anything else. People do not want to accept responsibility for telling you that they will solve your problem. I have gotten into the habit of automatically asking to speak to a supervisor and getting that person's name and direct contact info and if they don't want to give it to me I ask for their boss. That does two things, pisses them off and gives me pleasure in doing it.

I actually did this to the NRPC and actually got the person that was in charge of the center and got my info within a week. Maybe we should inundate Mr. Shiniski's office with calls.

NEVER GIVE UP, GIVING UP IS QUITTING AND THAT IS NOT AN OPTION

[Berta]

I dont get it- I tried to find a BVA case that would help Carlie.

Everything I read was a denial of fee basis. Then I found this one:

The Veteran contends that pursuant to the Veterans Millennium

Health Care and Benefits Act, he is entitled to payment or

reimbursement for medical care received from June 15, 2004 to

June 21, 2004 at the New Island Hospital (NIH) in Bethpage,

New York. See 38 U.S.C.A. § 1725 (West 2002); 38 C.F.R. §§

17.1000-17.1008 (2009).

FINDINGS OF FACT

1. The Veteran was treated from June 15, 2004 to June 21,

2004 at the New Island Hospital in Bethpage, New York.

2. The Veteran has no service-connected disabilities.

3. The Veteran was stabilized for safe transfer to VAMC

Northport on June 15, 16, or 17, 2004.

4. Resolving all doubt in the Veteran's favor, VAMC

Northport was not feasibly available to provide care after

the Veteran was stabilized.

http://www.va.gov/vetapp10/files2/1019782.txt

There was a 'transfer' involving ambulance but I cant tell if it was VA or private ambulance.

Maybe the Veterans Millennium

Health Care and Benefits Act contains something that would help Carlie.

I don't get this decision at all.