Had It!

[retiredat44]

I have had extensive dealings with Fee Basis..

at least 2x in 15 years.. and one time the dealings ower eof life and death and I was sent to an outside hospital by the va.. and yet I had to use appeals through fee basis to get the bills paid, and that took more than 1 year to clear up...

my main advice:

make sure you are pre-approved in writing..

if it is a real emergency (dying.. sorry, but I had to use 'dying' as the best example..) then you don't have time for pre-approval.

after all the medical is done and you are stablizied.. and you cannot determine when you ahve been stabilized, only doctors can... they you must be transferred to the VA for the rest of the care... and when you are transferred, the VA must arrange the transfer...

if you try to get around this in any way, you risk have a huge bill to pay.. or worse... not getting the proper care and follow-up...

to top this off i live 15 minutes away from a major hospital and 40 minutes from the local VA hospital.. so I am right int eh middle of large cities with all services..

every person has a unquie health problem, so one size probably does not fit all... to save yourself time and a steep learing curve, find out al you can about fee basis services, addresses, phone numbers, etc... and keep them handy... that will make it easy if/when that day happens.. especially if you are in no condition to talk to people.. you hopefully can hsare the info with your wife, husband, so they know what to do if it is ever needed..

and by al means, do not wait days, weeks, months to get papers, bills, and info and communicate with organizations, starts ASAP whevenever the services are used/neeeded... you only have a small amount of time to get the paperwork going before it becomes a mess..

and one mor ethng, don't be suprise dif you get bills a year later after you though al has been taken care of.. soemtimes they bill agencies back adn fortha dn enver communicat that they payments wer denied.. sent tot he wrong agency.. or they tried to bill an agency that did not cover you... you may not be able to communicate with people and only find out long after al has been asaid and done..

IMHO

Edited May 5, 2011 by retiredat44

[Pete53]

Supposedly it is supposed to be easier. Fee Service is going to have to pay my Dentist on pre approved work. I am watching them like a hawk.