Medicare Being Required To Add Part B To Service Connected Vets

[conla]

Is it true that now the Government and VA require service connected vets to pay for part B?

[jbasser]

I dont think so.

[Philip Rogers]

I don't think so either but anything is possible. I could see them requiring a Medicare supplement, eventually, so the VA could bill for NSC treatment. jmo

pr

[john999]

It is a good idea to get part B, but the VA does not require it since they cannot collect from medicare. That would be one government agency to just pay another and create another financial mess. If you have ChampVA you must get part B when you are eligible. I don't know why.

John

[jbasser]

It is a good idea to get part B, but the VA does not require it since they cannot collect from medicare. That would be one government agency to just pay another and create another financial mess. If you have ChampVA you must get part B when you are eligible. I don't know why.

John

Yes but the Part B becomes primary. The only issue is Champ VA covers meds but Part B doesnt.

[Philip Rogers]

Yeah, I recommend getting A&B, plus a supplement. Remember VA is free care and sometimes free things are worth what you pay for them. If you don't care about your health I say "stay w/the VA." They only use the cheapest of meds and if something goes wrong nothing you can do. The average patient is a very uneducated client but in that I mean medically uneducated. If they were medically educated they wouldn't go there. Hey, it's only "your" life!!! jmo

pr

[Berta]

I sure hope vets on Medicare dont find themselves with a doctor doing this:

In part:

“Dr. Mikhail L. Presman, a licensed psychiatrist employed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), pleaded guilty today to health care fraud for falsely billing Medicare for home medical treatment to Medicare beneficiaries and agreed to forfeit more than $1.2 million in illegal profits. “

and

“According to court documents, from Jan. 1, 2006, through May 10, 2013, Presman submitted approximately $4 million in Medicare claims for home treatment of Medicare beneficiaries notwithstanding his full-time, salaried position as a psychiatrist at the VA hospital in Brooklyn. Contrary to his representations, Presman did not provide any treatment to a substantial number of the beneficiaries he claimed to have treated. For example, Presman submitted claims to Medicare for home medical visits at locations within New York City even though he was physically located in China at the time of these purported home visits. Additionally, Presman submitted claims to Medicare for 55 home medical visits to beneficiaries who were hospitalized on the date of the purported visits.”

Te press release from Dept of Justice doesn't specifically say these Medicare beneficiaries were veterans and VA pts, but the VA cooperated with the DOJ to get this guy to justice.

Source email Press Release Oct 30,2013.

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2013/October/13-crm-1157.html