Can I Be Charged For The C&p Exam?

[jseale]

I noticed today is a that the payments section is showing a check was mailed in the amount of $0.00. I always receive my current c&p payments through direct deposit. When I click on that payment it shows the amount that the check would have been, and then shows a deduction for that same amount (which wasn't much). It says the type of deduction is: "Medical Care Cost Recovery Receivable Repayment" with the reason: 'Establish Recurring Deduction'. I have no clue what this is supposed to mean. I have no co-payments, and don't owe the VA any money (as far as I know). Anybody know what this could be for? I do know that when checking in the 'download VA letters' section, my rating has not changed yet. Don't know why this payment would have been sent out, much less as a paper check.

So I called the VA about this payment... all she could tell me is that a medical institution that had to do with the VA sent a bill. The VA rep could not tell me anything about the bill, but that I am having to pay for it. I have not been to any other medical 'anything' except through the VA, except when it was contracted for me to do my C&P exam. Could they be charging me for this C&P exam? Do they usually charge the vets for this? She said that my September payment is showing that I will be receiving $0. Did I miss something here?

I have not been seen for anything outside of the VA, except when VES setup my C&P exam.

Sorry for such a long post for my very first post. Just trying to get some input from anyone about this.

[georgiapapa]

You should not be charged for a C & P exam ordered by your VA regional office as the result for a claim you filed with their office. Also, you should receive travel pay from the VA when you travel to a C & P exam. However, you do have to submit a claim for the travel pay.

Any bills you receive from the VA might be your required co-payments for treatment at the VA medical facilities. If you have a rating of 50% or higher! you do not have to pay co-payments. Co-payments may be waived for veterans with lower ratings if they have a financial hardship.

[jseale]

I have already received the travel pay. The C&P was contracted through VES.

So how can I find out what the payment was for? The vet rep that I spoke with said that she couldn't tell me who or even what the payment was for.

[georgiapapa]

jseale,

I should have taken the time to read your post better before I responded. I do not know the answer to your question. Hopefully others on this site can help.

Good luck.

[carlie]

I would call again and /or submit my questions thru iris.

[broncovet]

Whoa, Hoss! You will have to pay a deductable and copay for VA care UNLESS you meet the required percentage of disability OR, you have done a means test that shows low income. The VA will automatically think you are rich and can afford copayments if you do NOT do a means test proving otherwise. I think its 50 percent, so at 10 percent, you will have to do a copay/deductable if your income is above the poverty level. Yes, they take those copays and deductables from tax returns or anything else where they can get it.

If you have not been recieving bills for the copayments, they may not have your correct address. Remember, the right hand of VA does not know what the left hand is doing, so you may have the right address for benefits, but wrong address for medical or vice versa.

[ArNG11]

Someone correct me if I am wrong but for a C&P there should be no charge. As this exam is to check the validity of conditions claimed by a claimant the VA is responsible for the cost of the exam at no charge to the claimant.

[georgiapapa]

You are right.

[Chuck75]

To find out call the VAMC and request an "insurance audit".

You can tell them that you believe you were charged for a C&P exam.

If that's the case. I can see how the system might screw up when the C&P

is done by an outside examiner.

The reoccurring part bothers me. This may indicate that

the VA decided that they should have been billing you, and did not,

so now they want their money!

Stranger things happen at the VA!

Edited August 20, 2014 by Chuck75 (see edit history)

[Pete53]

Not only should you not be charged for C&P they should pay you for mileage with no deductible.

[jseale]

Found what the payment was for as well as what my rating is going to be today... Since the PTSD is not part of the claim until finalized, I have been charged for the meds and everything since I have been seen. However, once the claim is complete, all of that will be reversed. After the claim for the PTSD is complete, I will have a combined rating of 60%.

[georgiapapa]

Sounds good. Glad you finally figured out what was going on.

Good luck to you.

[Chuck75]

HA! at one point, after awards were made, the VA was trying to charge me interest on money that was

for service connected conditions that was already refunded to me!

Getting that fixed was an almost humorous typical VA related exercise in finding out who where and how.

The interesting thing that I (and others) ran across was that the VA is not supposed to charge co-pay etc. for

things that it may charge anyway.

Edited August 21, 2014 by Chuck75 (see edit history)