Why Does Our Spouse Get Superior Care?

[broncovet]

As most 100% Vets know, our spouse is eligible for CHAMPVA. (We are not eligible, however, for unknown reasons).

Champva enables our spouse to go to the VA for care (if approved by the local VAMC) OR go get private care as this insurance pays for it.

However, 100% Vets must go to their VA for care and dont have the choice to go for private care and have insurance pay. (Exception: Vets choice, if you meet eligibility requirment of living too far away from VA, or cant get an appointment in 30 days and get your doc to give you a note that he is too busy to see you. (As required by VA choice) Its still unclear how your doc is gonna give you such a note if he is too busy to see you and you cant schedule an appointment in 30 days.

More choices for care = Better care. So, why do our spouses who did not serve get better care than we do, when we served? Should not all Vets get "Veterans choice"? Oh, I know why! This is because VA care is substandard and VA does not want to pay for the good stuff! If the VA were truly "world class health care" they would not need "Veterans choice".

I know Vets who wont set foot inside a VAMC and they have very valid reasons for this.

Lots of Vets recommend signing up for medicare Part B. So, why should a Veteran pay for insurance (part B) if he gets VA care for free? I found out the hard way...VA care is substandard. I still can not figure out why a Vets spouse gets better care than the Veteran. Did I miss something?

Its also becoming increasingly clear VA wants to dump some of its burden for caring for vets on medicare. The VAMC always asks if we have other policies or medicare. And, even Champva insists on the spouse having Part B medicare if eligible. (Remember, Part B medicare costs about $104 per month this year, that is, if you dont have late penalties for not siging up in time.)

This means that Champva is not free for medicare eligibles. They must pay $104 per month.

I will add that I want my wife to have good medical care. Definately. I dont want them to worsen her care, I want VA to raise the level of our care.

Edited November 13, 2014 by broncovet

[Pete53]

I am glad ChanoVA is so good cause my wife sure has needed it.

Since U have Medicare Advantage plan I plan to leave VA Jan 1915 amd omlu use VA for my expensive meds. Right now Lantus and Nova Log would blow out my donut hole and cost me 4800

I plan t campaign for Veterans to have a choice.

The reason I am leaving VA is I have no confidence that I will get the care I need in the future.

[DDuck]

We are paying $660 a month for Regence healthcare for me and $500 for my wife a month. Its insane but to tell you the truth I am nervous about dropping it and using the VA for my healthcare.

I have a knee surgery, and hip replacement I have been putting off and a kidney transplant in the next 10-15 years to look forward to. Dropping our insurance and allowing CHAMPVA to take care of my family and using the VA as a primary for myself does not seem like a good option.

So understanding what I said above if VA healthcare was even a 5 on a scale of 1-10; then a person would be be foolish not to drop a $1100 a month bill for the low price of what 100% P&T vets are being offered with the healthcare option.

The problem as I see it, is that the VA has very little incentives to draw quality professionals into its healthcare system. The VA near me feels very subpar, people working there are bitter and rude. I cannot image anyone of quality wanting to work in that environment.

One fix I think, offer the people who work at VA healthcare facilities free VA healthcare for their families and themselves.

Edited November 14, 2014 by DDuck

[Notorious Kelly]

Because the VA is workfare for the AFL-CIO.

[Buck52]

We can't afford other healthcare Insure....VA healthcareless is all we have..so no choice here, some of the employess are rude and some Dr 's are also but what does one do? don't do any good to complain if you do they just make it harder on you...we just wait until were seen and get our meds. basicly that's it .

[broncovet]

Wow

"D Duck" is paying $1100 per month just to NOT use VA care! Incredibly, it may well be worth all of that! I can appreciate not putting a price tag on your health..it is irreplaceable.

Right now, $1100 per month is simply not an option for me. I will say, that I do think Champva is NOT inferior to other types of insurance. I think that Champva is at least as good as some, and better than many. The deductables are low. The only problem with Champva is thus:

When Champva pays a bill, they send us a copy acknowledging payment, and state at the bottom of the "invoice" to the effect that the Veteran can not be charged more..that the healthcare provider agrees to accept this as full payment and can not come after the Veteran for more, and even cites the regulation which prohibits them from doing that.

Regardless, these providers dont like the amount Champva/medicare pay, so they bill us for more. I tell my wife to ignore this, but she sometimes pays the bills. I would love for one of these bill collectors to sue me for this, I would take the regulation prohibiting them from charging the Veteran, and counter sue the bill collector, as he violated regulations in attempting to collect this bogus debt.

I will add that if a bill collectored dared "trash my credit" about a bill I was not legally required to pay, (and the bill collector knew this, and they do, as it was at the bottom of their invoice from champva) I would consider a lawsuit against them for slandering my good name.

Edited November 14, 2014 by broncovet

[john999]

If doctor accepts assignment of medicare or champVA that cannot demand you to pay the difference. I have never paid the difference. However, if the provider sends you a notice in advance that they believe Medicare won't pay for certain items and you agree to get those services then they can demand payment, but you can appeal to medicare. I am in such a boat having had new type of surgery for OSA where medicare has not handled many of these claims.