Foreign Medical Program

[jbasser]

Champ VA only handles insurance and foreign medical program and you have to register for the foreign medical program in advance. They are not a travel agent.

[OSC]

Jayco,

What does your doctor say?

If your doctor agrees that this procedure you need to go through is connected to your Service Connected IHD, then he/she needs to put that in writing otherwise you will have an up hill battle trying to get the VA to cover it especially if you are overseas. The doctor is the primary source for secondary connecting anything medical to your primary Service Connected issues. 

I am also Service Connected for IHD and because of what I have personally observed living and being hospitalized in the Philippines, I would DEFINATELY return to the USA for this type of procedure.

Who will take care of the hospital bill would NOT be my primary question.

OSC

[Jayco]

Contacted Glenn Johnson at FMP by phone and he approved the PM procedure.  Could have flown to the US and had it done under Medicare or VA, but thought I would give it a shot.  If by some reason they don't pay it will be a much more bitter pill to swallow knowing I could have gotten this done for little or no cost in the US.  The only reason I did not have it done in the US is because they said they would pay.

Had the procedure done by a government hospital in Bangkok at half to a third of what it would have cost at a private hospital in Bangkok.  Everything went well.  I had to pay out of pocket.  Could have used Bangkok Hospital who would have billed FMP direct and no out of pocket, but would have been 2 to 3 times more expensive.  The government doctor was trained in the US and worked in both private and government hospitals.  She stated that if I had the procedure done at the private hospital she worked it would cost 2 to 3 times.

Sent the bill for reimbursement in March by registered mail.  After 4 months of no news sent email to check status.  The response was they had no record of having received.  There was another bill I had sent by registered mail also in March.  Same response.  No record of my claim.  They requested I send again, so sent by email.  Received email confirmations, so know they have in house. 

I have tried sending claims by email, regular mail, and fax.  All have their own problems.  Doctor I used in Bangkok said so much of what he was mailing to VA on behalf of his patients was getting lost.  Started sending by fax and that seemed to work. 

Still waiting on reimbursement.  If they do not pay, it will be an expensive lesson. 

 

 

 

[OSC]

Well if and when they pay, then they will pay...

The most important think is that it appears that the surgery was successful and you are on the road to recovery.

Get well soon.

OSC

[Jayco]

Update.

I have not received a response to my reimbursement request for the pacemaker, but today did receive a response to a reimbursement request for doctor's consultation where the original diagnosis was made.  It was denied because carotid sinus hypersensitivity is not considered service connected.   Going to talk to the person who pre-approved the procedure to see if anything can be done, but looks like I may be out a lot of money.

IMO, a service provider should be able to submit a diagnosis to FMP.  FMP then would either issue an authorization or a denial.  If an authorization is issued and the procedure is completed, FMP should not be allowed to change their minds.  As it stands now FMP is nothing but a crap shoot.

 

[OSC]

You have a copy of the LOA listing what was being covered and the amounts that were authorized for payment don't you??

OSC