Used PRIVATE E.R.now two big bills?

[Buck52]

 Couple weeks ago I had my spouse to call the VA and let them know She needed to take me to the nearest E.R. because of my Breathing and Flu like symptoms  I could not drive and my spouse can't drive via Free ways here in Dallas , so the VA LADY told my spouse to take me to the nearest E.R. and if they admitted me in the hospital to call the VAMC and they would send an ambulance to pick me up and take me back to the VAMC, (they never admitted me)

Well this E.R. I went to only seem me about 30 minutes  did my blood pressure and took my fever, swab my nose and said I had a bad case of the influenza ( FLU) They gave me a prescription to get some medications   which I could not afford to get  to expensive 168.00 bucks for 5 pills

Anyway I got two bills from this E.R. One Bill is for 748.00 for use of the room and another Bill for Dr Fees at 1.192.32, the Dr came in and seen me look down my throte and order the flu swab  he was there about a minute.

ok I check on myhealthevet notes and it does show where my spouse called in and the  VA Lady had us to go to the NEAREST E.R. but it also states that the VA IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST?

WHO do I need to see to pay these ridiculous fees?

anybody?

[john999]

I think you contact the people at the VA who handle claims for non-VA authorized expenses.   Every VAMC has such an office that does these sorts of claims.  Expect to wait for months for them to pay if they pay at all.  Do you have "other insurance" as in medicare or private insurance?  If so they will probably try not to pay and you will have to fight to get these costs covered.  I have the same problem since my wife cannot take me to the VA due to her eye problems and it involves I-275 driving.  I don't even bother except when the VA owed me money for dental work I had to have done while waiting for my TDIU claim to be approved.  They did pay that bill but it took 6 months and they threw it away at one point just because one of the employees did not want to do it.   I know you are supposed to contact the VA within 48 hours to get approval.  It seems like you got approval verbally, but then the VA added the zinger about VA not Responsible.  Are these bills above and beyond what your own insurance paid?  If I had insurance I would tell the hospital to bill them.  Otherwise, you will be fighting with the VA for 6 months to get them to pay these bills.  This is why I kept my private insurance from my postal job after I retired.

[RickyDee]

I don't have a solution but I think if you present your issues to the VA Business Office or try to get Health Choice to pay they might approve the request; on the other hand fi you for private insurance I have Tricare and after I reach 65 or 72 I will witch to Tricare Prime and use Medicare to cover the difference.

[Buck52]

Well I don't have medicare yet  but singing up for it next month  July I'll turn 65

I'll ask the VA Business Office.

I don't have any private insurance  I have used the VA for the last 30 years.  but now that I am older and get sick  sometimes I can't make it to the VAMC,  I just suffer through it but as I age its getting harder to do that.

I know health care is expensive but these people are making a killing.

[RickyDee]

Buck52,

 

Tricare for me and the wife is around $256.00 every six months. It covers everything from operations to specialist visits. I use VA as my provider but when I need a second opinion or have an emergency I go through Tricare.  

 

Sorry for your illness.

[Buck52]

RickeyDee

I am not military retiree and I'm not on Active Duty, I put in my 3 years and got out!

I am SSA Retired from about 26 years of working before I had to stop working b/c of my service connected Divisibility's  TDIU P&T with SMC-S H.B.

I am signing up for medicare plan G   that is suppose to cover everything....I see a medicare  specialist next month  to come up with a plan.

For Now I need help paying this E.R. Bills.  no way I can come up with  1800/1900 dollars.