Va Comp And Medicare

[Guest jangrin]

If someone knows or could point me in the right direction.

How does Va compensation and Medicare work. Is VA primary or is Medicare primary? Can a Vet go to a Medicare doctor for condition they get VA compensation for?

Or is there a web site or VA site that gives the particulars and how it works?

Thanks,

[Guest rickb54]

One has nothing to do with the other.

Neither one is primary to the other.

You can use Medicare for any condition does not matter if the condition is service connected or not. Yu should get a new medicare handbook every year, it explains what it will and will not pay for, also if you do a google search for "Medicare" you can find the wed cite which I list below.

VA cannot by law bill medicare.... the advantage to medicare is you can select which doctor or hospital u desire to use, otherwise not much better than the va.

VA was designed for service connected conditions, however veterans rated 50% or more receive treatment & drugs, free of charge for all medical conditions. Under 50% veterans pay co-payment for treatment & drugs not related to service connected conditon.

Medicare web cite:http://www.medicare.gov/

[Pete53]

I agree with Rick Medicare and VA have nothing to do with each other. The fact that I used my Medicare with HMO may have saved my life last year when I had anfioplasty for 90% blockage that VA missed.

I suggest that anyone who has Medicare at least use it to keep the VA honest.

[Philip Rogers]

Jangrin - I'm 100% sc P&T, with SSDI and Medicare. I use medicare for my private physician care. I pay the 20% co-payment of the allowed charges. I use the VA only for an occassional lab work and meds, if needed. Meds not in the VA formulary I pay out of pocket. Small price to pay for my "life." jmo

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[Guest jangrin]

Thank you friends,

I was hopeing it was that way. I really think Medicare is much better than VA. You can choose private doctors in private practice as your doctor. Most all doctors take medicare where we live. I think as the boomers start to retire more and more of the population will be Medicare age so the doctors that don't currently take Medicare probably soon will.

Thanks again, jangrin

[john999]

When the VA said I had some artierioscelorisis in my legs I immediately went to a medicare provider and got tested. I was not waiting for the VA to get around to sending me for testing. I also eventually got tested by the VA but the VA tests were much less extensive than the ones done at the local private hospital. I will be honest I don't trust the VA for anything more serious than a hangnail. This may be prejudice for the awful care I got over the last 35 years. Being worked on by government employees bothers me except the VA dental has proven to be pretty good but they do scrimp on crowns and things that cost money. If the VA said I had a heart problems I would get myself to a private board certified cardiologist and get tested.