My husband is treated so well and, has been, for many years. We are very happy with it. Plus, the VA pays when he has to go to a more local doctor or hospital.
The VA punts the medical bills to whatever other insurance the vets has before they pay anything when the vet is treated outside the VA system.
I recently had gall bladder surgery done at an outside hospital with only Medicare part-a and VA insurance. I was sent to the emergency room by my VA PCP doctor due to an extreme condition.
Medicare only paid the hospital portion while the VA paid some of the doctor and outside expenses while denying others leaving me with about $23,000.00 in unpaid bills for a ten day hospital stay with three operations.
My VA Dr, sent me to the outside hospital emergency room because the VA wouldn’t be able to treat me for a few months which most likely would have lead to my death since the problem was so bad.
I do have a service connected disability and I have been fighting to have a couple of other injuries I received in the Army classified as service connected as well.
Since I do have a service connected disability and the VA sent me to an outside hospital, they are legally required to pay the bills related to that treatment but they are refusing to do so.
It seems like whichever clerk receives the bills determines which ones get paid and the vet has to fight for all the coverage he was legally guaranteed to receive.