Posted on 09/10/2019 8:55:55 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Department of Veterans Affairs must reimburse veterans for emergency medical care at non-VA facilities, a federal appeals court ruled Monday — a decision that could be worth billions of dollars to veterans.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims said the VA has been wrongfully denying reimbursement to veterans who sought emergency medical care at non-VA facilities, and struck down an internal VA regulation that blocked those payments.
"All of this is unacceptable," said the ruling, which ordered the VA secretary to "readjudicate these reimbursement claims."
Plaintiffs' lawyers say that based on past estimates by the VA, the department is now on the hook for between $1.8 billion and $6.5 billion in reimbursements to hundreds of thousands of veterans who have filed or will file claims between 2016 and 2025.
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Are the visits from an injury received from time in combat?
Active duty personnel do not pay their emergency room bills, which are covered by Tricare.
Why should vets covered by VA have less coverage than active duty personnel?
I’ve worried about this. I live 45 miles from the nearest VA Medical center. There are emergency services much closer. At 72 things could happen to me that would need attention in a matter of minutes. This is important to me.
After going to the local hospital, by way of the emergency room, I decide I will pay the extra thousand bucks to have the ambulance drive me down to the VA.
Even if the VA will pay what my other insurance does not pay, I will go to the VA for the better care.
There’s no mention of that, so I doubt it in most cases. I always go to private hospitals when I have an infection or other emergency. Since I’m 100% and “totally and permanently disabled (housebound)” they pay every penny without me even talking to them. For one thing, the food and care are better and the hospitals are closer to home.
Hell taxpayers are paying emergency room bills for illegals EVERY DAMN DAY so YES we should pay for our vets, not a question about it!!!!
I thought Trump signed an executive order stating our vets could seek medical care where they wished to do so!!!
Called the VA when I had an emergency situation arise and told them I was heading on the 3hr trip to my VA Hospital, so be expecting me when I arrived. They told me do not attempt the trip, report to the XXX Hospital Emergency Room 30min away -— we are calling ahead for you and they will be waiting. Arrived at the closer hospital, received emergency care, and all is well.
BUT -—the VA never paid the bill, and they have a rule that says that if the Veteran pays even $1 toward the bill the VA is released from any responsibility and the Veteran must pay the whole bill.
Second time the VA has sent me somewhere else for treatment and then refused to pay the bill. First time kicked my credit rating in the shins for years.
It is a golden ticket and they play the system.
If it wasn’t from something gotten in combat, yes, I have a problem with it.
I also have a problem with illegals getting government help.
The court just nullified that rule, as I understand it. Call the VA tomorrow and ask for your money.
Some of us have done our (25+) years and never been in combat. During the Cold War I was responsible for a base’s nuclear weapons. For two years my unit provided supplies to the Services throughout the Pacific. Most recently I ran fuels labs around the world, ensuring we had good fuel in prep for and during Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, made sure planes didn’t crash, drones had their specialized fuel, and Corps of Engineer boats could inspect dams around the US, but never been in combat. Lived away from husband and home for almost 8 years as a reservist after 9-11. Is my service worth less than a combat vet’s? There are a lot of specialized fields needed to allow combat vets to do their jobs. All of us are required to fight and win.
Why should a veteran have to pay for ER care when illegal don’t?
you can read the whole article and be left with no info at all on the underlying legal issues in question
courts appropriating money should always raise an eyebrow
It’s a good deal for vets. Most vets don’t live near an adequate VA facility for emergencies.
Our VA hospital is about 40 minutes away. If my husband has an emergency, he goes to the local hospital. He has never had any problems having the VA cover them. He is a retired disabled vet and this is one of his benefits. Used to be, they would transfer him to the VA if he would have to stay more than one night but, not any more.
Again I say that I have no complaints about the VA. ER visits or otherwise.
These are all veterans who qualify for VA care. There used to be no question that these bills for emergency care out of the system would be paid. Then at some point the VA decided to quit paying- denying some payments by claiming it was not an emergency even with doctors stating that it was. Some they didn’t even bother to deny, they just didn’t pay and drug their feet on doing anything.
Does your insurance pay if you seek care in an emergency?
Maybe someday a court will rule that the VA must provide medically appropriate and effective treatment for pain.
Doubt it, though.
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