Posted on 03/02/2020 3:37:56 AM PST by Kaslin
Have fun.
If you are career Military, you can go Medicare/Tricare life. No Bills to pay for either meds or hospitals. Use a private Pharmacy you have co-pays.
Have a nearby base will have a Pharmacy for Scripts, Depending on size of base they carry most prescriptions. Tip go on Monday’s Commissary is closed.
For Meds they don’t carry Express Scripts mail order. DO NOT let them in your bank account for auto pay. Write a check. They are slow. 3 months for 90 days is 1 co-pay. instead of 3. Hubby gets Welchol every 3 months.
Both take refills via automatic call in. At Base if doctor sends in a new script you have to call and activate it.
1 good thing for me is they only carry name brand Synthroid. Had to many side effects from Generic they don’t use it.
$38 K is VA cap go over use private doctors and hospitals.
I’ll be 65 in October so will be sifting over to to that.
We use mostly Civilian Docs under TriCare Standard and have the usual co-pays until we meet our cap.
Get all my Meds from out at Ft Bragg.
“I know three individuals who use and abuse the VA hospital “
My exwife’s father had a professional career for his whole life yet did nothing to prepare for retirement. He did two years in the Army in the 60s. No combat duty, no military related disability. I don’t think he ever even went outconus. The VA was treating him for diabetes, hypertension, and several other medical issues. I didn’t know the VA system till I saw that situation. Pretty ridiculous.
Describes my situation pretty darn close. USAF Retired with Tri-Care for life. I have not been forced to utilize the VA system which is at a minimum a 25 mile jaunt. Great care in the local hospital monopoly, that is soon to have some competition.
On another previously discussed issue, there have rarely been complaints about VA care in South Dakota. I know of two great doctors who grew tired of the local medical politics, and hired on at the VA for considerably less compensation and are positively overjoyed at the difference in their treatment as Doctors.
I have been encouraged by a few other vets and my wife to get the benefits they have been opening up to people who are NOT combat vets, non-combat vets injured while on active duty, or retirees, but...I honestly cannot bring myself to do so.
I just don’t believe the limited resources available to the VA should be spent on someone who doesn’t fit into those categories above. I feel strongly that every single cent should be spent on the following, in the order listed above with combat vets at the top priority.
I feel that way about PX and Exchange privileges being opened up as well.
My buddy asks me about it often, and my wife as well, but...I am not doing it. Perhaps if I were desperate with no options I might well do that. But I am not there.
It just isn’t right, IMO. The legislators who approved that widening of of eligibility...well, I just simply do not understand that beyond political pandering. We need to take care of combat vets, non-combat vets injured while on active duty, and retirees first.
The test of us shouldn’t even be eligible, IMO. I have no problem with the GI Bill and the mortgage benefit they used to offer (Although, when I tried to use that mortgage benefit, it was so unusable that it was nearly comical) but I find it a little embarrassing to even be in the eligible pool for any kind other kind of government benefit.
I feel that I got so much from my enlistment that I should be paying the government money...which I guess I do.
I get the same advice from fellow retirees but I'm like you, it might be available but I'm not deserving.
To be honest with you, I never knew I was eligible for benefits after I retired.
I developed a skin fungus (it was no big deal) while serving in Central America that was treated by a local physician and paid in part by my employer sponsored health care plan. I never new that I could have possibly utilized the VA.....
Good Grief.
Only 7% of living Americans have ever served in the military, less than % are now serving active duty, in the Guard or Reserves.
Civilians with no connection can rent military housing units at reduced rates.
63% of immigrant families (both legal and illegal) take some form of government welfare either at the state of federal level.
Congressmen get 72% of their Cadillac medical plans paid by the taxpayers and have the opportunity to continue that after leaving office.
After just 5 years of service, they also get some form of pension at age 62, more the longer they served. I served 7 and get nothing.
Children of some veterans and those of KIAs and MIAs get full tuition, I served and get no educational benefits.
IF they qualify, veterans are placed in one of EIGHT priority groups to determine their care.
https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/priority-groups/
I don’t think it is outrageous for those who wrote a blank check payable to the US Government for up to and including their lives at ages 17, 18, 19 etc when the other 93% plus non-Americans did not.
You need to wake up and see what is going around you and across this country, imho.
“less than 1% are now serving active duty, in the Guard or Reserves.”
What's your point?
All of what you posted above represents government largesse, why shouldn't VA benefits be restricted to veterans who are either retired from the military or who are disabled due to their military service?
You claim you served 7 years and get nothing. Well sorry dude, but you don't deserve anything......
You deserve no more than an employee in the private sector who works for their employer for seven years and leaves that company.........You expect that employer to provide you with lifetime benefits or education simply because you worked for them????
If you became disabled during your seven years of military service then I would support your claim that you are entitled to medical care. But since you weren't, you're just another ex-employee of the military, just as I am.......
So take your whine somewhere else.........
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