Anybody else get this?
I received a mailing from the VA recently. They are telling me that since I recently turned 60 and retiring soon, I can sign up and designate them as my "insurance" to cover the O'care requirement. I have no service-connected disability, so I didn't think I was eligible to use them for whatever ails me. Anybody know better?
Not to mention 2 huge problems with the VA: the current wait-list scandal, but more importantly, they've apparently been "blacklisting" Vets that are PTSD patients or are otherwise taking anti-depressants, causing them to not pass NICS checks. Any ideas?

Yeah. Don't.

Unless you know for certain that your local VA is top-notch and will continue to be so in a future of declining services.

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Frosty
S&WCA # 2816

Sign up. it doesn't cost you anything. Then you have a 0care compliant health plan. Nothing says you have to use them after you sign up. Once that requirement is met you can shop for a health insurance plan that will actually be accepted by the providers of your choice whether it is deemed worthy by those who know better what we need than we do.

I just don't like the idea of seeing a doctor who may use the term "That's good enough for Government work". and move on to the next patient.

Yep, I received that letter... But I'm under my wife's insurance plan from her job in Ct as a teacher for the last 33 yrs... The only problem now is as the highest pd teacher in Avon, CT... the new superintendant just decided to not renew her contract 2 yrs before her retirement... = early retirement before we were ready.. also meaning, unless she takes the early retirement, no insurance for the next 5 yrs... sometimes I wonder if the powers to be know she is a card carrying member of the NRA... and loves her S&W's..

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Jack C

I got a similar letter, BUT I was already using the VA services so my letter simply said that the VA medical services complied with the Obamacare requirements and that I did not need to purchase additional insurance to be in compliance with O'care.

I have had the best of treatment at the VA. Hardly any problems. They gave me top quality hearing aids. They mail my prescriptions to me. They work with me if I need to change an appointment.

Most every problem I have had with health care has been with doctors in the private sector. One has messed up some medicare paperwork which could result in me paying several hundred bucks that the right paperwork would have breezed through.

Another private doc listened to my heart, had me take deep breaths and announced, "Nice Sinus Rhythm!" Problem is, I am in A-fib and no one, no one who was paying attention, could possible mistake the irregular heartbeat I have for the normal sinus rhythm. Plus, the fact that I am in A-fib had been discussed with the doc in two prior visits and was all over my medical records there. The doc simply wasn't paying attention. (I got her attention about five seconds after she said that, however, and she was pretty embarrassed).

My point is that all professions have their slugs and one can't really generalize.

One of our local private hospitals cut off the wrong leg on a patient, then had to go back and cut off the bad one.

Another time, at a private hospital in our area, someone turned off a patient's respirator and he suffocated.

I think any vet ought to sign up and get in a position to use the VA services IF they either want or need to. If there is no need, then let the benefit just sit there, kind of like a back-up revolver on your ankle. If you need it, then you are ready.

Maybe it will take a while to get through the paperwork, but that's not a big deal if you are not in need or don't plan to use it right away.

It took me two weeks total, from the time I walked in the first time until I was assigned a doctor. But, that was just before Iraq heated up, I had all my paperwork with me when I went for my initial visit, and I am fortunate to live about 4 miles from one of the two largest VA Hospitals in the US.

Regardless of whether you plan to use the VA or not (and no one will force you to do it) you ought to consider getting enrolled "just in case."

Bob

I also got the mailer. I'll keep what I've got...if they'll let me.

I agree with straightshooter1. At my VA in West Palm Beach FL I have gotten the best care anyone could ask for from both my primary care and oncologist, which is something I can't say for a lot of the private "Practitioners" I've been to. Ever wonder why doctors are "practicing" medicine.

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Dick

As mentioned above, any honorably discharged vet can us VA services. If you have no service connected disability, you are put on a lower priority list than those with service connected issues, and depending on your income, may need to pay a small copay (like $8/month for Rx's).

My WW2 dad is 100% disabled and he uses the VA. My WW2 father in law is 100% rated and he uses the VA. I have a 50% disability and use the VA. My Dad keeps telling me how amazed he is at the level of care and the quality of the people that help him....and I agree based on my own experience.

My Dad is nearly blind and deaf and the VA has treated him and given him various aids to help him cope with that horrible situation. If it weren't for the VA, he would be sitting in the mostly dark and mostly quiet all the time...or dead because they also used an experimental cancer treatment on him that cured him.

FIL recently had 2 heart attacks. The level of care they gave him is amazing.

The only complaints we have is that the VA is way underfunded and understaffed, but somehow they manage to make many people healthy and happy. They are good people.

But the parking lots are always completely full.

We all got the same letter from the VA. It just said that if you have no other healthcare, then the VA meets the minimum requirements of Obamacare.

No big deal.

If you're a vet and haven't signed up for VA care, do it. Even if you don't use it. it will send a signal to the .gov that more money/services are needed by those that do use/need it.

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

Don't try this in Nevada.

All this means is that you don't have to pay for extra insurance and won't get fined if you don't. It's really another ploy by the government so they can say that more people signed up for the new healthcare.

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Freedom isn't free.

I'm not sure about a ploy, as I got almost the exact same letter from my Blue Cross/Blue Shield Insurance (they were my insurance carrier when I was a prosecutor and I kept them after I retired-now they are second to Medicare).

They wanted all their insureds to know that their coverage was sufficient to satisfy the requirements of O'care and that it was not necessary to buy add'l insurance. I "think" my wife got a similar letter from her insurance carrier, too.

I think the letters (all of them) just mean what they say. That if you are covered by any of them, you have the required insurance under O'care and don't have to buy more.

Bob

I was of the thought I was eligible until I went to sign up and was informed that since I had retirement healthcare and that I had too many assets I was rejected.
I will try again once I have my 65th birthday this fall and my retirement healthcare converts into medicare and see what story they have to tell me then.

terry

terry, I think you experienced their "means test." Generally, and I mean only generally, it is used for vets that are not service connected. It can also be used for vets with little assets to reduce a co-pay or, sometimes, to eliminate it completely.

If you have a lot of $, either in cash or "stuff" you may have to pay a higher co-pay than other vets with less or, perhaps, you won't be eligible because there's not enough to cover everyone, especially those that don't have to have the VA to have their health care needs met.

FWIW, the vets I've conversed with who were told they had too much were all trying to get services at a VA Clinic, which, by its very nature, is small, has fewer docs and health care personnel and often is far from the nearest VA hospital. If that is what happened to you, terry, perhaps there's a full VA hospital near you and you might try it when you go back again.

Once you are "in," you can go to the off-site clinics as a number of my friends do (I think it depends to some degree on what services you need). One was service connected and one is not. Sadly the service connected friend progressed from minor stuff related to age to prostrate cancer and now suffers with an aggressive form of leukemia and is back at the VA hospital for everything.

So far, I never had to take the means test, but that is probably because I am service connected. Neither of my friends had to take the means test either, including the one who is not service connected, but he is in his mid-70s and, apparently (though I am not sure) once you reach a certain age, the VA treats you regardless of what assets you have. At least they do him and some others I know.

Bob

Not sure where you guys are getting this information. I'm a vet and I filed for health care at my local VA clinic. I was classified 8G and was told I could receive no health care from the VA because of our combined income. Things have changed at the VA in the last few years so you may want to research that a little before you state what the situation is for everyone. Just being a vet anymore isn't a the free health care lunch it used to be. My brother signed up about 15 years ago and he got in without a hitch as there was no requirements then, but there are now. Once in your're good but the door has closed now for a lot of us. I waited way to long to apply for benefits thinking they would always be there. The thing that will save me is medicare. If I had to rely on the VA I would be without health care. I served from 67-71 and I'm high and dry.

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That's just somebody talkin.

The VA can be very good, but it's a c**p shoot.

I prefer Docs that have an incentive to be responsive to my needs.

I hear some very scary stories from clients about the VA and I assure you that the VA is. very difficult to deal with. It can take literally years to get things straightened out.

That's a problem in health care: sometimes you don't have years.

Their medical records keeping is terrible (I spoke with a gentleman yesterday whose records indicated he had had 27 radiation treatments and several heart attacks: he's never had cancer or a heart attack).

I'd be anxious if my health care was VA.

I think our Vets deserve better.

Just my opinion, of course.

Been treated very well at our Wilkes-Barre VA.
Just been notified I'm now 100% disabled.
I've miles to go and still able.

Applications for VA medical benefits are categorized. Service-connected disability, former POW's, Purple Heart recipients, and some others are in the top categories, while other applicants may receive lower priorities. Pretty much any honorably discharged veteran is eligible for care.

Also, to some extent all recipients are subject to means testing. Every year a statement of financial resources is taken to determine future eligibility, co-payments, etc.

Nothing difficult about the process of applying, but you may expect to wait several months for a determination of eligibility.

As others have pointed out, you may wish to retain private insurance and utilize VA benefits as a "fall back" option. Personally, I go in for an annual physical and lab work, I've had outpatient surgical procedures at the VA Medical Center, and I receive the majority of my prescriptions through the VA system (those prescribed by a private physician may be approved by your VA primary care person, which might be a physician, nurse practicioner, etc).

We have a pretty good VA clinic here in Pueblo, CO, and the VA Medical Center at Denver is only 100 miles on the interstate. I've used both with good experiences.

Overall, much better than we experienced in years past.

Well stated.

I'm "eligible" because I'm a vet. I'm also eligible to become the president of the US because I'm a citizen. I won't because I don't have enough money to run a campaign. By the same token I will never have health care through the VA because I have not met their new low income requirements. I may at some point but I doubt it. I won't go into it other than to say that it's a fair system when resources are marginal for the agency, and they are. So that gets us to why are they marginal? Because the fed is broke and they continue to spend money on things they don't need and leave their vets to die waiting for treatment. My displeasure isn't with the VA, they would help me with my healthcare if they could. They would have if I had signed up 10 years ago but I was covered 10 years ago. Congress is the culprit and I intend vote to remedy the problem.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Veterans Eligibility - Health Benefits
Veterans Eligibility

For the purposes of VA health benefits and services, a person who served in the active military service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable is a Veteran.

Basic Eligibility

If you served in the active military service and were separated under any condition other than dishonorable, you may qualify for VA health care benefits. Current and former members of the Reserves or National Guard who were called to active duty by a federal order and completed the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty may be eligible for VA health benefits as well.
Reserves or National Guard members with active duty for training purposes only do not meet the basic eligibility requirement.
Minimum Duty Requirements

Most Veterans who enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty in order to be eligible. This minimum duty requirement may not apply to Veterans who were discharged for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, for a hardship or “early out,” or those who served prior to September 7, 1980. Since there are a number of other exceptions to the minimum duty requirements, VA encourages all Veterans to apply so that we may determine their enrollment eligibility.


Enhanced Eligibility

Certain Veterans may be afforded enhanced eligibility status when applying and enrolling in the VA health care system. Veterans who:

• Are a Former Prisoner of War (POW)
• In receipt of the Purple Heart Medal.
• In receipt of the Medal of Honor.
• Have a compensable VA awarded service-connected disability of 10% or more.
• In receipt of a VA Pension.
• Were discharged from the military because of a disability (not preexisting), early out, or hardship.
• Served in a Theater of Operations for 5 years post discharge.
• Served in the Republic of Vietnam from January 9, 1962 to May 7, 1975.
• Served in the Persian Gulf from August 2, 1990 to November 11, 1998.
• Were stationed or resided at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more between January 1, 1957 and December 31, 1987.
• Are found by VA to be Catastrophically Disabled.
• Previous years' household income is below VA's National Income or Geographical-Adjusted Thresholds.

Enrollment

VA operates an annual enrollment system that helps to manage the provision of health care. VA applies a variety of factors during the application verification process when determining a Veterans’ eligibility for enrollment, but once a Veteran is enrolled, that Veteran remains enrolled in the VA health care system and maintains access to certain VA health benefits.
Once your application is successfully processed, you will be assigned an enrollment Priority Group. Certain Veterans may be eligible for more than one Enrollment Priority Group. In that case, VA will always place you in the highest Priority Group that you are eligible. Under the VA Health Benefits Package, the same services are generally available to all enrolled Veterans. Once enrolled, you will receive a personalized Veterans Handbook, which will detail your VA health benefits and provide important information concerning your access to VA health care.


go to va.gov for all VA veterans' benefit info.

BTW, I've never had a 'means test'.

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

Same here Pilgrim. Every year or so they will phone and update my address and phone number and ask if I have any other insurance other than VA, but never about how much I own, make or have in the bank. They grade from a 1 to an 8 I believe and since I have no military type disabilities, I am classified a 7 and still get the same wonderful care as all the others I see there with I sure much lower numbers.
People shouldn't believe everything they hear and not judge it if they haven't tried it.

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Dick

They no longer use the "Means Test" their computers talk directly to the IRS...

I'm thinking you said that, golfrj1, tongue-in-cheek.

But, in case not, talking with the IRS would not necessarily give the VA the true picture of one's "means".

Also, there's a large area at the VA hospital I was at a few days ago with a large sign that says "MEANS TEST."

Bob

I have the VA for health care. As of this year the means test is no longer required. They go by your IRS filing. I am also on Medicare and use witch ever is cheaper. With Medicare you can have a primary physician and still use the VA. I have no problem with them and usually am treated with a great deal of respect. Whens the last time you got a free CAT scan check for cancer? Of course being a combat vet counts for a lot more. They call it boots on the ground. In country. Bonus. Purple Heart. Bonus. PTSD. Bonus. Combat health related issues. Bonus. I pay very little compared to what it used to cost me. My VA doctor will even tell me when it's cheaper to go to my primary doctor or a specialist using Medicare. I would have not been able to retire without this kind of help. I'm more than satisfied.
DW

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"NUTS"

Your health care at the VA is based on several things as was mentioned. One of them is your combined income (if married) from the previous year. They will check what you tell them it was with what the irs says you filed. That's why it's the previous year so they have a way to verify what you reported. They will take 4 to 6 months to do that. If you do not qualify for enhanced eligibility and your income is higher than the cut off (I think about 35K) you are not going to get any health care even if you don't have any health care insurance. The VA does everything it can to get under the radar and save money including taking years to process claims, not giving you information you should have about your rights and flat out not providing care in a reasonable amount of time. All of this is about to become public and once again the adm is going to have to answer some more really embarrassing questions.

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That's just somebody talkin.

I am grateful for the care and consideration I receive from the Veterans Administration. I've been involved with the VA for over three years now and have zero complaints, they take care of 100% of my medical needs.
I feel strongly about how much I appreciate the care they give me and frankly get tired hearing about all the blame. General Shenseki has done more good for the VA in the amount of time he has served it than anyone could ever imagine and I am proud of him for saying "My mission is not done."

This is not correct. If you are a combat vet your married partners income has no bearing on receiving benefits. They had me up and running within a week. Getting an appointment to see a doctor or other services don't take any longer than the private sector.
DW

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"NUTS"

DWFAN, you are probably right about the demise of the means test, though the sign was there near the Pharmacy. I'll check next time I go.

I think using the IRS may make it a bit more difficult for some vets to be eligible since there are so many expenses that cut down on one's $ or means that the IRS would have no way of knowing since they aren't listed on a tax return. Really, all the VA would likely get is one's adjusted gross income.

As I read these posts and look at the info Pilgrim posted, it seems to me that there is a difference (in the eyes of the VA) between a vet who served, for example, in VietNam, and one who served during, for example, the 80s. The Nam vet seems to fit in the Enhanced Eligibility section, while the other vet probably would not.

I fit in three of those Enhanced Eligibility categories listed and, IIRC, am in what the VA calls Category 4 or something similar. Maybe, and, of course I don't know, that's why the VA never asked me about my finances, or anything else.

Anyway, I am not sure anyone can change the minds of those who are eligible for VA care but don't want it.

But, let me take one last shot at it.

If I was a VietNam vet (which I am, BTW) I'd be thinking about that list of horrible diseases the government finally caved on as being caused by Agent Orange.

Here's how the Nam vet I mentioned earlier got into the VA system. His mom was a WW2 vet and he was out at the VA hospital a lot until she passed.

He decided he had some PTSD issues and decided to check out their counseling. It made a real difference in his life.

Then he found he had the prostate cancer, and they fixed that for him, but then the aggressive leukemia struck and they are taking care of him for that (though he knows it will ultimately be terminal).

He gets all his care for free, they send him just under 3K a month as a pension (tax-free) and, when he passes, his wife will get a portion of that 3K (I don't know what percentage) for the rest of her life (maybe it ends if she remarries-I just don't know about that).

He just spent 49 days in the hospital and, while in the VA hospital, they decided he would be better off at a dedicated cancer facility.

So, the VA sent him to Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, considered by many to be the best of the best in this area, and paid every penny of the cost of keeping him there for about 10 days. He came back, got out of the hospital, and is feeling good, able to go shooting, and have a decent quality of life.

If not for the VA, he'd not have had the finances to afford any of this and likely would have been dead a couple of years ago and I hate to think about the horrible financial situation his family would have been left in as a result.

If anyone here is a Nam vet at least go sign up, and, if one of those horrible diseases strikes you, at least you will have a choice-use them or not.

Bob

I covered that. The fine print has excluded me. I wasn't in the RVN but I can assure you that I wasn't in the US the entire time that I was active.

I'm a vet. I've been trying to get into the system and get health care for 2 years. So far I've been stonewalled and denied benefits based on one thing or another. In 2 months I'm going to give up as I will have medicare and be eligible for other low cost insurance. After that point in time I will no longer need the VA. To be honest, based on what I've seen so far, I'll be happy to say good bye. I've been treated like an ordinary citizen from day one even though I enlisted in 1967. I'm not making this up just to stir the pot. It's possible to be a vet and be denied benefits. I have the paperwork to prove it. I'm sending it to my congressman so maybe he can light a few fires with it.

Like I said, I don't blame the VA. The VA is just another fed gov't agency. The blame, if anyone cares to point fingers, lies with the administration. Finger pointing and rants won't solve problems, only voting will change it.

I'm glad you had a better experience than I did.

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That's just somebody talkin.

loostintheozone:

there are exceptions to those who can get VA care, they are few but there is one big one:

Vets who served but at stations that are considered training stations.

It sucks for my brother who was in the Navy from 67-73. All his service was in 'training stations' around the country. He was a jet mechanic that did regular duty at these locations but because he was at training facilities, even though he was not in training but actually training others and maintaining jets that were going to Nam, he doesn't qualify for VA care, unless he has a service connected disability.

I know of others in the same category.

That disqualification is mentioned in the post I made above.

It really sucks. He spent 6 years of his life wearing the uniform, has an honorable discharge, but is being screwed because of where he served.

You were in the Navy. He was in the Navy.

Maybe it's the Navy that sucks.

Don't give up until you get a definite answer as to why you're not qualified.

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

I spent some time in places where they didn't use toilet paper. They weren't US bases. I knew I would have some hurdles going in, just never imagined they would be from the VA. I don't have any control over the gov't and how they treat their vets. I don't know how some of those bureaucrats sleep at night. I pulled my weight and that's what matters most to me.

Sorry your bro didn't make the cut.

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That's just somebody talkin.