Your Health
VA researchers question whether traumatic
brain injuries lead to Alzheimer's
How a brain gets hooked on opioids
How one group of doctors drastically
decreased opioid prescriptions
Fibromyalgia: What you need to know
There’s even more evidence that one type of exercise is the closest thing we have to a miracle drug
My HealtheVet: Veteran care made easy
Federal agencies partner for military and
veteran pain management research
MRI twice as likely as biopsy to spot
prostate cancer, research shows
Veterans' Medical and Health Records
Prostate Specific Antigen PSA Total PSA Free PSA
What's your VA up to today?
If you aren't reading the Federal register, you may miss it.
Veterans notified of potential VA eBenefits breach
The issue has to do with the VA's eBenefits where some of the veterans' information has
reportedly been compromised.
Disability Service Connection
Secondary Service Connection
IncreasedDisability Compensation
Temporary Total Disability Rating
Individual Unemployability
Compensation under
38 U.S.C. 1151
Special Monthly Compensation
Specially Adapted Housing
Special Home Adaptation
Automobile Allowance
/Adaptive Equipment
Benefits Based on a Veteran's
Seriously Disabled Child
VA Form 21-0958 - NOD
Notice of Disagreement
VA Form 21-534 EZ
Application for DIC,
Death Pension
Change of Address
Veterans of the United States Uniformed Services may be
eligible for a broad range of
programs and services
provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Benefits from Other Federal Agencies
A general list of other Federal agencies that
offer benefit programs and resources for
Service members, Veterans, and their families.
Since 2005 This Is The Site VA Reads
When They Want To Learn What They've Been Doing
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Veterans Administration Veterans Choice Program
Social Security Disability and Medicare Benefits
Military Service Records, Awards, and Unit
Histories: A Guide to Locating Sources
This guide provides information on locating
military unit histories and individual service
records of discharged, retired, and deceased
military personnel. It also provides information
on locating and replacing military awards and medals. Included is contact information for
military history centers, websites for additional sources of research, and a bibliography of other publications, including related CRS reports.
VBA Derivative Benefits Eligibility
The VA Benefit Eligibility Matrix
There are additional benefits that you may be
eligible for that are based on a favorable decision for
a VA benefit and/or based on special circumstances.
These are known as derivatives.
Emergency Care in Non-VA Facilities
In 2001, the U.S. Congress provided VA with authorization (called the Mill Bill) to
pay for emergency care in non-VA facilities for veterans enrolled in the VA
health care system. The benefit will pay for emergency care rendered for
non-service-connected conditions for enrolled veterans who have no other
source of payment for the care. However, VA will only pay to the point of
medical stability. There are very strict guidelines concerning these types of
claims. Veterans and their non-VA providers should be aware that these
claims must be filed with the VA within 90 days from the last day of the emergent care.
How do I qualify?
This benefit is a safety net for enrolled veterans who have no other means of
paying a private facility emergency bill. If another health insurance provider pays
all or part of a bill, VA cannot provide any reimbursement. Veterans who
retired from the U.S. military are covered by TRICARE/CHAMPUS insurance and
cannot file a Mill Bill claim. To qualify, you must meet all of these criteria:
You were provided care in a hospital emergency department or similar
facility providing emergency care.
You are enrolled in the VA Health Care System.
You have been provided care by a VA health care provider within the last 24
months (excludes C & P, Agent Orange, Ionized Radiation and Persian Gulf exams).
You are financially liable to the provider of the emergency treatment
for that treatment.
You have no other form of health care insurance.
You do not have coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, or a state program.
You do not have coverage under any other VA programs.
You have no other contractual or legal recourse against a third party
(such as a Workman’s Comp Claim or a Motor Vehicle Accident) that
will pay all or part of the bill.
Department of Veterans Affairs or other federal facilities were not feasibly
available at time of the emergency.
The care must have been rendered in a medical emergency of such nature
that a prudent layperson would have reasonably expected that delay in seeking
immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to life or health.
Should I cancel my current insurance to meet these requirements?
VA encourages you to keep all current health insurance coverage. If you cancel
your current insurance, your spouse may not retain health insurance coverage
and spouses of veterans generally do not qualify for VA health care.
Cancellation of current insurance coverage could result in you being
disqualified for reinstatement based upon any pre-existing illnesses. If you
are covered by Medicare Part B and you cancel it, it cannot be reinstated until
January of the next year. If you are covered by a program or plan that would pay for the emergency care received, you would not qualify for this benefit.
What is the timeline to file?
Veterans have a responsibility to ensure that the VA Transfer Center is notified
immediately upon any hospital admission. The MEDVAMC Transfer Center
Coordinator can be reached during regular business hours at (813) 903-4221.
If you are calling after hours, dial (813) 972-2000 and ask to speak to the
Medical Administrative Assistant on duty. Claims must be filed with the nearest
VA Medical facility to where the services were rendered within 90 days of the
discharge date of medical service; otherwise, the claim will be denied
because it was not filed in a timely manner.
What type of emergency services will VA cover?
VA will reimburse health care providers for all medical services necessary to
stabilize your condition up to the point you can be transferred to an
approved VA health care facility or other federal facility.
What about pharmacy items?
The VA’s authority for reimbursement of pharmacy items to veterans from
non-VA providers follows a strict set of guidelines. The veteran must be
actively enrolled in a Fee Basis Program; the pharmacy item must be considered
as urgent or emergent by the initiating physician; the pharmacy item cannot
be reimbursed past a 10 day supply; and the prescription and receipts must be
turned in to the Fee Basis Unit. The reimbursement is based upon the U.S.
Government’s Red Book cost and no taxes can be reimbursed.
Do I need to get approval before going to the emergency room?
No. If you are an eligible veteran, and a VA facility is not feasibly available
when you believe your health or life is in immediate danger, report directly
to the closest emergency room. If hospitalization is required, you, your
representative or the treating facility should contact the nearest VA within
24 hours to arrange a transfer to VA care by calling
the VA Transfer Center at (813) 972-7614.
How long will I stay in the private hospital?
If you are hospitalized, and the VA is notified, the VA will be in regular contact
with your physician at the private hospital. As soon as your condition stabilizes,
the VA will assist the private facility with arrangements to
transport you to a VA, or VA-designated facility.
What if I do not wish to leave the private facility?
VA will pay for your emergency care services only until your condition is
stabilized. If you stay beyond that point, you will assume full responsibility
for the payment of costs associated with treatment.
Will I have to pay for my ambulance bill to the non-VA facility?
If the VA accepts responsibility for the emergency room visit and/or admission,
the ambulance will be paid from the scene of the incident to the
first non-VA facility providing necessary care.
Will I have to pay for an ambulance from the non-VA facility to a VA facility?
Yes. The VA is only authorized to pay for an ambulance to go from the scene
of the incident to the first non-VA facility providing necessary care. Ambulance bills are considered unauthorized claims, and must be submitted to the VA in a timely manner.
What if the private hospital bills me for services?
If you are billed for emergency care services, contact the Veterans’ Hospital Fee
Unit and a representative will assist you in resolving the issue. Under the law,
payment from the VA is considered as “payment in full” for the dates authorized.
What documents are required by VA to process claims for
emergency care in non-VA facilities?
The following page contains a list of documents necessary for the VA to process
claims for emergency care in non-VA facilities. Remember, there is a 90-day
deadline to file a Mill Bill Claim once you have been discharged from the
Emergency Room/Hospital. Please submit all of the documents as a packet to
the Veterans’ Hospital Fee Basis Office.
What documents to I need to provide to VA to pay for my
emergency care in a non-VA facility?
Here is a checklist of all the documents you will need to provide to the VA
in order for your claim to be processed: Check List
You have the right to appeal any benefits decision made by the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). The VA appeals process is set in law and is different from other judicial appeals processes.
Are you a veteran who has Medicare and VA care benefits?
Do you understand how to use both to your advantage?
Using your Medicare benefits along with your VA health benefits is
more a matter of individual choice than anything. I can only tell you what I do.
What I do may not be ideal for you so you'll have to put some thought into this.
I like my VA doctor and clinic. It isn't always convenient for me though.
Because of that I sometimes see civilian doctors
using my Medicare Part A and Part B. Medicare Part A pays for hospital care,
Medicare Part B pays for doctor and most outpatient services. Part A is
required when you collect your Social Security retirement, Part B is
elective and you'll pay an additional premium. Part D covers pharmacy
prescription medicines and most experts tell us that if
we get VA pharmacy, we do not need Part D.
Medicare hospital or doctor visits will cost you a copay. In broad terms,
Medicare sets a rate that they will pay a doctor or hospital no matter
what they bill in charges. Whatever that rate is you'll owe 20% of it.
For example, I recently had a colonoscopy. My share of my doctor's bill
under Medicare Part B was $44.00. I wouldn't have had to pay that at
VA but my drive would have been 2 1/2 hours each way whereas
keeping it at home was a 10 minute trip. There will be other bills
associated with that (anesthesia, lab, etc.) but I estimate my
entire out of pocket share will be less than $300.00.
No, I don't use supplemental insurance. That stuff is expensive. I expect
that this year (2015) I may spend $1500.00 out of pocket to cover Medicare
copays. That's 1/2 of what a supplemental policy would have
cost and it wouldn't have paid all my expenses.
What happens if you need emergency care at a civilian hospital?
Who do you tell them to bill? What can you do if you're unconscious
or unable to speak?
You can and should plan in advance. Tell your spouse or family member
you want to go to VA first. Be sure your VA emergency room is
capable of handling your emergency before you need it. Some VA
emergency rooms aren't full service. If you go to a civilian emergency
room, stress (or have your family stress) that you must transfer
to VA as soon as possible. If the civilian hospital gets your Medicare number,
they will bill Medicare every time. VA health doesn't act as supplemental
so you'll be stuck with the copay.
If you enter a civilian hospital and you aren't quickly transferred to VA
you or your representative must persistently call the VA facility of choice
to tell them you want to transfer there. DO NOT depend on the civilian
hospital staff to do this for you. You must document when you called the
VA facility and who you spoke with or what voice mail you reached. If you
don't follow these steps you'll soon be billed for your portion of the
Medicare payment and you'll be in a tussle with VA to try and get payment.
Not every veteran is eligible for emergency civilian care. Not every situation will be
deemed as eligible because it's life threatening or a true emergency. If you go to a
civilian ER for a bad flu or a broken toe, VA isn't likely to pick up the tab for you.
The bottom line is to think of your plan before a health emergency arises. Know the
hospitals you want to use and be sure they can provide the services you want.
Future planning and designing a way to use all your benefits for your situation is the key to
success. You can have the best of all worlds, good civilian insurance tied to your VA heath benefits.
Most people would wish they had it so good.
Aljazeera
British Broadcasting Corporation
Business Insider
Central Intelligence Agency
Electronic Reading Room
Billing Issues
1-877-881-7618 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET
The Code of Federal Regulations Title 38
Courthouse News
Ann Coulter
CNN Sources
"Contact Your Representative!!!"
Who are my representatives?
Everything You Need To Survive
Contact Your Representative
Discharges & Military Records
(DTRA)
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
My HealtheVet Website
ebenefits
NICS Veterans 2nd Amendment Rights
Home Based Primary Care (HBPC)
Independent Expert Medical Opinions
Marijuana & VA DRUG TESTING & VA
M21-1 Adjudication Procedures Manual
National Personnel Records Center
New Outreach for Vets Regarding
Discharges & Military Records.
Project-Syndicate
Records of the Veterans Administration [VA]
U.S. Medicine
Veterans Benefits Administration
Fact Sheets
VA urges veterans to be
screened for hepatitis C
VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn
Pit Registry for Veterans and Servicemembers
VA Payment for Emergency Care
Veterans Benefits Administration
Benefit Brochures
Veterans injured by service wait
years for compensation hearings
Washington Post
Washington Times
Welcome to Military Disney Tips!
Represent
See what your representatives
in Congress say and do.
Veterans Legal Help Navigator
Welcome to the Veterans Legal Help Navigator. This online tool helps veterans' caseworkers and advocates across the country find the right fit legal help for veterans.
VA Benefit Identifier
National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) is pleased to present the first of its kind app for use by military veterans and their advocates, available
for download through the NVLSP website,
Apple App Store, or Google Play Store. This application helps veterans, with or without the assistance of a veteran’s advocate, determine specific VA benefits to which they are likely entitled.
The Board of Veterans' Appeals
Legislation will help Pacific veterans
exposed to Agent Orange
How To Leak To ProPublica
Become a Freedom Fighter
Join the ACLU
VA starts domestic violence program
Department of Defense Extends
Shopping Privileges to Veterans
CIA Freedom of Information Act
Electronic Reading Room
Disability Compensation Benefits
C-123 Aircraft and
Agent Orange Exposure
DBQ's
TDIU Unemployability
MST
Presumptive Benefits
Special Monthly Compensation
(SMC)
Read Me
Mental health resources for veterans, families
Many state and local organizations help
veterans and their families.
Here are some resources for mental
Send Your Documents,
Forms & Evidence here...
Use Certified Mail!!!
Department of Veterans Affairs
Claims Intake Center
PO BOX 4444
JANESVILLE, WI 53547- 4444
Toll Free Fax: 844-531-7818
Regional Loan Center
Contact Information
Vocational Rehabilitation
and Employment
Contact your VARO
Pension Management Centers
Education and Training
Regional Processing Offices
VA has three RPOs that handle GI Bill claims.
The White House Veterans
Complaint Line is open
855-948-2311
Free Case Evaluation
These lawyers & doctors will
review your case for FREE!
What are you waiting for?