Health Care Benefits for Veterans Go Unclaimed!
As many as 10% of Veterans LACK HEALTH CARE!
With health care being such a hot topic and my personal commitment to Veterans’ issues, I have decided to compile a brief summary of Health Care Options for Veterans. This is by no means all inclusive but rather a primer on qualifying for Health Care Benefits administered through the VA.
Of course, most everyone knows that for any Veteran who serves this country honorably for at least twenty years and retires, then that Veteran is entitled to health care benefits. Those Veterans/Retirees are eligible for Health Care at any Military Medical Treatment Facility scattered across this country and abroad with little or no cost. It is hard to beat this sort of Health Care!
However, often times, service members do not serve a full career on Active Duty in the military, but rather serve between four and ten years. By some accounts more than 10 percent of Veterans do not have health care or insurance to assist with their health care needs! Many of these veterans may not know, or just not have taken the time to enroll in Veterans Affair’s Health Care. This blog is for those Veterans!
The basic eligibility requirements to qualify for Veteran Affairs Health Care benefits are as follows:
A person who served in the active military, naval, or air service and who was discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable may qualify for VA health care benefits. Reservists and National Guard members may also qualify for VA health care benefits if they were called to active duty (other than for training only) by a Federal order and completed the full period for which they were called or ordered to active duty. The minimum duty requirements for a Veteran are that the member must have served just 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty in order to be eligible.
It must be noted that simply meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not mean these eligible Veterans will receive care they need. In order to receive care a Veteran must enroll in the VA Health Care System. To enroll, a veteran must complete the VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits. This form may be obtained from any VA health care facility or regional benefits office, on-line, or by calling 1-877-222-VETS (8387). Once enrolled, veterans can receive health care at VA health care facilities anywhere in the country.
Veterans should also be aware of the eight different priority groups that determine various issues related to Veteran’s Health Care:
Priority Group 1 includes Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or more and/or veterans determined by VA to be unemployable due to service-connected conditions.
Priority Group 2 includes Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 or 40 percent.
Priority Group 3 includes Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 10 and 20 percent amongst other eligible veterans.
Priority Group 4 include Veterans receiving aid and attendance or housebound benefits and/or veterans determined by VA to be catastrophically disabled.
Priority Group 5 includes Veterans receiving VA pension benefits or those eligible for Medicaid programs, and non service-connected veterans and non-compensable, zero percent service-connected veterans whose income levels are less than the established VA means test thresholds.
Priority Group 6 includes many combat veterans amongst other veterans.
Priority Group 7 includes Veterans who live in high cost geographic areas and who have income and/or net worth above VA national income threshold and agree to co-pays.
Priority Group 8 includes other Veterans who are above income level thresholds and geographic income thresholds and agree to co-pays.
The costs for VA Health Care are extremely low for Veterans! For example a typical 30 day supply of medication costs the Veteran only $8 dollars. Even more illustrative, those in the lowest priority group (group 8) would only pay a maximum of $1,068 dollars for a 90 day stay at a hospital! The co-pay is usually only $15 for a a typical trip to a general practice doctor for a routine matter and just $50 for a visit with a specialist.
Clearly, if you are a Veteran and you are in need of Health Care the VA can help. Please do yourself a favor and apply for enrollment and claim the benefits you have earned because of your service to the country! If you need assistance with your health care needs or any other legal issues you can always contact my law office by e-mail at info@mitchellhowie.com or by phone at 256-533-8074. For more information please see my website at www.mitchellhowie.com.
