Many veterans these days suffer from lack of support from the government. Unfortunately, veterans, though have served our country, have gotten little to no support from the very country they served. May it be financially or medically, some veterans find it difficult to live after serving the military. Infact, there is a large percentage of veterans going homeless. Their hard work for serving the country is praised, but praise does nothing when you are out of the military. Often these veterans face a lot of physical and emotional turmoil during their training or their time of service, so these warriors need benefits once they are discharged from their time of service.
Fortunately, the access to quality care and services are offered to veterans. Some may not be knowledgeable about this, but in this article, we will tackle everything you need to know about benefits after a veteran’s service, and the most important question “How Are Medical Bills Treated When the Injured Person is a Military Veteran?” will also be answered. Little do people know that services are not only offered to veterans during their time of service, but they are also available for when they are discharged. There are different types of benefits depending on a medical issue. Many companies offer health care services, and non medical counseling as well.
Some might think that these benefits are only allowed in certain locations or certain hospitals. But during a medical emergency, one that might be extremely severe, a veteran should immediately seek attention from the nearest medical facility. If you believe that your health is in danger, one should know that that is considered a medical emergency. One thing a veteran should know is that as long as their health is put on the line, they do not need to check with the Veterans Affairs with regards to a medical facility that can cater to them. Infact, the VA encourages a veteran to seek immediate attention, without hesitation. Although it isn’t required to inform the VA when one requests for emergency care, they should notify the VA after they have been provided with such care to a community emergency department. This is so that the VA can assist you a veteran to coordinate necessary transfers to help ensure that the requirements for a veteran are met so that the VA is able to pay for any medical bills that are charged.
It is unfortunate to note that not everything can be paid by the VA. But, generally, emergency care as well as care related to a condition is included in the benefits. The following can pay emergency care costs:
- Veterans who are brought to emergency departments in communities for emergency purposes.
- Those who are permanently disabled due to their service of which have affected them physically.
- Veterans who are obliged to ask for emergency treatment that are currently in vocational rehabilitation programs.
- Once a professional has stated that a veteran should need immediate medical attention, they are obliged to accept any medical attention given to them.
The following are non service-connected emergency care:
Emergency care is eligible to a veteran despite a non service-connected condition. However, there are requirements and a few things to be factored down in order for the VA to cover certain services. The following are medical conditions, specifically non service conditions that are eligible for VA payment:
- Medical attention was conducted in a hospital emergency department or a public facility that provides emergency treatment.
- The emergency was reasonable enough to believe that any more delay to provide medical attention to the veteran will cause their life.
- The veteran is enrolled and has received care within a VA facility within 24 months before the emergency care.
- The veteran is financially liable to the provider of emergency treatment.
If a veteran has been recently admitted to a nearby facility for emergency care, his/her friend, family member, or hospital staff should contact the nearest VA facility within 72 hours. Once the VA has been notified, the staff will assist the veteran with regards to eligibility of services which will be covered by VA. The VA also ensures that if the veteran is to request to be transferred to a VA medical center, they are allowed to do so. They are also to receive additional care and post discharge without interruption.
More information can be found here: servicememberscivilreliefact.com
Once the veteran is discharged from a medical facility, they are required to submit claims for emergency care to a VA. The deadline depends on the care that was provided to them or if it was a service-connected or non service-connected condition. To obtain a claim for reimbursement of emergency treatment, veterans should submit all related treatment and billing records to the closest VA medical facility. Most of the time, health care providers are willing to submit a claim for the veterans and they should include a standard billing form, an electronic data interchange translation or a documentation related to the medical care.
Medical claims for reimbursement should be submitted two years of the date the emergency care was received. But, it is recommended to file the claim as soon as possible after the emergency care has been provided so that medical facilities or healthcare providers would receive payment in a timely manner. If a claim is related to a non service-connected condition, it should be submitted within 90 days from the fate of the veteran’s discharge so that all attempts to receive payment are completed. Another important thing to note that if a veteran is charged for something they know should be covered by the VA, they should contact the nearest VA facility possible. The VA is determined to assist all with regards to their medical needs as well as resolving any billing issues.
Veterans programs and services are readily available, so the next time that your friends or family members may be in dire need of help financially, it is good to know that there are benefits that may help them.
