Veterans medical benifits.

[slewfoot]

I have always had good health insurance and never felt I needed to sign up with the VA . A while back my neighbor was talking about the VA and his benefits he receives so I thought why not, just in case something happens and I lose the insurance I have.
So I filled out the application a few weeks later was notified that I had been accepted and I needed to go to the nearest VA center to get an ID.
Now the nearest VA center is a 40 mile drive one way from my house; so yesterday we set out to get this taken care of, It is starting to pour rain and our snowbird season is in full swing so traffic is horrific

So we get there pop open the umbrellas and make a run for the door, get inside , get directions on where to go. Entered this room lady sitting at the desk ask what she could do for me.

Me: I need to get a photo taken and get an Id.
her: boy did you pick the wrong day.
Me: why?
Her: our machine is broken and I can't make you an ID.
Me: when will it be fixed?
Her: hon , this is the government god only knows when that will happen. Give it a week then call first.
Me: grumble ,mumble , bad words, turning to leave.
My wife: that's ok you don't need them anyway.

My first and last experience with the VA.:biggun:

[TJC44]

Wow, good thing you didn't need anything important that day.

[Dwight55]

I felt the same way until I retired, . . . found out I needed more meds than I really wanted, . . . and that they were expensive.

VA jumped in, . . . I'm saving something in the neighborhood of $200 a month, . . . don't take long to appreciate that.

May God bless,
Dwight

[Arklatex]

Even though you had a bad experience it's still a good idea to get the ID. Like you said, just in case.

[dsdmmat]

I Believe the VA also pays travel expenses and lodging if it is over a certain distance from your home. I have not signed up for the VA medical because I have Tricare but maybe I should.

[slewfoot]

I Believe the VA also pays travel expenses and lodging if it is over a certain distance from your home. I have not signed up for the VA medical because I have Tricare but maybe I should.
They do pay that.

[OSFG]

I have been retired for 10 years....the only meds I take come at 21.00 a bottle and takes me 3 to 4 days to consume..The VA has never been on my radar and I will die before I use this useless, worthless entity....They will kill me faster than anything else. Most retires dont even use the VA they use TRICARE at local doctors or major military hospitals...the VA is for those who have hit rock bottom and are about to die because noone else will take them. Yep..I will die alone and happy before I see a VA hospital.


You just get about a 98% minority work force earning their money by not doing a damn thing for us racist whitemen. Cause we must be racist for complaining about lazy assed black people not working hard...but still getting paid.

[rice paddy daddy]

I Believe the VA also pays travel expenses and lodging if it is over a certain distance from your home. I have not signed up for the VA medical because I have Tricare but maybe I should.

The VA only pays travel expenses if you are below a certain income threshold.
I enrolled in VA medical so I could get hearing aids. Which they provided - over $5,000 for the pair, plus free batteries for life.

There are 8 Priority Groups. Which one you get enrolled in depends on if you have a service connected disability, or if you are a Vietnam vet, or combat vet of Iraq & the Stan, or the two lowest which are for veterans in general (Groups 7 & 8).
Groups 7 & 8 have copays, depending on your income. But they are still a hell of a lot lower than insurance.

Once you are enrolled, you must get a yearly physical to stay enrolled. You just don't sign up and that's it. For me, this is a good thing - I am on the VA Agent Orange Registry and the tests the VA does includes ones specific to this besides regular blood work. And they have done some other specialized AO testing on me.
Since there are less than 900,000 left of the original 2.6 million vets who were boots on the ground in Nam, thanks to Agent Orange, this is important to me.

I use the VA as preventive medicine. Unless you have a service connected disability, for regular medical care there are better options - if you have insurance or Medicare.

[dsdmmat]

The VA only pays travel expenses if you are below a certain income threshold.
I enrolled in VA medical so I could get hearing aids. Which they provided - over $5,000 for the pair, plus free batteries for life.

There are 8 Priority Groups. Which one you get enrolled in depends on if you have a service connected disability, or if you are a Vietnam vet, or combat vet of Iraq & the Stan, or the two lowest which are for veterans in general (Groups 7 & 8).
Groups 7 & 8 have copays, depending on your income. But they are still a hell of a lot lower than insurance.

Once you are enrolled, you must get a yearly physical to stay enrolled. You just don't sign up and that's it. For me, this is a good thing - I am on the VA Agent Orange Registry and the tests the VA does includes ones specific to this besides regular blood work. And they have done some other specialized AO testing on me.
Since there are less than 900,000 left of the original 2.6 million vets who were boots on the ground in Nam, thanks to Agent Orange, this is important to me.

I use the VA as preventive medicine. Unless you have a service connected disability, for regular medical care there are better options - if you have insurance or Medicare.
I have a service connected disability but I have the Clinic on the fort I work on that I can use. No copays for anything. Tricare is only 560 a year for the wife and I. The VA would require me to travel quite a bit further.

[Ricekila]

For those that have the odd good experience with the V/A -- good - fine - great --

But IMHHO --

V/A = butchers --

[rice paddy daddy]

The VA would have done my total knee replacement for free, but I went with my employer health care with its copays and deductibles and stuff.
Because I wanted to be able to walk afterward. :thumb:

[Jeep]

I Believe the VA also pays travel expenses and lodging if it is over a certain distance from your home. I have not signed up for the VA medical because I have Tricare but maybe I should.

50 miles and over gets you travel pay. But if I am right that is only if you have a scheduled appointment. They do pay well for something most don't expect. And you do need to file claim papers to get it

[SGT E]

They pay for a mile....I travel 15 miles...I get paid for it...

But then again is it worth it? about 2 dozen visits to the VA trying to get problem solved...over 4 years...seriously almost shot myself in the head for depression a few times...finally got the ok to see a Civillian doc for the problem and was fixed on 15 minutes....look on her face when she found out what the VA had done to me was priceless.....Total Horror!

You wanna live stay the hell outta the VA!

[SGT E]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/02/politics/va-inspector-general-report/

307,000 Dead waiting on Healthcare.....

[Ricekila]

V/ A = Butchers "."

[Gunn]

The VA only pays travel expenses if you are below a certain income threshold.
I enrolled in VA medical so I could get hearing aids. Which they provided - over $5,000 for the pair, plus free batteries for life.

There are 8 Priority Groups. Which one you get enrolled in depends on if you have a service connected disability, or if you are a Vietnam vet, or combat vet of Iraq & the Stan, or the two lowest which are for veterans in general (Groups 7 & 8).
Groups 7 & 8 have copays, depending on your income. But they are still a hell of a lot lower than insurance.

Once you are enrolled, you must get a yearly physical to stay enrolled. You just don't sign up and that's it. For me, this is a good thing - I am on the VA Agent Orange Registry and the tests the VA does includes ones specific to this besides regular blood work. And they have done some other specialized AO testing on me.
Since there are less than 900,000 left of the original 2.6 million vets who were boots on the ground in Nam, thanks to Agent Orange, this is important to me.

I use the VA as preventive medicine. Unless you have a service connected disability, for regular medical care there are better options - if you have insurance or Medicare.
RPD You can thank ADM Zumwalt for the Agent Orange coverage. His son died of it and he went to DC and threw his considerable resources around to get it done.

[Ricekila]

V/ A = Butchers "."