Enrolling in VA Healthcare

By: Dan Meyer
The office hours for the Big Stone County Veterans Service Office are 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Monday through Friday. My office phone number is (320) 839-6398.

This is my first official newspaper article as your County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO). Let's just say that I'm proud to be here and glad to have the opportunity to serve our Nation's finest.

A big "Bravo Zulu" to the Big Stone County Commissioners who have given me the opportunity to begin my career as your CVSO! So, let the work begin!

Today's veterans have a comprehensive medical benefits package, which VA administers through an annual patient enrollment system. The enrollment system is based on priority groups to ensure that health care benefits are readily available to all enrolled veterans.

Most veterans must enroll to receive VA health care. While some veterans are not required to enroll due to their special eligibility status, however, all veterans including those who have special eligibility are encouraged to apply for enrollment. Enrollment helps to determine the number of potential veterans who may seek VA health care services, and is a very important part of their planning.

As part of the enrollment process, a veteran may select any VA health care facility or Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) to serve as his/her primary treatment facility.

VA enrollment also allows health care benefits to become completely portable throughout the entire VA system. Enrolled veterans who are traveling or who spend time away from their primary treatment facility may obtain care at any VA health care facility across the country without the worry to having to reapply. It should be noted that VA health care is not considered to be a health care insurance plan.

Veterans who are enrolled for VA health care benefits are afforded various privacy rights under federal law and regulations including the right to a notice of privacy practices.

Do I have to enroll to receive VA health care? While most veterans are required to enroll, the veterans that fall into one of the following categories, are not required to enroll: if you are seeking care for a VA-rated service-connected disability; if VA has rated you with a service-connected disability of 50% or more; or if less than one year has passed since you were discharged for a disability that the military determined was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, but the VA has not yet rated.

Why does VA encourage enrollment from those veterans who are not required to enroll? The reason they encourage all potential VA health care patients to enroll is for planning and budgeting purposes, and to identify potential demand for VA services. In this way, VA is in a much better position to identify necessary funding levels to Congress.

What if the demand for VA services exceeds its budget? When the demand for services exceeds their ability to provide quality and timely health care, decision will be made to ensure that the level of services for enrolled veterans is not compromised.

How can I verify my enrollment? If you are uncertain of your enrollment status, check with the Enrollment Coordinator at your local VA health care facility. For a current telephone list of VA facilities, visit http://www.va.gov/directory or call the VA Health Benefits Service Center at 1-877-222-VETS (8387) to get the facility's telephone number.

Next week, we'll be focusing on service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. You won't want to miss next week's article, so stay tuned!

Until next week, take care and "Fair Winds and Following Seas!"