By Larry Dandridge
This is article three of three on Veteran Service Officers, Social Workers, and Patient Advocates. I hope that these articles will convince veterans of all ages, but especially elderly veterans, to stop procrastinating and:
· Recognize the tremendous value of VA health care, service-connected disability compensation, and dozens of other federal (VA) and state veterans’ benefits.
· Sign up for VA healthcare, the largest and best healthcare system in the world.
· Realize it takes time to file claims for VA benefits and for the VA to approve VA benefits, and if they wait until they need VA benefits and services, those benefits may not be there or may be delayed months/years or be denied if the veteran has not already enrolled in VA healthcare and filed for military service-connected disability compensation.
Believing the following myths will bite you in the backside
Myth 1: I do not need VA healthcare, service-connected disability compensation, and the other VA benefits now when I am in my 20s, and I will not need them when I am older. Nothing could be more incorrect. Jobs go away, businesses are bought by larger companies, older technologies are replaced by newer ones, people are fired, companies want employees to move to areas they do not want to live and work in, insane DOGE operations fire indiscriminately, and people get sick and can no longer work.
Myth 2: Other veterans need veteran benefits more than I do, and there is not enough funding for all of them, especially healthcare, service-connected disability compensation, pensions, and other benefits. Not true. The VA is funded to provide every veteran with their hard-earned and valuable benefits.
Myth 3: If I need my VA benefits, I can apply for them quickly, and they will instantly, or at least quickly, be there for me. Not true. Veterans need their DD214, other military personnel records, and military medical records to file for many VA benefits. They may also need to complete time-consuming tasks to generate other records, statements, and evidence, such as VA medical records, civilian medical records, lay witness statements, Nexus letters, pictures, line of duty investigation reports, accident reports, incident reports, medical study reports, and more to support claims. Claims can be erroneously disapproved and have to be appealed.
Myth 4: I am retired military. Medicare and Tricare for Life will cover anything I need for as long as I live. Not true. The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, with more than 1,200 sites of care, and it is consistently ranked as the nation’s top healthcare provider. Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center is a five-star-rated hospital and system that is ranked in the top 10% of all public and private hospitals for quality of care, customer satisfaction, infection prevention, and hundreds of other healthcare metrics. Many Veterans may be eligible for VA health care. Enrollment in VA health care satisfies your Affordable Care Act health coverage requirement — no add-on insurance plan is needed. All enrolled Veterans have access to VA’s comprehensive medical benefits package, including preventive, primary, and specialty care; prescriptions; mental health care; home health care; geriatrics and extended care; medical equipment and prosthetics; and more. Most Veterans qualify for cost-free health care services, although some Veterans must pay modest copays for health care or prescriptions. Women Veterans can receive primary care, breast and cervical cancer screenings, prenatal care, maternity care coverage, and other gender-specific services. Veteran benefits include burials and memorials, education and training, housing assistance, careers and employment assistance, family member benefits, life insurance, disability compensation, healthcare, and pensions.
The first article in this series explained that Veteran Service Officers, Social Workers, and Patient Advocates (VSOSWPA) can answer most of a veteran’s non-clinical questions and solve many of their problems with VA health care, services, and benefits. That article also encouraged eligible veterans to:
· Sign up for VA healthcare. Learn more from your local VSO, VA Medical Center Eligibility and Enrollment Office, and at https://www.va.gov/health-care/, https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/, and https://bit.ly/4wYZDZl.
· Learn more about their Primary Care Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) at https://bit.ly/3RSNAOq, https://bit.ly/4x3fXs2, and https://bit.ly/4gZrJ26.
· Keep the names and phone numbers of the VA specialists on their Primary Care PACT Team.
· Make an appointment with the veteran’s local county (or regional) VA-accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO) or other VA-accredited VSO and find out what their federal (VA) and state veterans’ benefits are.
· Learn more about their local VA Medical Center and Health Care System Patient Advocates Team at https://bit.ly/4wp8CTV, and by calling the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Patient Advocate phone 843-789-6066 for Charleston, North Charleston, Goose Creek or phone 912-920-0214, Ext. 412205 for Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Hinesville, Beaufort, and Brunswick outpatient clinics and by emailing vhachapatientadvocates@va.gov.
· Use their local VA Medical Center Patient Advocates Team (Medical Center or Clinic Office) to help veterans resolve issues with their care. If the veteran experienced any problems that they haven’t been able to resolve by talking with their care team and VA PACT leadership, please reach out to one of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center and HealthCare System (RHJVAMC&HCS) patient advocates.
· Find South Carolina County VSOs at https://bit.ly/4wpcuo1. North Carolina County VSOs at https://bit.ly/4wrozsP. Find GA County/Regional VSOs at https://bit.ly/4wI12Ed.
· Use their VA PACT Team Social Worker or another Specialty Care Social Worker to answer any questions the veteran has about VA Healthcare services and benefits and to refer the veteran to any care or services they need.
Article 2 in this series explained why veterans should use a VA-accredited VSO to learn what veterans’ VA benefits and services they are eligible for, what benefits are available at their location, and to file claims for veterans’ benefits and services. It also provided valuable warnings and suggestions.
This series ends with the following recommendations for all veterans to:
· Obtain copies of your military medical, personnel, DD214, and dental records from the national archives or military storage areas.
· Enroll in VA healthcare.
· Make an appointment with your local VA-accredited VSO and find out what your VA and state veterans’ benefits are and apply for those benefits.
· Put your local VSO, VA Social Worker, and VA Patient Advocate’s contact information on your phone, in your address book, and on your refrigerator door.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, a combat and 100% service-connected disabled veteran, an ex-Enlisted Infantryman, an ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and a retired Lt. Colonel. He is a former Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA and Durham VA Medical Centers, a Fisher House Charleston Goodwill Ambassador, and the Veteran Benefits Advisor for the AUSA Coastal Carolina Chapter, MOPH Chapter, MOAA Triangle Chapter, and VFW Post 7383. Larry is also the author of the award-winning “Blades of Thunder (Book One)” and a contributing freelance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.