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"I thought because I was a veteran and I was seeking care at a veteran facility that it would be taken care of," Southerland said.
That's not how it works.
Southerland and apparently you, too, are misinformed.
Injured workers are entitled to worker's compensation. That actually stems from English common law and the Master-Servant relationship.
That poses a problem for military members, since they are employed by the federal government and not by State governments.
It would be manifestly unfair to saddle States with the cost of worker's compensation for military members, thus the need for the VA.
The federal government also has a compelling interest in the treatment and care of veterans.
WW II demonstrated that civilian hospitals were simply not equipped, staffed or trained and educated to deal with the nature of injuries sustained in combat.
The need arose for specialty hospitals that are properly equipped and staffed with personnel trained and educated to deal with combat injuries and non-combat injuries. Of tremendous value is the 17-volume set of medical data produced by medical professionals in the branch services and VA medical staff during the Vietnam War.
This 17-volume tome is in fact the reason civilian hospitals now have trauma centers and are able to deal with trauma-induced injuries. Those soldiers did not die or suffer injury in vain. The knowledge obtained by medics on the battlefield and doctors and nurses at the field hospitals through the attempts to save their lives is saving lives now.
Because the VA medical system exists, it makes perfect sense to utilize those facilities to their greatest efficiency to obtain maximum value, and for that reason medical services are provided to many other veterans, including those who were not injured on the job.
Many veterans are eligible for services at a VA facility.
After determining a veteran's eligibility, the VA then turns to the veteran's financial and insurance status.
Veterans at certain minimum income levels receive free care, others receive free care but have prescription co-pays, or have co-pays for diagnostic services, or co-pays for non-surgical services or a combination.
If an eligible veteran also has health plan coverage, such as Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance, the VA will bill those entities for services rendered.
If you read the cleverly crafted propaganda news article, it never states with particularity that Southerland has a service-connected disability and is receiving VA disability benefits.
The article -- intended to debase and denigrate the VA -- simply says "benefits check."
The article says the "monthly check" -- another avoidance of what it really is -- is "$1,200."
I'm not seeing how any rating level would pay exactly "$1,200" and yet the claim is $201 is being deducted.
Federal law limits collection to not more than 15% of Social Security Retirement, Social Security Disability, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), military pension, VA service-connected disability, VA non-service connected disability, Railroad Retirement Income, Federal Retirement, or Black Lung benefits.
If you owe taxes to the IRS, or student loans, or any debt to any federal government agency, the maximum is 15%.
In order for the VA to deduct $201, then his monthly check must be a minimum of $1,340/month, which is not the same as "$1,200."
VA disability compensation (pay) offers a monthly tax-free payment to Veterans who got sick or injured while serving in the military and to Veterans whose service made an existing condition worse. You may qualify for VA disability benefits for physical conditions (like a chronic illness or injury) and mental health conditions (like PTSD) that developed before, during, or after service.
There are holes in this story. How do we know the veteran's "benefit check" is VA disability compensation? This veteran could be enrolled in VA healthcare at 0% disability. A VA disability comp check at $1200/month loosely equates to the 60% disability rating with one dependent.
If the veteran's combined disability rating is greater than 50%--ALL VA HC is covered, regardless if SC or not, regardless of means. Assuming this veteran is 60% SC, he would be eligible for care at VA and any care authorized by VA at non-VA facilities.
This article doesn't discuss any recourse the veteran chose or failed to exercise prior to going to the media. I work with a catastrophically disabled veteran with a $5k debt for VA HC. He is 10% SC, but receives VA HC without co-pay. Sent him to the business office and they pulled up his case and said the billing codes were wrong and initiated a ticket to fix it. Although this seems like on track to victory, we are still doing a debt waiver request as back up plan.
Use a VSO. Use VA Patient Advocate. Use Billing and Business Office. This veteran did not wake up one day with a debt collection notice on his doorstep.
Wondered about his rating. And is the 1200 disability pay or maybe social security?
That is how the government works. They will not do anything unless you make it the attention of the world and you literally have to study law or recruit help like a lawyer. I know people who wrote letters to the right people and got what they wanted as well.
INDIANAPOLIS — A U.S. Army veteran came to WRTV for help after the government began garnishing his entire monthly benefit check. Carl Southerland served in the Army from 1986 through 1990. In 2013, his aorta ruptured. Since then, he's received health care at the Rodebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis. "I thought because I was a veteran and I was seeking care at a veteran facility that it would be taken care of," Southerland said. In 2019, he received a bill from the VA for $8,353.81. Southerland says he wanted to take care of his debt and offered to pay $25 a month out of his monthly check — which is only $1,200 — but the government refused to take anything less than $201. He couldn't afford that payment and eventually the VA began taking his entire benefits check, leaving him with nothing left to pay for his rent or buy food. Southerland received a letter from the VA last week that changed everything. "I'm proud to say that I no longer owe anything.They wrote off the debt," Southerland said. The VA issued the following statement to WRTV: "The VA does not intend to cause any Veteran stress or discomfort, When a Veteran owes money for service at the VA The Treasury Department manages the collection. VA will work with any Veteran to see that any financial discomfort is relieved."
That is scary. His whole check! Other people would just get sent to collections.
The US Treasury is the official debt collection agency for the United States Government. Under the DCIA of 1996 all debts or claim owed to the U.S. Government that are over 180 days past due, must be sent to the Department of the Treasury for collection. There are exceptions for tax debts, bankruptcy actions, etc. The US Treasury is also the agency that can seize your federal or state tax returns or other non-exempt government payments to pay US Government debts and/or State or Municipal debts through the Treasury Offset Program.
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