Pasquotank-Camden Emergency Medical Services may be a good service to the community, but it is no friend to the disabled veteran.
I spent half my life serving my country and now get a little pension for being 80 percent disabled. So when I found out I had a coronary blockage and needed a stent put in, I was transported to a hospital in Virginia.
I told everyone that I was a disabled veteran and that I did not have insurance — that they needed to bill the Veterans Administration for my transport. But did they listen? No! They took my little tax return!
I needed that money to make a car payment. Their attitude was “you are responsible for that bill.”
MARK A. ANDERSON
Elizabeth City
Comments
Service and Disability
You stated that you have a VA disability, and that you are a veteran. They are two entirely different situtations. If you are NOT a retired veteran, and just have a service connected disability the VA will only pay (100%) for any emergency care relating to your disability. if you are retired than you would have TriCare or TriCare for life. and they would pay at the same rate as Medicare. If you are over 65 Medicare will pay first, and Tricare would be secondary. So if you were not treated for service connected issues, and do not have private insurance don't blame EMS or the VA, blame yourself. Just because you don't have insurance, do not use the excuse of being a Veteran makes you anymore special than a Retired Vet with or without Disabilities, or any Veteran for that matter. Pay your bills like the rest of us and this would not have happened.
Thanks
I am also retired, you did not say if you were or not, only that you were 80 percent disabled. You also did not say why you called EMS to transport, but you did say that you had a vehicle so I have to assume that you still drive. Why didn't you just drive yourself? If you expected a free ride just because you are a veteran, forget it. You have to share some responsibility for yourself. I drove myself two years ago to Sentara Norfolk and had no problems with a 99% blockage of my carotad artery.
Thanks for your service Mr.
Thanks for your service Mr. Anderson.
If EMS was paid by debt set-off (taking your tax refund thru the State), you had ample advance knowledge of your indebtedness and should have arranged to have the bill paid yourself. If you had, then EMS would not have arranged to take your tax refund.
Nothing's free. I'm retired military and I have documentation of my health insurance coverage. If you are, in fact, covered by the VA - you should have had the necessary documentation for EMS to bill them.
Mark....
I thank you for your service to our country. I hope that your surgery was successful and will provide you many more worry free years. I wish I could advise you on the best course of action with this problem. If it were me, I'd start by contacting both hospitals - explain the issue and see if they can provide you with any information, then move on to the transport company that handled your transport - but also call a transport company that wasn't involved at all. Explain the situation and for recommendations on how to handle it. I know the VA can be non-user friendly at times to navigate, but I'd call them too....and if all else fails, maybe the VA would know of a veteran friendly lawyer who might be willing to look this over and see if you have an option that would allow you to get your money back from them.
Good luck sir, and again I thank you for all you have done for our country!
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