Despite anticipated federal changes, VA still a great resource for veterans

Only weeks after the most recent of a series of Veterans Administration town hall meetings on January 15, concerns have arisen among all military service branches over whether such programs will continue under the Trump administration, especially since his January 20 appointment of Todd Hunter as the acting VA Administrator. 

HUNTER SHUTS DOWN DEI

Meanwhile, in an email first published by Baller Alert on January 23, Acting VA Secretary Hunter, who is Black, instructed all his VA staff to report all efforts to conceal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs targeted for termination under executive orders signed by Trump. The orders, titled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs,” aim to eliminate all DEI initiatives across federal agencies.

TOWN HALL

Veterans’ Benefits Center Regional Office Director Darryl R. Brady, a Black male, alerted the 60 veterans at the January 15 town hall of scams and deceptions seeking to take advantage of veterans in need of medical services. 

“I want to reassure everyone that you are not to be charged for the services provided to you. I work through the VA system,” Brady said. “I work for you and everybody here in this room works for you. And no one is allowed to charge you for their services.

“There are many ways to get into the VA Care and benefits system,” Brady stressed, and recommended veterans start with going online to VA.gov. 

“Come to the Jackson regional benefits office across the street from the Sonny V. Montgomery VA Medical Center. Contact any VSO (Veterans Service Office), American Legion, DAV (Disabled American Veterans Office), or VFW,” Brady said. “Or call the VA Benefits hotline: 1-800-827-1000.”

NEVER CLOSED

“We were never closed during the COVID pandemic,” said Interim VA Medical Center Director Michael Renfrow. 

Renfrow stressed the newer features of VA care introduced under the PACT Act enacted by Congress in August 2022.

“The PACT Act is the largest expansion of veterans’ health care since WWII,” he said. “PACT Act” allows us to bring in all these new veterans for treatment – from exposure to burn pits, toxic exposure, and radiation exposure. As of December, this includes traumatic brain injuries due to blasts from IED’s.”

“If you applied in the past and were denied, try again,” Renfrow said. The center director said he has applied for VA health care, although he’s in good health overall. “Me, as a veteran, I’m eligible for veteran care for the first time. And I’ve worked for the VA for 20 years.”

The PACT Act allows coverage for veterans for high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, chronic rhinitis, and cyanosis. “When I was in Iraq, there were burn pits everywhere. I will be a low user of the system. The goal is to keep you healthy as long as they can, to keep you out of the hospital. To keep you as mobile and active as long as we can. The way to do that: Primary care, preventative care – preventative medicine. If you’re healthy, that’s when you should go to the doctor,” he says.

FIRST TOWN HALLS

Beginning August 5, 2014, then-SVA Robert A. McDonald directed all VA facilities to hold town hall meetings to improve communication with and to hear directly from veterans nationwide.

“Caring for Veterans is a calling, and our first commitment is to provide Veterans and their families the timely, quality care and benefits they have earned and deserve through their service to our Nation,” said McDonald in his directive. “As we seek continual improvement and to rebuild trust among Veterans, it is critical that we continue to listen and learn directly from those who use our system.”

McDonald informed the Under Secretaries of Health and Benefits that each VA medical center and regional office should hold at least one town-hall meeting within the third quarter of 2014. Meetings were designed to allow feedback from Veterans, family members, and other beneficiaries. Each facility welcomed input from Congressional stakeholders, Veteran Service Organizations, Non-Governmental Organizations, and other community partners. Details of events in each location were forthcoming from local facilities.

HOMELESS VETERANS

Courtenay Naylor, homeless veterans outreach social worker, said veterans facing homeless have a number of services available to them, both in terms of direct services and financial assistance.

Naylor said, “VA staff go out to identify any veterans in the community who are homeless, and in need of housing. They report those homeless to the housing authority. I think it’s a matter of seeing if they can increase the number of vouchers they can offer veterans who need assistance in paying their rent. The HUD-VASH (Veterans Administration Subsidized Housing) Program is one of these programs.” 

Naylor explained the process, stating: “After the veteran gets their voucher, I will talk with them and see if they have access to transportation,” Naylor said. “And if they don’t, I will pick them up and take them to look for a place to stay. I will assist them with their application, whether it’s a paper application or a computer application. We’ll make sure It’s filled in right, after that we turn it in, and they get approved. HUD usually comes out within a few weeks to do their apartment inspection. Once it’s approved, I will send in an order for furniture. When that is secured. I will talk to a case manager about getting the security deposit and the first month’s rent for the veteran. Once the veteran is securely housed, another social worker will follow up weekly and help to remove any barriers that they may remain in the way.”

TRAVEL REIMBURSEMNTS

Bobby Brown, Mobility Manager for VA travel, says there is currently a backlog in processing travel claims submitted on the standard paper vouchers. The system works better with the electronic reporting, reducing the wait time by up to four months. “We are not phasing out the paper claims,” he said. “But we are encouraging veterans to file electronically.”

Travel claims should be filed within 30 days of the date of travel. Otherwise, they will be denied, said Brown. 

Assistants are on hand to help and instruct veterans on how to use their smart phones and home computers to file electronically. 

COMMUNITY CARE

Veterans are eligible to receive care outside of the VA facility, if the service is not available at the VA Medical Center said Katrina Williams, assistant chief for community care.

Mammograms, for example, are not available in the VA service center, she said. Services that were eliminated but have remained grandfathered in the system for veterans who used such services before they were terminated may be sought after in the community medical services. 

“For general services, the VA must receive approval for the services in the community,” Williams said. “Oftentimes, you’ll receive a letter from the Community Care department that gives you a start date and an expiration date of how long that care is authorized for. 

“A lot of times when that expiration date is getting ready to expire, you already have your six-month follow-up or your three-month follow-up and then your authorization expires. We want you to know: Get with your community care and primary care provider so we can get a new referral entered into the system for you so that you won’t receive an unnecessary bill.”

20-DAY LIMIT

“If a vet cannot get services at the VA within 20 days of the need for such service, the veteran may resort to community services,” Williams said. “But if the care is available within a reasonable time period, then the 20-day rule may be circumvented. Drive-time of over 30 minutes to get to VA Center is also justification for resorting to community care. For specialty care, an hour of drive-time, 60 minutes or more, is the limit allowing veterans to seek care in their communities.

“A lot of people may get that confused because they receive their primary care within the community,” she said. “And they automatically assume that because they receive their primary care in the community, they are eligible to receive their specialty care in the community also. In some instances, that’s true, but not in all instances.”

The VA always takes into consideration your best medical interests, said Williams.

“This is the conversation we want you to have with our VA medical providers. We want to make sure you receive the right care in the right place at the right time,” Williams said. “Your providers with the VA will talk with you and hold discussions with you. We will have nurses in the community who will discuss with you the things that are available for your best interest.

“What does that mean?” she asks. “If you live in Shubuta and you need to receive physical therapy or some kind of cancer treatment three days a week, it would not be in your best interest to drive from Shubuta to Jackson three times a week. We wish to give you your best medical option. If you chose to come to the VA, it would be great, because we know we could provide you the best service there as well.”

URGENT CARE

“Urgent care is available for every veteran enrolled with the VA,” Williams said. “You can go to an emergency care facility that is in the network. You can go online to the VA facility locator, or you can go to the va.gov website. Or you can call the VA main site, or you can call Community Care. We can help you find an urgent care facility within the network. You do not need a referral. You can go to the urgent care, or you can go to Trust Care and be seen. As long as you have your VA ID, they will process the information.” 

Williams provided a brochure that included additional information for securing urgent or emergency care. When a veteran goes into a community hospital emergency room, it is necessary to notify the VA within 72 hours. Any friend or relative can report this to the VA, rather than requiring the veteran to make the report within the 72-hour required period, she said.