VA Medical Care

[Gregory Matthews]

VA Medical Care for Veterans:  Generally, people know that U.S. veterans have earned education benefits and also help in obtaining a loan  to purchase a home.  From this perspective, many also believe that such veterans receive free medical and dental care for life.  That is false.  last lyear, I read an article that stated that only 25% of the veterans receive any level of medical care and of that group, only 25 25% (6.25%of the total) are rated at 50% or above, for a disability.  The following will inform. 

 

Dental Care:  Veterans may receive free dental care for 12-months following  release from active duty.  After that, very few veterans are eligible for any dental care. 

 

Medical Care:  Is very c omplicated.  First, to get any medical care from the VA, a veteran must establish service-connection to a medical condition.  Absent that, no care will generally be provided.  (Note:  There are some exceptions.)  Veterans who will be provided care are placed in eight different groups.  Grokup 8, provides veery little care.  Group 1 is the highest level.  In addition, the veteran will be provided a disability reating that ranges from 10% to 100%.  This is also used to establish the care that may be provided, along with the assigned group.  For each level of care, a division ia made between the care that is required to be provided and the care that may be provided, but is not required.  The standard of care that may be provided is changed at 10%, 30% 50% 70% and 100%.  A veteran rated at 100% gets all care provided.  One rated at 70% get most, but not all.  Veterans at the lower levels may be required to pay a co-pay.  At the higher levels, such will not be required.

NOTE:  Ther e is an additional category of veterans who are provided care solely on the basis of income, which I have not discussed.  Most veterans are not part of that group.