Steps to Get Help From the VA With Medical Bills

Veterans these days face mounting pressure---medical bills are skyrocketing, and the price of insurance is costly. Economic hardship, layoffs or disability may hamper the veteran's ability to pay for his necessary medical bills. In spite of one's service to the country, finding help can be extremely difficult. The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs is committed to helping veterans in a number of ways, such as finding them work, providing help with shelter and purchases and even helping to defray the cost of expensive medical bills.

Determine Eligibility

• According to the VA, there are many ways an individual may qualify for a health care plan. Two of the first things they will look at are your Character of Discharge, which explains your reason for leaving the service, and your length of active military service in the armed forces. Eligibility is also based on a factor known as "enrollment priority." Simply put, some people who are facing financial hardship are moved to the top of the eligibility list quickly based on their level of need. Minimum service requirements and income thresholds must be met before the VA will offer help with your medical bills.

Enroll in Plan

• Veterans and enlistees are encouraged to join the VA health care plan, which includes a benefits package specifically designed to aid veterans with their medical bills. Family size, injury, disability, years of service and other factors all weigh in to the amount of coverage a veteran may receive from the VA. Enrollment is relatively straightforward. All a veteran needs to do is fill out a form that can be obtained from any VA office. This paperwork, known as VA Form 10-10EZ, is designed to help determine the range of benefits for which a veteran is eligible.

Hardship Veterans Outreach

• Sometimes, even VA coverage is not enough for veterans---the level of financial difficulty they are experiencing goes above and beyond what most people face. The Hardship Veterans Outreach program is designed with these veterans in mind. Enrolled veterans can apply for health care without copay and out-of-pocket medical expenses, or request repayment or compromise plans that will give them a longer term over which they may pay medical bills. The VA Health Resource Center should be contacted to discuss the possibility of consideration for Hardship Veterans Outreach.