MEDICARE SECTION
To all our veterans, THANK YOU for your service and the freedoms we enjoy. I ran across information about veteran benefits and thought it was appropriate for the month of July. Whether this information applies to you, a parent, or sibling, there may be information in this article that could help someone and give clarification. Do all Veterans receive VA Healthcare benefits? A. No. Veterans must be eligible based on their service. Not all Veterans can use the VA Healthcare System. NOTE: Veterans must also apply for VA Healthcare benefits. They are not automatically enrolled. Encourage veterans to apply for VA healthcare if you think they may be eligible. Eligibility for VA health care Find out if you can get VA health care as a Veteran. https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/ What if I have other health insurance (like Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance)? Does that affect whether I can get VA healthcare benefits? No. Whether or not you have other health insurance coverage doesn’t affect the VA health care benefits you can get. Let’s look at the different types of coverage a Veteran or a family member of a Veteran may have… What is VA Healthcare? The VA is healthcare for veterans, reservists, and National Guard from all branches. Veterans must meet eligibility requirements and receive treatment at VA facilities. Income and level of disability determine eligibility to use VA Healthcare. VA Healthcare is not health insurance (it is a benefit) thus it is not creditable medical coverage. However, it is considered creditable coverage for Part D. Some, but not all Veterans are eligible for VA Healthcare. The VA recommends Medicare-eligible Veterans using VA Healthcare enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. A beneficiary using VA Healthcare may be a good candidate for a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement plan. However, neither type of Medicare plan will cover any cost shares incurred when using VA Healthcare benefits. What is TRICARE for Life (TFL)? TFL is Medicare-wraparound coverage for retired military and spouses who have Medicare Parts A and B. TFL provides comprehensive health care insurance coverage. Medicare is the primary payer where Medicare-participating providers (there are no plan networks) file the claims with Medicare and Medicare passes along any remaining costs to TFL to pay (the secondary payer). It works similarly to a Medicare Supplement plan yet also contains creditable prescription drug coverage that does not have the coverage gap. There is no premium in addition to Medicare Part B. What is CHAMPVA? CHAMPVA, or the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs, is a health insurance program for the spouse or child of a Veteran who was rated permanently and totally disabled due to a service-connected incident including death. Upon reaching Medicare eligibility, it requires Medicare Part A and B. Medicare is the primary payer where Medicare-participating providers (there are no plan networks) file the claims with Medicare and Medicare passes along any remaining costs to CHAMPVA to pay (the secondary payer). It works similarly to a Medicare Supplement plan yet also contains creditable prescription drug coverage that does not have the coverage gap. There is no premium in addition to Medicare Part B. VA priority groups Find out what VA priority groups are, how they work, and how they may affect you.https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/priority-groups/ | 
