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What Every Veteran Needs To Know: The Second In A Series
In the first of this ongoing series we introduce some specific answers to general questions often asked and just as often misunderstood. This month we'll look at VA Health Care Benefits. Over the next months we'll look at other areas including: Other Federal Benefits, Counseling & Support, Housing, Education, Employment, Burial Benefits, and General Assistance & Advocacy.
VA Health Care
VA Medical Centers and Community Based Outpatient Clinics - VA Medical Centers provide a wide range of inpatient, outpatient and residential mental health services for veterans. VA Community Based Outpatient Clinics provide medical services and medication management for enrolled veterans. These services may include primary care, behavioral health care, and other special programs. Staff at these clinics can also provide assessment and referral to more specialized services in the community or at the nearest VA Medical Center. You may contact your nearest VA Medical Center for general information, or ask for the program representative for additional information about the programs offered.
Locate a VA Medical Center or Clinic at Website: http://www.va.gov/directory
VA Health Benefits - VA provides a standard enhanced health benefits plan available to all enrolled veterans and maintains an annual enrollment system to manage the provision of quality hospital and outpatient medical care and treatment. VA provides every active-duty service member, Reservist or National Guard member who serves in a theater of combat operations two years of free health care beginning on the date of discharge or release from service for all illnesses and injuries unless clearly unrelated to military service. At the end of the two-year period, these veterans have the same eligibility for VA medical care as veterans of earlier conflicts, and co-payment status will depend on whether illness or injury is found to be service-connected.
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Provides a Number of Health Care Services
• Hospital, outpatient medical, nursing home, and community-based residential care
• Dental, pharmacy, mental health, and prosthetic services
• Medical evaluation for military service exposure to environmental hazards
• Readjustment counseling
• Alcohol and drug dependency treatment
• Sexual trauma counseling
• Specialized health care for women veterans
• Health and rehabilitation programs for homeless veterans
• Domiciliary
For Information on Health Care Benefits And Services, Telephone: (877) 222-8387, Website:
http://www.va.gov/health
For Information on Health Care Eligibility, Telephone: (800) 929-8387, Website:
http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility
Online Application for Health Benefits (VA Form 10-10EZ), Website: https://www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez
VA Forms and Publications, Website: http://www.va.gov/vaforms
Locate a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Website: http://www.va.gov/directory
VA Medical Centers Located in any Area, Website: http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp
Locate a VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Website: http://www.va.gov/directory
My HealtheVet - My HealtheVet provides access to trusted health information, links to VA benefits and resources, a Personal Health Record, online VA prescription refills, and much more. In the future, registered users will be able to view appointments, copay balances, and key portions of their VA medical records online. Website:
http://www.myhealth.va.gov
Health Insurance - TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for active duty and retired members of the uniformed services, their families, and survivors. Telephone: (877) 874-2273 (TRICARE North Region) Website:
http://www.tricare.osd.mil
Health Care for Women - Each VA Medical Center has a Women Veterans Program Manager (WVPM) who helps women understand their benefits, and coordinates their care. The Women Veterans Program Manager can assist women veterans in establishing their eligibility, understanding their benefits, and obtaining their health care in VA system. The Women Veterans Health Program provides a full range of medical and mental health services, including:
• Primary care
• Reproductive health
• Gynecology services
• Patient education
• Preventive health screening for breast cancer, cervical cancer and osteoporosis
• Screening, counseling, and treatment for sexual trauma, substance abuse, PTSD and domestic violence
• Vocational rehabilitation
• Homeless programs
• Transition assistance separating from military duty
For more information contact your local VA Medical Center's Women Veterans Program Manager.
Women Veterans Health Program, Website: http://www.va.gov/wvhp
The Center for Women Veterans, Website: http://www.va.gov/womenvet
DoD Deployment Health & Family Readiness Library - This library provides servicemembers, families, veterans and health care providers an easy way to quickly find deployment health and family readiness information. Website:
http://deploymenthealthlibrary.fhp.osd.mil
Hicksville Trivia: Remember the Kodak camera store among the north-west line of stores in Mid-Island Plaza near the west end of those stores? Remember the manager, Charlie, who walked with a limp? Well. If you were in there as often as I was we just might have rubbed shoulders.
Lest We Forget: Currently there are (at least) 4,754 Veterans of Modern Warfare who no longer will be "asking" our government for a dime . . .
Till next month be well... and remember, "Let No Veteran Ever Stand Alone!"
-- Walt Schmidt Veteran Services Officer
--- TOBay's Veteran Services Division
---"Let No Veteran Ever Stand Alone!"
--- WorkDayTime: 516.733.8414 & 24/7 Voice Mail
--- Anytime: 24/7 Voice Mail 516.799.8300 - - - -
Website: http://www.waltsdorsai.net/
Ken Sun - Weekly Column: http://experts.longisland.com/veterans
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