VA pushing for increased health care enrollments

About seven in 10 veterans in and around Southeast Missouri who are eligible to access Department of Veterans Affairs health care do not use those benefits, VA officials said.

James Gebelhardt, enrollment supervisor at John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, said the agency's "heat maps" show many eligible veterans have not enrolled in the VA system.

A push for increased veteran enrollment in the VA system comes as work continues on a VA medical center in Cape Girardeau. Officials expect to open the center to patients Feb. 1, and while existing VA offices in the region serve 5,000 veterans, officials anticipate the new center to serve as many as 8,000 veterans.

Reasons for non-usage

Tina Thomas, business office chief at the medical center said there are a number of commonly heard reasons for the low usage rate.

"A lot of times what we hear is veterans will say that they want to leave that care for the ones who really need it. So, the message is, it's not a pie. If you take a piece, it doesn't mean someone else can't have one. Actually, it's just the opposite. The more veterans enroll, the more services the VA can offer," she said.

Thomas said many veterans who have private insurance are reluctant to enroll for VA health care. She noted, though, that VA can bill private insurance for services provided.

Another reason given is a veteran might be in good health at the moment.

"Great, we love that. But someday you may not be and you don't want to wait until it's urgent to enroll and try to get familiar with the system. The really sad ones are when we get a call from a wife who says her husband had a stroke and needs to be in a VA nursing home but the process has never even been started," she explained.

Thomas encouraged veterans to file a copy of their discharge paperwork -- commonly referred to as a DD-214 -- with their county recorder, ensuring the document would be available should the veteran become incapacitated.

Veterans with service-connected disabilities earning a combined rating of 50% or higher are eligible for free health care regarding their service-connected conditions. Veterans with lower disability ratings, if any, may still receive health care at VA facilities, while paying co-payments. Gebelhardt said such co-pays are $25 for primary care and up to $50 for specialty care and are based on income. Preventive measures such as flu shots and screenings are provided at no cost.

"Our goal is to work with the veterans to see how we can help them get enrolled in the system," he said.

Enrollments generally take about a week, he added.

Past issues

Thomas acknowledged past issues at some VA medical facilities may give some veterans pause about the VA system, but she encouraged veterans to give the agency an opportunity to serve.

"We always let them know that they would be amazed at how things have changed. Give us another try," she said. "The focus of the VA and the Poplar Bluff VA is we always want to provide all of our veterans with safe and effective care. We want to assist and improve the lives of our veterans. We are all proud of our mission to serve all who have served our country."

Thomas and Gebelhardt pointed out that VA health care providers deal only with veterans and are in tune with special needs and issues veterans might have. Gebelhardt said such familiarity will sometimes result in a VA health care provider diagnosing an issue before a non-VA provider would.

Veterans may enroll in person at a VA medical facility, by mail or by phone (toll free, (877) 222-8387). To enroll in person, veterans should bring a copy of their military discharge paperwork and income statements from the past year.