Veterans should consider VA health care

Discounts at some stores and restaurants, burial in a military cemetery and the G.I. Bill to pursue higher education are some of the benefits military veterans accrue because of their service in defense of the nation.

Rightly so.

Another benefit, though, often goes unused. As many as seven in 10 military veterans in and around Southeast Missouri don't take advantage of health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to officials with John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. John Geberhardt, enrollment supervisor for the hospital, recently told the Southeast Missourian, the agency's "heat maps" of the region show a low enrollment rate for the region's veterans.

VA officials say there are several reasons for this.

One, some veterans say they want to leave such services for their brothers and sisters in arms who might need them more. That selflessness, though, is not necessary.

"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," explained Tina Thomas, business office chief at the hospital. "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."

Two, veterans with private insurance may believe they don't need VA health care to supplement their plans. However, VA can work with private insurers to provide services.

Three, a veteran might be in good health at the moment and not feel a need to enroll with VA for health care down the road. Thing is, a health care emergency can happen quickly and can sometimes render a person unable to complete an enrollment process in a timely manner. Much better to enroll when there is no need for urgent health care than create an urgent need down the road.

VA is constructing a medical center in Cape Girardeau. When completed, the center could serve several thousand more veterans than current facilities are serving.

Veterans should take advantage of VA health care. They've earned it. The quality of care is good (with rare and notable exceptions). And VA medical personnel understand the nuances of medical issues veterans often face.

We encourage all veterans to check their eligibility for VA health care. Call (877) 222-8387 or visit va.gov/health-care/eligibility/.