Keeping our promise to America's veterans
Veteran's Guide to Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (vol 14 Mar 23) available upon request!
News Vets Can Use
Come Visit Us
We are veterans and only too happy to meet and greet our fellow veterans, so feel free to visit during normal business hours. We normally have fresh coffee, soda, cold water, and sometimes sticky buns, fat pills, or whatever your parent service called them.
General Membership Meeting
The monthly General Membership Meeting is held on the First Thursday of each month at 4PM. It is held in the small auditorium at the Charlotte Players, 1182 Market Circle, Port Charlotte, FL 33952. We look forward to your attendance!
What about the PACT Act?
The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. This law helps provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve. The Act expands and extends eligibility for VA health care for Veterans with toxic exposures and Veterans of the Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and Post-9/11 era, and (2) expands eligibility for benefits for Veterans exposed to toxic substances. Come in and discuss with any Service Officer. No appointment is necessary.
Important for Veterans and Spouses:
VA-enrolled veterans admitted to a local hospital for life-threatening conditions thru the Emergency Room by ambulance or other means, need to follow these steps to ensure VA payment:
- Show the local hospital admitting clerk ALL the veteran’s insurance information.
- Call Bay Pines VA at 1-844-724-7842
- Provide Bay Pines VA with the name of the local hospital
- Provide Bay Pines VA with the Date of Admittance
- Provide Bay Pines VA with the Name of the Veteran
- Provide Bay Pines VA the last 4 of Veterans SSN
- Provide Bay Pines VA with a callback phone number
- Within 48 hours of admission, the Veteran or family member MUST call Bay Pines VA to confirm Hospital admission
VA-enrolled Veterans, please ensure your spouse or significant other has this information. It is very important.
VA Call Center Works To Resolve Community Care Billing
The VHA Office of Community Care (OCC) is available to help Veterans resolve adverse credit reporting or debt collection actions resulting from authorized VA community care claims. Call center staff work one-on-one with impacted Veterans to research and resolve their collection-specific issues.
- Veterans should first gather any letters, notices or information regarding debt collection or adverse credit reports related to authorized use of community care.
- Then call the toll-free number at 877-881-7618 (option 1) Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM EST
- VA staff will collect the Veteran’s information, investigate the issue
- Follow up with details of the final resolution, and answer questions.
- Veterans may also request an adverse credit history letter that accepts or denies responsibility for the issue, as appropriate.
UNDERSTANDING THE V.A. APPEALS PROCESS
The DAV can file an appeal on your behalf. There are three levels of appeals: the Supplemental Claim, the Higher-Level Review, and the Decision Review Request Board Appeal AKA the Notice of Disagreement.
- A Supplemental Claim is a new review of an issue previously decided by the V.A. It requires that you submit new and relevant evidence to support the appeal of your original claim for benefits.
- A Higher-Level Review is also a new review of an issue previously decided by the VA. No new evidence submission is permitted. The Higher-Level Review must be submitted within one year of the date of the decision notice. A separate Higher-Level Review must be submitted for each benefit type that is appealed.
- A Notice of Disagreement is if you want to file one or more issues with a Veterans Law Judge at the Board of Veterans Appeals. There are 3 review options within the Board Appeal: Direct Review, Evidence Submission, and Hearing Request.
DAV Chapter 82 can help you decide which option is right for you. We can assist you in acquiring evidence and completing the proper forms. The VA also has a Duty to Assist in obtaining evidence, which may be the reason veterans receive US Mail communications requesting additional information. Come in and discuss with any Service Officer. No appointment is necessary.