Retired US Navy Chief: 1986-2006
Age: 68 this year
VA service related disability: 40% determined at discharge in 2006 ... eyesight (30) and hearing (10)
Current Medical enrollment: Medicare A & B, Tricare for Life which pays for prescriptions so don't need Part D.
Location: Wiregrass (south east) Alabama. Near Fort Rucker (Army post)

Since leaving active duty in 2006 at the age of 53, I've lived off military pension until I also started Social Security at the age of 62.

I've been in very good health. When I had Tricare Prime, my primary care was on post at Fort Rucker with regular Army doctors and the only time I had contact with them was when they contacted me and recommended prostrate screening and gave me a referral to a doctor out in town. I haven't had to see a doctor otherwise, in these going on 15yrs since leaving the service.

I've had medicare A & B since I became eligible and never used it. Have never chosen or visited a doctor in the medicare network. I was converted from Tricare Prime and over to Tricare for Life when I turned 65.

So my question is, should I sign up with the VA (they have a facility/office at nearby Fort Rucker right beside regular Army medical) or should I just stick with medicare and begin researching doctor options through medicare? Or, do I need to do BOTH ... medicare and register with the VA?

I have little doubt that I would qualify with the VA for health care should I chose to go that route. Additionally, I understand that I can use the regular Army medical facilities just as I did when I had Tricare Prime, but at my age now, I would be on a standby first come first served status.

I currently have no pressing medical issues and can take time to ensure I'm making the right decisions. I think I have options but just don't know what would be best nor truly understand exactly how everything works since I haven't had to use any of it.

Sign up with the VA for health care or no? Thanks

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Hobbs,

Definitely sign up! I wish I had done so sooner.

The VA will cover things that Medicare/Tricare either don't cover or only partially cover. Hearing aids and eye care (free specs!) are good examples.

Then you can pick and choose. For instance, I'll be sticking with my civilian dentist, but going to the VA for glasses.

Thanks for the reply PHPaul.

Interesting you should mention dental.

While my health is very good, I'm currently going through MAJOR dental procedures. I've worn a full upper denture for 5yrs and next month, I will have the remainder of my lower teeth (10) extracted. Then, I will receive 9 implants, 5 upper and 4 lower, for snap in dentures. So far I've spent just under $12K for the extractions, implants and transitional dentures (required to pre-pay procedure) and I expect to have to pay another $3-4K in about 3mos when the posts/abutments are added to the implants and final upper and lower dentures fitted.

The reason I mention that is because while at my local dentist out in town, a dental tech and I got to talking. She said sometimes patients tied into the VA come to them and the VA picks up all or part of the tab. She suggested I contact the VA for help with this enormous dental bill. But I don't see the VA doing anything about it. For one, it's "cosmetic" and two, from what I know, I only had a small one time window of opportunity for the VA to take care of any dental issues at the time of military discharge, that the military didn't have a chance to address. Well, I didn't have any dental issues that weren't addressed while I was in the military and that small window has LONG ago passed anyway.

EDIT: I have Delta Dental High Plan and still out of pocket for the amounts I mentioned.

Not every veteran qualifies for dental care eligibility, even though you may receive other health care from the VA. See link below.

https://www.va.gov/health-care...enefits/dental-care/

Thanks wcb
That's the link I looked at after talking to the local dental tech and the only one I qualified for is the "I served on active duty for 90 days or more during the Persian Gulf War era". ... I found you could apply for dental care within 180 days of discharge or release, AND your DD214 certificate of discharge doesn't show that you had a complete dental exam and all needed dental treatment before you were discharged ... I don't meet both criteria and the 180 day window was LONG ago anyway.

EDIT: My local dental tech and dentist are for the dentures only. My local dentist referred me to a specialist in the next town over for the extraction and implant procedure (and the specialist doesn't do the denture part). I doubt the local dental tech I spoke with sees anyone with VA ties for anything more than cleanings, fillings, maybe crowns, routine extractions and maybe conventional dentures and partials.

The dental stuff is just an aside anyway. It's being taken care of as planned. I was wondering about signing up for VA health care or not. From what I've seen on the VA sites, I do qualify if I choose to go that route.

I'd ask the question, is there a reason NOT to sign up with the VA? It isn't one or the other for health care, you can pick and choose what services you use with the VA, always good to have more options.

My wife is still active duty, so I use Tricare Prime when I want to, but I'm also retired Military, so I use VA sometimes too.

Overall, I've had decent luck with the VA. My VA PCM isn't the best, but their other medical services have been great.

I would recommend that you apply and get into the system. Once you're in you can pick and choose which types of health care benefits you want or need to use. I have a 20% hearing service related disability and this allows me to get hearing aids and batteries for them. I also get eye glasses as often as I need them.

If anything else is needed in the future I can get it because I'm already in the system.

Absolutely. Once you are in, as others have said you can pick and choose what services you use. Sure there are some horror stories, but a lot of that is because the VA is a big fat sitting duck that's easy to pick on and can't really defend itself. All the people I know that have waited have said they wished they hadn't when they finally did sign up. Navigating the VA can be a little cumbersome, so you might as well get that part done while you still have your health.

I’m at 40% service connected also and do not qualify for any dental. Dr would have to say it’s medically necessary or I need to have had dental issues from combat related or upon exit from the military. The implants and dentures cost more than my college education.

I have been using the VA for around 11 yrs. I still have all the Dr.'s I had before getting into the VA. I do not trust the VA with 100% of my health care. That being said I do know a few people who do use it for all their health care needs.

I go to the VA for some stuff, like free glasses and hearing aids, and they mail me my meds without me having to pay a co-pay or drive to a pharmacy.

However, I do NOT rely on them for my health - I go to my civilian provider for that.

As others have said, I would recommend you sign up, then pick and choose what benefits you want.

When I got out, the Sargent giving us our good bye talk advised us not to go to VA unless we were broke and badly in need of medical care.

But, like others have said, things like hearing aids and other things are good deals, so I'd sign up if I were you.

Being me, I haven't signed up and probably won't.

I will say sign up,hope you have better than I did locally,got better when in went to main branch in Atlanta.
Depends on the doc they assign you,I qot a quack that barely spoke english ,he signed me up on a drug that causes cancer,I never took it ,they kept sending and I had to put it on hold.Impossible to cancel as he got a spiff on scrips he wrote.

I say sign up
I just turned 49 and I use the VA Hospital here in Durham NC.

Now that I am back in the reserves I am going to sign up for Tri-care and use both

I am very very happy with the care and attention that I receive here.

My dad loved the VA clinics in Columbus, OH but they relocated to Leesburg, FL last year and is luke warm on the Gainesville hospital.

I say sign up even if you never use it
What will it hurt?

Definitely sign up. While I do not use the VA for anything right now, life can turn on a dime.if you suddenly develop a long term illness or need long term care, they offer quite a bit in this regard. You just never know when or if you will need it, and being enrolled now saves you hassle later. Plus they often offer some services such as immunizations and some of the ancillary services mentioned

Thank you for your service to our country. I am not a veteran, but I did work for Social Security for 42 years. I spoke with lots of vets about this issue, so I can pass along what I learned and heard from them. Definitely sign up with VA health care. There is no down side to signing up with the VA. None. The only other thing I would add is this. You may hear from some that you should get rid of part B because you don't need it. If you hear somebody tell you that, I would suggest that you don't listen. I have never heard anyone regret signing up with the VA, although I did hear some complaints about service there. But I did hear many express regret about not signing up for part B. That was frequent. For those who wanted to enroll in part B but didn't (or withdrew and changed their minds), there was nothing I could do other than to tell them to wait until the next general enrollment period, then pay the penalty.

Hobbs,

74 this year; retired mustang naval officer.

I never did "sign up" although the VA in this region is said to be decent. I rely on Medicare B and TriCare for Life. I pay for my dental and optometrist services out of pocket. Always have. I could get glasses through the VA but they won't be in any frames I like. No hearing issues which might prompt me to go VA for hearing aids.

I get my prescriptions filled at the local USAF base at no cost with the exception of a specialty medicine that I get shipped to me overnight from Express Scripts also paid for by TriCare.

I suppose if I wasn't getting outstanding local care from my internist and a variety of specialists, all paid for by Medicare / Tricare with no co-pay, I might consider the VA.

All the inputs are greatly appreciated !!! I have some things to keep in mind, weighing my options. Information and shared experience is great to have. Thank you

Hobbs,

From what I understand, should I want / need a service from the VA clinic / hospitals around here, all I would need to do is present myself with my retired ID card.

If someone knows different please speak up.