Noteboom The Law Firm

New Legislation Allows Medicare Dollars To Be Used For VA Health Care

Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA), a ranking Democrat, recently introduced the Medicare Reimbursement Act of 2011 (H.R. 814). If passed, this act would allow those veterans who use Medicare benefits to also access health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Specifically, this bill would affect veterans whose service to this country entitles them to receive VA health care benefits. At the same time, those veterans have contributed to the national Medicare program every year they were employed. Although the VA can bill veterans and private health care providers for services rendered, they are prevented by law from billing Medicare.

The natural end of this situation is elderly veterans who would favor receiving health care along with fellow veterans at a VA health care facility being unable to access their Medicare benefits.

Veterans are forced to give up every dollar they put in to building up their Medicare benefits while they worked. H.R. 814 will eliminate that forced situation and would provide elderly veterans the ability to use their earned VA health care benefits alongside their owed Medicare benefits.

Upon the passage of the new legislation, the VA would be able to require payment from Medicare for health care provided to veterans who are registered in either Medicare Part A or B.