Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Must Pay For ER Services at Non-VA Facilities

June 30, 2010 - New Regulations are in the works that will change the way the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) handles both emergency services provided to veterans outside the VA network and the conditions where the VA will authorize payments for treatments. More clearly, the VA is amending its own regulations to require payment to non-VA facilities performing emergency medical services to eligible veterans. This is irrespective of the injury being service-related. 

Further, should a veteran require additional, continuing, and non-emergency treatment following the veteran being stabilized in a private hospital following required emergency treatment, the VA will pay that bill as well. Under current regulations, the VA will not pay for any treatment following the point where the veteran could be safely transferred to either a VA or federal facility. Should transfer not be immediately possible, the VA will not pay for any care or service past what is required to stabilize the veteran.

These amendments come out of Section 402 of the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act. They also follow the VA's announcement it was forbidding certain VA hospitals from performing specific surgeries. These hospitals failed to achieve high enough grades under the VA's newly implemented ratings system.

The VA health care system is ever changing and evolving to best fit the needs of veterans. These amendments will absolutely go a long way in saving many veterans requiring emergency treatments in non-VA hospitals a lot of money.