Since Ive retired I have had to change my health plan. I decided to try the VA to save a little money. The gal at the office told me that I make too much money to qualify for VA benefits. She said that I should take my annual income and subtract any expenses for medical care and if the result is above $31,000 per year, then I can't get VA benefits. Obviously my numbers come out above that. She went on to explain that Bush 41 signed the law that made the Benefit package this way

What gives? Do any of you folks know the real answers?

Feel free to email me directly.

Thanks in advace,

Bob Wassam

I believe it went this way:

Rolls were re-opened for all vets to enroll as of 1998(?, just prior to the end of Clinton's administration) when the VA decided they didn't have enough traffic to justify all their facilities. Even if you didn't qualify because of income, you could enroll and agree to pay a copay.

Shortly after we entered the 2nd war in Iraq, the VA closed open enrollment as they realized with the new wounded, they were going to be flooded and didn't have adequate facilities to treat non-service related medical problems along with all the new wounded.

Now there are, I believe 8 categories for vets to be placed within the system. Only ones they are taking right now are service disabled- by degrees of compensation, and non service disabled if they are without funds and fit the income requirements of the program category. If your income doesn't fit the category, they don't allow you to get into the system.

Shep

Thanks. I'll try to get tri-care.

Bob Wassam