VA collection

[katie33kate]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CO

In 2016 my father was is very bad physical and mental condition. My Mom (who was his sole care giver) had a stroke and was hospitalized for 10 weeks.

During the time my Mom was in rehab, the VA contacted my Dad and offered him a "wonderful benefit". He would get all his healthcare delivered at home! No more doctor visits, no more horrendous trips to and from VA. Everyone would come to him! Because he was a Vet of WWII this benefit "gold program" would be given to him!

Now...these folks knew they were talking to a man with profound dementia, caused by hydrocephalus....they did the diagnosis! They knew Mom was hospitalized and unable to communicate with near total aphasia.

So..in August this program started. Mom was release in early Sept, and I cam from the east coast to be with them and handle caregiving.

Dad died Sept 28

Now...HUGE bills are arriving from the VA. I mean thousands! What? I spoke with the "team leader" with the VA...she tells me that the medical team knows nothing about billing. So..they talked a man with dementia into signing up for a very expensive program by making him think it was a "golden benefit" he earned by being a vet who served in war time, What crap

Now...these bills are serious stuff. So far (not done billing...only up to end of August) adding up to move than $16,000!

This is far more than Mom can afford. Help. I am her POA. Sh has dementia and never recovered from aphasia. What do I do? These bills exceed her savings. I worry they will take her social security! What do I do

 

[adjusterjack]

Her Social Security is safe. It is exempt from attachment.

I don't think she has any responsibility to pay those bills.

I'm not even sure it was the VA that scammed your father. I'm a vet and have VA health benefits. I often get letters that look like they are coming from the VA but turn out to be scammers that use what looks like the VA logo.

I've never heard of the VA doing phone solicitation to get customers for a wonderful medical benefit.

I suggest you carefully go through all of his paperwork and see if you can find out what he signed up for and with whom and whether the VA is really the place that's sending the bills.

It all seems suspicious to me. I have had major medical issues that have been paid for by the VA and all I get billed for is a very small co-pay.

Call the US Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-866-802-6819 and see if it's really them that's billing your father. That's the customer service phone number that appears at the top of my co-pay invoices.

There may even be free legal help available to you through local law firms that help veterans and their families:

https://www.va.gov/OGC/LegalServices.asp

 

[katie33kate]

Her Social Security is safe. It is exempt from attachment.

I don't think she has any responsibility to pay those bills.

I'm not even sure it was the VA that scammed your father. I'm a vet and have VA health benefits. I often get letters that look like they are coming from the VA but turn out to be scammers that use what looks like the VA logo.

I've never heard of the VA doing phone solicitation to get customers for a wonderful medical benefit.

I suggest you carefully go through all of his paperwork and see if you can find out what he signed up for and with whom and whether the VA is really the place that's sending the bills.

It all seems suspicious to me. I have had major medical issues that have been paid for by the VA and all I get billed for is a very small co-pay.

Call the US Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-866-802-6819 and see if it's really them that's billing your father. That's the customer service phone number that appears at the top of my co-pay invoices.

There may even be free legal help available to you through local law firms that help veterans and their families:

https://www.va.gov/OGC/LegalServices.asp

OH, this was the VA. I met with the medical team leader. They did not solicit him by phone...they came out to the house to get him to sign up for the "wonderful benefit". "free" medical equipment, supplies etc.

I have talked to the VA billing folks. Yeah, they admit there is a problem with the medical team not knowledgeable about the billing side of this. Yeah, they get a lot of complaints.

And...yes..they can attach social security. Seems that one branch of the federal government can infact recover debt by attaching payments through another branch of the federal government.