When billing for care provided to Veterans, you should not balance bill Veteran patients for services provided under the CCN contract. This includes any remaining balances or after a timely filing denial. Regardless of a Veteran’s eligibility level, any fee gap due a provider should not be billed to the Veteran. For more information, please review this VA resource.

VA recently launched "New Horizons in Health," a podcast series hosted by Shereef Elnahal, MD, VA Under Secretary for Health. In the first episode, Dr. Elnahal leads a candid discussion on psychedelic assisted therapies for Veterans experiencing mental health conditions.

The episode includes a Marine and Army Veteran who describes his participation in a research trial nine years ago and his life after recovery from PTSD and suicidal ideation. Dr. Elnahal is joined by VA subject matter experts who describe the research experience for Veterans and the many safeguards in place to allow them to participate.

The podcast series focuses on VA’s cutting-edge treatments and research to advance care for Veterans. A Veteran guest is planned for each episode.

Episodes are available on VHA YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Transistor.

Did you know seven out of every 10 Veterans who smoke want to quit? The Great American Smokeout is coming up November 16, and you can help by reminding your Veteran patients who smoke that, “It’s Never Too Late” to stop. VA wants to provide any Veteran who wants to quit with the tools and support options to do it; including prescription medications, nicotine replacement therapy and tobacco use counseling. For more information and resources to help Veterans kick the habit, visit VA’s Tobacco and Health resource page.

Flu and covid vaccines are available at no-cost to eligible Veterans at all VA medical centers and more than 65,000 in-network community retail pharmacies and urgent care walk-in locations. Please encourage your Veteran patients to get their flu and covid shots to protect themselves, their families and their community from the flu, covid and related complications.   

You may receive an increase in calls from Veterans asking about these shots.  

To be eligible for a flu or covid shot from a community provider, Veterans must be enrolled in VA health care and have received care from either a VA provider or a member of VA’s Community Care Network (CCN) within the past 24 months. Veterans can call 800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411) then select option 1 (urgent care information), then option 3 (urgent care information) and option 1 (check urgent care eligibility) again. The system will verify their eligibility for the community urgent care benefit, which includes flu and covid vaccinations. Please confirm with your Veteran patients that they are eligible before they go and make them aware if they are not eligible, they will be responsible for the cost of the vaccine(s).  

Billing

Sabrina Jacobs served more than 26 years in the Army, including four combat tours as both enlisted soldier and commissioned officer. Years of running and jumping with a heavy pack and the daily physical requirements of being a soldier resulted in multiple service-connected illnesses and injuries.

In 2017, Jacobs decided to look for alternative ways to manage her health conditions. She began a whole health journey which included complementary and integrative health (CIH) practices and her own self-care. Read more about Sabrina’s story and how she attributes VA’s Whole Health program to her improved health.

The VA recently announced a pledge with 13 health care systems to share data to improve the Veteran experience regardless of where Veterans receive their care — inside or outside of VA. Through this pledge, VA and the 13 health care systems will:

• Work to improve Veteran health care by seamlessly exchanging information about care provided and requested.
• Save money for Veterans by ensuring they are taking advantage of VA and community resources.
• Connect Veterans with VA benefits, including new benefits for toxic exposure-related conditions under the PACT Act.

The health care systems partnering with VA in this effort are Emory Healthcare, Inova, Jefferson Health, Sanford Health, University of California Davis Health, Intermountain Health, Mass General Brigham, Rush Health, Tufts Medicine, Marshfield Clinic, Kaiser Permanente Health Plan and Hospitals, University of Pittsburg Medical Center, and Atrium Health. Read more about this announcement here.