September is Eligibility & Enrollment Month!
Are you eligible for VA Care? Have you enrolled in VA Health Care? Do you know where to go for this information?
We all know someone who thinks they don’t qualify for benefits or may think they are not as needy as the next veteran. Once upon a time even I fell into that category, that VA is for those Veterans who need the help MORE than I do. I’m here to tell you that I was wrong in my thinking. We are all deserving of these benefits, whether it be compensation, education, or health care.
As a Veteran, many of us have used or are using the Post 9/11 GI Bill, or maybe we were eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill or our enlistment bonus was money for college instead of cash. Using those benefits for many of us made sense. We wanted to do more to help others. However, taking a spot from someone more worthy or needy is not something Veterans want to do to other Veterans. This is not the case, we all have a place here.
As a Woman Veteran, I have been using VA Health Care for many years. I have reached out to those who are more knowledgeable to find answers I did not know who else to ask. When I was at my lowest I felt confident enough to ask the VA for help. Knowing they have been helping my brothers and sister in arms far longer than any provider I could have found outside the VA. I knew they may not have heard my exact story, but I knew they had heard similar. I was no longer afraid to ask for help from those who were more knowledgeable then I was.
The providers, social workers, and peers at the VA helped me get to where I am today. They can help, we just need to reach for it.
If you have questions, you can check your eligibility online, call the VA benefits hotline at 800-827-100, call the eligibility office at your local VA hospital or clinic, reach out to your local Veteran’s Service Officer. You can even reach out to your local Peer Support Specialists, they are knowledgeable in many area and know who in your area will be able to help.
For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital and subscribe to our newsletters.