COLUMBIA, Mo. — Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans’ Hospital, will hold a Facebook Live event at 9 a.m. Friday, April 10, at www.facebook.com/VAColumbiaMO. The purpose of the event is to provide information on health care enrollment and eligibility for Veterans experiencing economic hardship due to employment loss or reduced wages.
“Our mission is to take care of our Veterans,” said Patricia Hall, PhD, FACHE, medical center director of Truman VA. “We have had a few Veterans reach out to us about health care coverage due to changes in their employment status. We want other Veterans to know that if they are experiencing gaps in health care because of financial hardship, they should contact us. We will do everything that we can to assist them with verifying the possibility of enrollment.”
“The basic requirements for eligibility include a military discharge that is other than dishonorable and 24 months of continuous active service ― or completing the full period for which a reservist or guardsman was called to active duty,” said Bob Crawford, supervisor of Health Administration Service at Truman VA. “Once those basic requirements have been met, Veterans will either qualify because of specialized eligibility, such as serving during certain time periods or for service-connected injuries, or they may be eligible based on their current or projected financial situation. Veterans currently experiencing financial hardship due to layoffs, furloughs or job loss, may qualify for VA care if their projected income for this year meets the financial requirement.”
Any Veteran who meets the eligibility requirements of time in and character of service and has questions about the possibility of enrolling in VA health care, should call (573) 814-6535. Veterans should have their DD Form 214 available at the time they contact Truman VA. If a DD Form 214 ― often referred to by Veterans as ‘discharge papers’ ― is unavailable, verification of eligibility may be possible by using a Social Security number.
“I would like to ask the community to share this information with any Veteran they know,” Hall said. “Having access to comprehensive, quality health care is crucial ― now more than ever. Please help us help our Veterans.”
