How does medical care for veterans work?

Little Raven · Post by **Little Raven** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 2:44 pm

So I'm reading Dirt's article about body armor in Iraq and I come to this part.

In one traumatic case, Gawande tells of an airman who lost both legs, his right hand and part of his face. "How he and others like him will be able to live and function remains an open question," Gawande writes.

Both legs, a hand and part of his face? Ouch.

I think it's probably safe to say that his future productivity is going to be limited. And he'll probably need a lot of medical care for the rest of his life. Having had two children do some hospital time, I know how fast medical bills can rack up. I got a bill for 300,000 dollars after my daughter spent three weeks in the NICO.

I'm sure this guy will be racking up numbers like that every year for as long as he lives.

How does that get paid for? Is that what the VA does? Do veterans have some kind of automatic health care insurance program they're enrolled in for life?

RMC · Post by **RMC** » Fri Dec 10, 2004 2:56 pm

If the Injury happens in the line of duty, you get a pension and medical care for the rest of your life free of charge to you.

If you did not have any injuries when you were discharged, you can still use the VA hospital, but any charges are applied based on what you can afford.