Veterans Services

LVMAC Tidbit — Veterans Health Administration to Hold Town Hall in Bethlehem Area

VA LogoFor the first time in the Bethlehem area, the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center will be conducting a Community Town Hall — one of many such meetings the Veterans Health Administration is hosting nationwide on a quarterly basis. The event will be held on 29 June starting at 5 p.m. on Northampton Community College’s north main campus in the Gates Center’s Alumni Hall (Room 130) just off 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — The Veterans Choice Program Drama Continues: Getting Bugged by the Private Healthcare’s Debt Collectors?

VA Announces Community Care Call Center to Help Veterans with Choice Program Billing Issues

LVMAC Poster Art 2005The joy of encountering the American private medical systems’  debt collectors has been taken on by the Department of Veterans Affairs in effort to make right with their veterans.  On 14 March 2016, the VA announced the opening of yet another call center – this time to resolve debt collection issues resulting from problems created by the Veterans Choice [Card] program.  Veterans have been experiencing adverse credit reporting or debt collection resulting from inappropriately billed Choice Program claims.  The VA is now acknowledging that delayed payments and inappropriately billed claims are unacceptable and have caused stress for veterans and providers alike. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Out of Bad Comes Good In A Strange Way

New Heptatitis-C Drugs Now Available to All Veterans Who Need It

LVMAC Poster Art 2005In a past articles we have written about the current abortion of a program known as Veterans Choice  which Congress itself helped to create in trying to make the VA’s healthcare system more responsive to veterans living in the current era  (In the coming year we should expect to see major improvement.)   Ironically, an immediate good has resulted from this failure because funds were transferred from the program to overcome a critical budgetary crisis, partially caused by the cost of a certain breakthrough, hepatitis drug.  Furthermore, the issue of hepatitis care was not then forgotten.   This is important news to those among the estimated 200,000 veterans who heretofore have been awaiting the lifesaving medicine now available – sofosbuvir, sold as Sovaldi and Harvoni. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Getting the Right Treatment

Newly Formed Department Steps In

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Earlier this year, the relatively new Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) stepped in and righted a wrong over a matter of significance to those veterans who struggle with alcohol or drug use. Its action should not go unnoticed, for it has a deep impact on the way business has been done in the past. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Announces New One-Number, Call Center

On 17 February, in an effort to improve contact between the serviced veterans and their assigned clinical teams, Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT), the Wilkes-Barre VAMC has announced the opening of a one-stop call center with a one-call number (1-877-928-2621) beginning 19 February 2016.   It is intended to help those using the Medical Center and their Community-Based Outpatient Centers (CBOC) — the Lehigh Valley has two of these, one in Allentown and another in the Bangor area; and it will provide veterans with a direct line of contact to schedule or cancel appointments, relay messages to their provider, request medication refills, or have their calls routed to the appropriate service. (more…)

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LVMAC Tidbit — Commonwealth Creates a Veterans Registry to Help Connect Veterans to Services

PA DMVA Logo 2

 

 

NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 17, 2015

 

Veterans Encouraged to Connect with DMVA for Assistance
With Obtaining Benefits, Services

Harrisburg, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs encourages Pennsylvania veterans to connect with them via their new online Pennsylvania Veterans Registry at www.register.dmva.pa.gov for assistance with obtaining veterans benefits and services. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago