Veteran says medical bills went unpaid
WENDELL, NC (WTVD) -- You rely on your health insurance to help cover your bills, but when you can't get your medical provider to file claims with your insurance company, you've got a problem. Veteran Robert Thompson says he's been dealing with the Department of Veteran Affairs for years not filing claims with his insurance company. When the medical bills went unpaid, money from Thompson's Social Security checks started to be garnished.
Thompson says the problem started several years ago. He said he had no problem with the care he received at the Durham VA, but when it came to filing his medical bills with his insurance, he said that just wasn't happening.
"Every time I would ask them to file with my insurance company. They either tell me you don't have insurance which I did, I presented it to them, or they would say your insurance isn't covering it," he said.
Thompson said at each appointment he had with the Durham VA, he would present his insurance card.
"They are supposed to file with the insurance company and they just haven't done it," Thompson said.
Since he said it wasn't filed with his insurance, Thompson was expected to cover the entire cost. When Thompson defaulted on paying the bills to the VA, his Social Security was garnished month after month.
"I can't take advantage of my insurance. I'm losing money. It's not right," Thompson said.
He said he made countless calls to the billing department at the Veteran Administrations.
"Well, we will take care of it in a couple of months, well give us a few more months give us a few more months until I decided to call you," he said.
And calling me worked.
"After they found out I was talking to you, all of a sudden they are sending bills out and trying to figure out what to do," Thompson said.
He said the Veteran Administrations started to file claims with his insurance.
"Each of these checks represent one item on this list," he said.
Slowly, Thompson has been getting reimbursement checks for the money that was taken from his Social Security. Also, Thompson tells us money is no longer being garnished out of his Social Security checks.
A rep with the VA said they only started garnishing Thompson's Social Security checks, when he defaulted on his payment. The rep adds the amounts billed were for non-service connected care.
At this point, Thompson said he's working directly with a rep from the Veteran's Administration to see what the monies he paid went to, and how much, if anything, he is owed.
