American Legion Post 36

Tue, 06/11/2019 - 11:00am

First, I would like to thank all who came to the VA Seminar on Saturday, June 8. What I hoped everyone took away from the seminar is that the VA is a complicated bureaucracy with many parts. One part is the Benefits Administration and the other is the HealthCare Administration. Just because you are receiving healthcare at the VA doesn’t mean that you are receiving all the benefits you should have. How can you be sure you are getting all the services/benefits you should? While you could go directly to the VBA service officer located on the second floor of building 248 at Togus, I recommend you meet with the American Legion Service officer at Togus. It is easy, call 623-5726 and make an appointment. In preparation for that meeting, I suggest you contact me (751-5672), so I can prepare you for that meeting. If it will be your first trip to Togus or you don’t have transportation, we (the American Legion Post 36 Service Officer or Assistant Service Officer) can get you there.

During the seminar, the speakers often suggested going to the website for more information. They also indicated you can sign up online to have access to your healthcare records. For some, that is not possible because you may not have a computer or have access to the internet. The American Legion Post has a computer and is connected to the internet. Just make an appointment by calling 633-4487. We will assist in making the necessary connections and signing up for the online services.

While the seminar provided an opportunity discuss issues with the VA and have specific questions answered by the VA leadership, I am sure some questions require further discussions. One suggestion was that it might be easier if the VA provided vouchers so a veteran can see non-VA practitioners without going through the current process. Another problem that was mentioned was that many of the local practitioners don’t want to have contracts with the VA to provide community care because the VA has been notorious in not paying their community care providers in a timely way. Not all questions concerning how to manage using Medicare and the VA minimizing co-pays were sufficiently answered for some. As was discussed at the seminar, there are venues and other opportunities to continue these discussions and to be part of finding the answers and solutions. One goal of Post 36 is to lead this effort. What is required from those who have these issues is to write them down in some form with contact information and sending them to the American Legion, Post 36, P.O. Box 874, Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538 or email them to dapatch@roadrunner.com.

All you can eat breakfast at the Hall from 7 to 9 a.m. this Sunday, June 16 (Father’s Day). Bring your Dad to breakfast!

The next meeting of the Post, Auxiliary, and Sons is July 8. Dinner (optional) is at 5:30 and the meeting starts at 6.