Question:
I need help getting medical care. I was utilizing care under the Choice program. The facility recommended and referred me to go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN due to the advancement in equipment and in medical that they have there. I have lesions on my brain as well as a pituitary adenoma. I am 100% P&T with SSDI (Medicare). I currently have Champva, but will be losing it due to a divorce.
The VA put a referral and contract to go to Mayo using the new Mission Act, but I"m being told that Mayo Rochester will not be accepting Mission Act. I've spoken with them about and the VA about allowing me to use my insurance and requesting them to pay for my travel (instead of the VA paying then them billing my insurance)… that's a big negative. The issue is that Mayo has a Tesla 7 MRI imagery machine which is showing changes on my brain lesions and pituitary changes, which are not being showing on the standard medical Tesla 3 MRI machine. I will need to say in Rochester for about a week, I've requested a Hotel scheduled through VAMC Minneapolis -- that's a negative.
How do I get the medical care/travel covered that has been recommended and covered by the VA as promised by the VA? I'm 100% P&T. They do believe I have MS which will be a service connected condition and I have a denied claim, so upon confirmation, I will need to file a CUE claim which will go back as the only reason why it was denied was because it wasn't "diagnosed". I need help to pay for these extraordinary expenses. The VA is telling me to pay for them out of my pocket and I "might" get travel but it won't be the travel that I believe it will be even though their own community care facility REFERRED me to Minnesota (I live in GA).
Jim's Reply:
The Mayo Clinic is not accepting MISSION Act referrals from VA because they don't have to. Since anything else that happens between you and the Mayo Clinic is outside the VA responsibility, they won't pick up bits and pieces for you. I believe you'll have to pay your expenses and hope for the best.