# V A Health Benefits



## kbjorgenson (Nov 7, 2013)

Could someone please direct me to where I can find discussions on requirements for maintaining VA Health benefits when we move to mexico? The VA here is not very helpful and we would like to know how we can retain benefits when we move to Mexico.


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## regwill (Jul 2, 2013)

I have been a member since July , yours is the first post that i have seen on this topic . Which benefits are you trying to maintain ? To stay in the system you need to be seen at least once every 2 years is what i was told . They will not mail your medicine to you in Mexico . Their are a couple of other veterans on this forum , hopefully they will also respond to your post .


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## DennyDaddy (May 3, 2011)

You do not lose your VA beniifits when you move to Mexico. But you do have to go to the states for treatment. In the State of Sonora most likely you have to use the maim hospital in Tuscon. But you can sign up at the clinics at Yuma, Casa Grande, and other cities where there are VA clinics for regular medical care and referrals, and to apply for meds.
You can have up to 3 months supply sent to a temp address at a border city. You can also have the Main Tuscon hospital as your main care center for visits.
In more eastern parts of Mexico or Baha, then those areas you will have to call the VA hot line to find out where to apply. The VA will not pay for medical or hospital out of the country as far as I know. In the states in ercency room they may pay if billed but have to transfer to a VA hospital. If you are very high on the disability rateing with the VA it may be wise if ya in southern areas get the air amblance which may cost a few hundred a year and they can fly you to a city in the states with a big VA hospital. All other minor medical in Mexical is cheap in US terms. But I do know, they require a check-up every two years. But you really can extablish yourself in a clinic in a border city, do a check up. And if you don't make it back it two years they have a record of you and its easy to see a doc in case without getting certified all over again and they may just tell ya to go on your own or go to a city to a main hosipital. Now, if you have a disability of any rate, you will be seen free and if ya reg with the VA just because you are a VET, you will get a co-pay type of scale but the VA will see you. i do not know if OB care changed that.

DD


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## joaquinx (Jul 3, 2010)

I don't know if this is helpful, but for your disability treatment, you can be treated in Mexico. See Foreign Medical Program- How to Apply - Health Administration Center


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## DennyDaddy (May 3, 2011)

Shared post from 'ExpatForum' by joaquinx from thread 'V A Health Benefits':

I don't know if this is helpful, but for your disability treatment, you can be treated in Mexico. See Foreign Medical Program- How to Apply - Health Administration Center

Joaquinx...

Glad you had that info...at one time I asked a VA rep if there was out of country benifits and was told no. Maybe it was changed or he really did not know but that info link you listed I will check it out....thanks for that info. It will be helpful.

dd


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## kbjorgenson (Nov 7, 2013)

regwill said:


> I have been a member since July , yours is the first post that i have seen on this topic . Which benefits are you trying to maintain ? To stay in the system you need to be seen at least once every 2 years is what i was told . They will not mail your medicine to you in Mexico . Their are a couple of other veterans on this forum , hopefully they will also respond to your post .



My husband has disability benefits that covers his entire medical. He was told when he signed up for it many years ago that he had to visit the VA at least once a year. We were thinking maybe we could use his daughter's address in the states to have his medications sent, and then she could FedEx them to us in Mexico. I'm thinking that maybe the shipping cost would be greater than his paying for the meds in Mexico. But if they don't have those meds in Mexico . . . Thank you for your reply though. we will just have to do more investigating. One thing I have found with big gov't agencies, you can get more than one answer so you need to check multiple times and take the more conservative route. Just because someone tells you something wrong doesn't mean they will make it right.


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## kbjorgenson (Nov 7, 2013)

DennyDaddy said:


> You do not lose your VA beniifits when you move to Mexico. But you do have to go to the states for treatment. In the State of Sonora most likely you have to use the maim hospital in Tuscon. But you can sign up at the clinics at Yuma, Casa Grande, and other cities where there are VA clinics for regular medical care and referrals, and to apply for meds.
> You can have up to 3 months supply sent to a temp address at a border city. You can also have the Main Tuscon hospital as your main care center for visits.
> In more eastern parts of Mexico or Baha, then those areas you will have to call the VA hot line to find out where to apply. The VA will not pay for medical or hospital out of the country as far as I know. In the states in ercency room they may pay if billed but have to transfer to a VA hospital. If you are very high on the disability rateing with the VA it may be wise if ya in southern areas get the air amblance which may cost a few hundred a year and they can fly you to a city in the states with a big VA hospital. All other minor medical in Mexical is cheap in US terms. But I do know, they require a check-up every two years. But you really can extablish yourself in a clinic in a border city, do a check up. And if you don't make it back it two years they have a record of you and its easy to see a doc in case without getting certified all over again and they may just tell ya to go on your own or go to a city to a main hosipital. Now, if you have a disability of any rate, you will be seen free and if ya reg with the VA just because you are a VET, you will get a co-pay type of scale but the VA will see you. i do not know if OB care changed that.
> 
> DD


To use a VA in Tucson, wouldn't you have to have an address in Tucson?


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## kbjorgenson (Nov 7, 2013)

joaquinx said:


> I don't know if this is helpful, but for your disability treatment, you can be treated in Mexico. See Foreign Medical Program- How to Apply - Health Administration Center


This is excellent. Thank you for the information.


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## DennyDaddy (May 3, 2011)

kbjorgenson said:


> To use a VA in Tucson, wouldn't you have to have an address in Tucson?


You can use the VA in Tuscon and use your address in Mexico, or if you are useing a mail service in Arizona. But then the VA likes to send out stuff, so you can reg in Tucson and tell them you want to use another US adddress. I am reg in Washington State and use the Yuma clinic and Tuscon hospital, and use my Yuma winter address. Just call them and work something out.
You just have to go and get extablished with the Tuscon Hospital so they can assign you to a medical team. Once that is done, its easy and you just call and you make an appointment to see a doctor. But first, you have to go and get established and get assigned a doctor and team. Thats the hard part. After that, sometimes, if ya need meds, you can just call and leave a msg with the nurse and she will relay to your assigned doctor and they will send you meds. I do that most of the time instead of going in to the clinic or hosiptil.
They like you to come in every two years and be seen, but it could be extended if you are already set up with the clinic or hospital. 

DD


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## KHESANHMIKE (Apr 9, 2014)

Does the va mail your meds to mexico? Thanks


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

KHESANHMIKE said:


> Does the va mail your meds to mexico? Thanks


No, you cannot have them sent to Mexico. In fact, it is very difficult and undependable to have any medicines shipped to Mexico. Most folks just buy them here, where there is a good supply at affordable prices and no need for prescriptions on most non-controlled substances.


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