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Urgent care options change for local veterans in VA healthcare system

Kokomo Tribune - 9/9/2021

Sep. 9—The Veterans Affairs Marion Urgent Care Clinic, part of the VA Northern Indiana Healthcare System, will be permanently reducing its normal working hours.

Beginning Oct. 1, the Urgent Care Clinic at the Marion VA Medical Center, which services veterans in Howard County, will go from a 24-hour per day operation to 12 hours per day. New operation hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday and holidays.

As an alternative, veterans enrolled in VA Healthcare who have been seen in the last 24 months are eligible to seek an urgent care provider in the VA's contracted network of providers. Veterans can receive covered services without prior authorization from the VA.

The VA MISSION Act authorizes three urgent care visits per year at no cost to veterans in Priority Groups 1 through 5. Priority Group 6 has a $30 co-pay unless the visit is for combat experience and Priority Groups 7-8 has a $30 co-pay.

Howard County has three VA in-network urgent care facilities: Ascension St. Vincent Walk-In Care (186 E. Southway Blvd.), CVS Minute Clinic (2340 W. Sycamore St.) and MedExpress Urgent Care (1010 S. Reed Road).

"This is a fantastic opportunity for our local veterans to receive urgent healthcare without having to travel to Marion, Indianapolis or Fort Wayne," Howard County Veterans Service Officer Dean Hockney said in a recent press release. "Most service-connected disabled veterans are in Priority Groups 1 through 5. Having the option to visit an urgent care facility in Kokomo is a step-forward in local veterans' healthcare."

According to the VA MISSION Act, any enrolled veteran who has visited a VA healthcare facility in the last two years can receive urgent care at any in-network urgent care facility or retail clinic. In addition, if a qualified veteran uses an in-network urgent care, they may receive a 14-day supply of prescription medications if the pharmacy is part of the in-network system.

"More than 6,000 military veterans reside in Howard County," said Hockney, a U.S. Air Force veteran. "And nearly 2,000 county residents receive Veterans Affairs healthcare benefits that they earned for injuries or illnesses they incurred while on active duty defending our great nation. For them to not have to travel to another county to receive healthcare for simple colds or non-emergency injuries is a common-sense move by the VA."

When arriving at an in-network urgent care provider, veterans must inform the provider they would like to use their VA urgent care benefit. It is also suggested they show their VA Healthcare identification card, which is available at the Marion VAMC.

According to VA guidelines, urgent care consists of medical services provided for minor illnesses or injuries that are not life-threatening such as strep throat, pink eye or influenza. X-Rays and diagnostic labs are also covered. Emergency care consists of inpatient or outpatient hospital services that are necessary to prevent death or serious impairment of health such as severe chest pain, seizures or loss of awareness, heavy uncontrollable bleeding, or moderate to severe burns.

For more information, call the Marion VAMC at 1-800-360-8387 or the Howard County Veterans Service Office at 765-456-2511. The Howard County VSO is available to assist veterans with filing Veterans Affairs paperwork to include disability claims and enrollment in the VA Healthcare system. For veterans experiencing a mental health crisis, the VA Veterans Crisis Line is available 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year by calling 1-800-273-8255.

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