True, the VA does not accept Medicare or Tricare, but they will certainly copy your Medicare card and look at your military ID card. What Chief29 does not point out is that the VA doesn't charge vets for services, although for some VA categories, there may be a co-pay. Although the VA does not accept Medicare or Tricare as insurance for billing purposes, as both are government programs. It would be like the right hand paying the left hand. The VA manual, VA Pamplhet 80-10-01, covers "Private Health Insurance Billing" issues starting on Page 7. They will bill private health insurance providers for medical care, supplies, and precriptions provided for treatment of veterans service-related conditions. They can bill Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance Plans for covered services. The key point is that Veterans (and I quote from the pamphlet) "are not responsible for paying any remaining balance of VA's insurance claim not paid or covered by their Health insurance, and any payment received by VA may be used to offset 'dollar for dollar' a veteran's VA copay responsibility."
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