The VA has options for Veterans who suffer from difficult financial circumstances and struggle to pay VA copayments. If a Veteran is dealing with personal circumstances like the loss of a job, a sudden decrease in income, or an increase in out-of-pocket family health care expenses, he or she can contact the VA to determine if her or she qualifies for financial hardship assistance.
The Veteran may be eligible to set up a repayment plan, request a copayment exemption, or a debt waiver. Circumstances that qualify for consideration:
- Loss of employment
- Business bankruptcy
- Serious illness
- Unusual medical expenses
- Education expenses
- Funeral expenses
- Change in marital status
In these circumstances, the Veteran may be eligible for a hardship determination, which would qualify him or her for a copay exemption and assign them to a higher priority group — they would not have to pay any VA copays for the rest of the calendar year.
The Veteran can find more information on the VA’s Request Financial Hardship website, where they can download the hardship worksheet VA Form 10-10HS. The form should be completed based on the current year’s projected household income and the Veteran should include the following for all that is applicable:
- Income from wages until loss of employment or retirement
- Income of spouse. If lose of income is due to divorce or death of a spouse, income received until that point should be included
- Include all disability income, Social Security, unemployment, interest, retirement income, severance pay, rental income, early withdrawal of retirement funds
- Savings accounts, investment stocks and bonds, rental property
- Verification/documentation of loss of income, unusual medical expenses, serious illness, bankruptcy, etc.
The completed packet should be returned to:
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System Attn: Eligibility 136A3/NLR 4300 W. 7th Street Little Rock, AR 72205
For further questions, a Veteran or caregiver may contact Lena Pendarvis at (501) 257-5656
