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September 19, 2019

Recent Ruling Requires VA to Reimburse Emergency Medical Care

In Wolfe v. Wilkie, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) recently struck down an internal regulation blocking the VA from covering the cost of emergency medical care provided to veterans at non-VA hospitals.  The CAVC also certified the case as a class action and ordered the VA to reimburse veterans for all of their past and future out-of-pocket emergency medical expenses not covered by the veteran’s private insurance other than copayments. A report released by the VA’s Inspector General in August uncovered that over a six-month period, 17,400 veterans were required to pay $53 million in emergency treatment costs. The ruling directs the VA to contact veterans with claims dating back to 2016.