By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 12, 2008 17:56:28 EDT
Veterans hospitals may be open to nonveterans after a natural disaster or emergency, but private citizens who are neither veterans nor disaster workers will be billed for the cost of their treatment, Veterans Affairs Department officials announced Monday.
A Monday notice in the Federal Register implements a 2002 law authorizing VA hospitals and clinics to provide disaster relief care. The federal government will pay for the cost of treating federal workers, including service members, and other disaster workers will be reimbursed under sharing arrangements.
Other people will have to pay for care unless they are veterans, according to the new rule, which takes effect immediately.
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_vacare_privatecitizens_051208w/
