Lebanon VAMC o ffers Veterans Uber program for Medical Appointments

South-central Pennsylvania veterans are now able to participate in VA Uber Health Connect, an initiative that provides supplemental transportation to eligible veterans needing access to and from medical care.

Based on survey feedback from 2,300 veterans between March 2022 and January 2023, 83% stated they would not have been able to access their medical care without the program.

The VA Uber Health Connect Initiative launched as pilot program in 2022 at 10 VA Medical Centers. From January 2022 to March 2023, VA Uber Health Connect completed more than 30,000 Uber rides across 408,529 miles for veterans.

These rides have increased access, improved clinical engagement, and saved VA an estimated $35 million. The cost savings are in part from faster emergency department and inpatient discharges as well as closing the gap on an estimated 28,000 missed appointments.

This year, the program is expanding to nine new Veteran Integrated Service Networks and 60 VAMCs.

fiNANCiAL from facing page future costs, and there are long-term care funding tools that people can use to address immediate need for care as well.

What are some of today’s options for private-pay funding of long-term care?

Long-term care insurance – These insurance policies will provide a fixed monthly payment to cover approved forms of qualifying long-term care. Long-term care insurance can be purchased as a stand-alone policy or as a life/LTC hybrid policy. The younger and healthier a person is when buying a policy, the more affordable their premium rates and the likelier they will qualify.

LTC life settlements – A life settlement can be used to fund a long-term care benefit plan, which is similar to a health savings plan. This LTC benefit plan is an irrevocable bank account that is professionally administered with payments made monthly to long-term care providers.

Medically qualified policy owners who use an LTC life settlement are able to immediately direct tax-exempt payments to cover their senior housing and long-term care costs.

Veterans Aid & Attendance benefit – Veterans of active combat duty and/or their spouses are eligible to receive monthly benefits paid directly toward qualifying long-term care service. Like Medicaid, the applicant must meet both medical necessity and income/asset level requirements to qualify.

Reverse mortgage – Homeowners with little to no remaining mortgage balance who are age 62 or older can qualify to take a HUD-backed home equity conversion mortgage (HECM) loan against the home in the form of a

According to the American Hospital Association, 3.6 million people in the United States do not obtain medical care due to transportation challenges.

Children, older adults, and veterans are especially vulnerable to transportation barriers due to social isolation and underlying medical conditions and have a greater need for frequent clinician visits.

“This is a life-altering program the offers vulnerable veterans care — the moment they need it,” said Jennifer Stevey, mobility manager at the Lebanon VA.

“It also advances our ability to offer more accessible, equitable healthcare to our local veteran community, but it’s very important that veterans understand how the program works. They must allow VA to schedule their ride with Uber; otherwise, they may be responsible for the cost of the trip.” lump sum, monthly income, or a line of credit.

Veterans or transportation teams interested in learning more about the program should contact the Lebanon VA Medical Center at (717) 272-6621 or (800) 409-8771.

To qualify, the home must still be the primary residence, and the loan must be paid back with interest and fees after the homeowner dies (typically through the sale of the property).

Senior living loans – These are loans that can be secured specifically to pay for long-term care services. These loans are unsecured by collateral and instead are guaranteed by family members who co-sign (one or more).

Interest rates are similar to a credit card, and the loans are typically between $50,000 and $500,000 for a term of one year or less.

Medicaid-compliant annuity – A single-premium immediate annuity can be purchased to set up a guaranteed income stream for a spouse while the annuitant qualifies to go onto Medicaid and into a nursing home.

It is an irrevocable annuity established for a period equal to or less than the remaining life expectancy of the annuitant. The state is named as the remainder beneficiary to receive any funds after the annuitant dies.

The key to successfully navigating any long-term care situation is to understand your financial options and understand the differences among what will be covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private pay.

Planning and informing yourself as far in advance as possible is best, but there are also a number of funding options available that can help people address a sudden and immediate need for care.

Chris Orestis, CSA, is president of Retirement Genius (retirementgenius.com) and is a nationally recognized financial, health/LTC, and retirement issues expert. With over 25 years’ experience in the insurance and long-term care industries, Orestis has authored three books on aging and is credited with pioneering the Long-Term Care Life Settlement over a decade ago.