Air Force Veteran Alone in ICU Needs Help Getting to VA Hospital

Young Air Force veteran alone in ICU at VA hospital in San Antonio
KENS 5 News
Priya Sridhar
June 01, 2017

SAN ANTONIO - A 22 year old Air Force veteran is fighting for his life in the ICU at the Audie Murphy Memorial Veterans Affairs Hospital in San Antonio.

Jacob Mitchell is in critical condition after his lung collapsed last week. He was three hours away in Del Rio when it happened. He says that he doesn't have health insurance so his only option was to make the three hour drive to San Antonio to get to the closest VA hospital.

"I told them I had chest pain and they immediately got me back to the ER and started running tests," he said.

Mitchell's girlfriend, who is from Del Rio, came with him to San Antonio but she had to leave on Memorial Day to go back to work. Now Mitchell is alone and scared.

"I'm a little nervous about it just because anything could happen," he said.
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Enhanced Eligibility For Health Care Benefits

Veterans who served in a theater of combat operations after November 11, 1998 are eligible for an extended period of eligibility for health care for 5 years post discharge.

Under the "Combat Veteran" authority, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides health care services and community living care for any condition possibly related to the Veterans’s service in the theater of operations and enrollment in Priority Group 6, unless eligible for enrollment in a higher priority group to:

Combat Veterans who were discharged or released from active service on or after January 28, 2003, are eligible to enroll in the VA health care system for 5 years from the date of discharge or release.

The 5-year enrollment period begins on the discharge or separation date of the service member from active duty military service, or in the case of multiple call-ups, the most recent discharge date.

Combat Veterans, while not required to disclose their income information, may do so to determine their eligibility for a higher priority status, beneficiary travel benefits, and exemption of copays for care unrelated to their military service.

Benefits and Services to Enjoy

• Eligible combat Veterans will have free medical care and medications for any condition that may be related to their service in theater.
• Immediate benefits of health care coverage.
• No enrollment fee, monthly premiums or deductibles.
• Low or no out-of-pocket costs.  During the five-year post discharge timeframe, there may be small medical care or prescription drug copayments for medical care for any condition not related to combat theater.   See our Copayment page for more information. (Copayment page)
• Once enrolled, the Veteran will remain enrolled.
• Enrollment with VA satisfies the health care law’s requirement to have health care coverage. 
• Medical care rated among the best in the United States.
• More than 1,700 places available to get health care.
• Choice Card Program eligibility.Click here for more information
• VA health care can be used along with Medicare and any other health insurance coverage.