Finally granted healthcare @ the VA, should I keep Kaiser?

[Reason]

I have been paying out of pocket for health insurance through Kaiser for many years now (apx 150/month with a 1,500 yearly resetting deductible for anything major, ie: MRI).

It's expensive but the doctors are legit.

I served in the Air Force apx 4 years ago for a few months and was injured in training. The USAF tried to claim that my injury was the result of a pre-existing condition that I wasn't aware of...(load of crap).

After being honorably discharged via ELS due to the inability to be fully "combat ready" due to the injury, I started the paperwork process to attempt to get the VA to cover my medical bills that I started getting when I started getting treatment via Kaiser once I was back home.

After 3 1/2 years the VA has finally granted my injury as "service connected" which means I can get VA health care for almost free...

The catch...

I have been informed by the lawyer that helped me with my claim that every 5 years or so the VA will pull me in and "evaluate" my injury to determine if it has become worse/better/same.

Talking to several VA employee's on the phone a few of them told me that it's possible to have the % rating of my disability lowered by a douchebag doctor which would then lower the amount of coverage I would get through the VA...

So... (If you've actually read this far, thank you =P )

Should I keep paying for this expensive coverage from Kaiser while I have this other option available to me?

Keep in mind that I am a broke college student lol

The main worry I have is that if I cancel my Kaiser coverage now and then want to get it again later they will rape my prices even more due to my injury now being a "pre-existing condition" (That is what they did to my parents).

Yes, I realize that the VA coverage might now be the as good as Kaiser, however I am weighing the pros/cons here since,

1. I am a broke college student and every penny counts.

2. I am young and healthy outside of my nerve damage/soft tissue damage to my foot sustained during military training.

Thoughts?

[dannno]

Well I think theoretically the VA should be able to take care of your "pre-existing condition" indefinitely, and that shouldn't affect your future insurance packages since it isn't a condition that your insurance will be required to treat...

However there seems to be concern that the VA might not live up to its Constitutional requirements...but if they did, I believe theoretically it shouldn't affect your future insurance packages (someone correct me if I'm wrong here..)

I'd personally go with some really cheap, catastrophic insurance until you can get a good plan through your future company you may choose to work for (which usually seems to cost about the same as the catastrophic insurance...)

Are you planning on needing MRIs or anything crazy in the next few years? Or is your foot the only thing you think will be a real issue?

[Pericles]

The good news is that if the VA drops the rating and Kaisers gives you the pre existing crap, you have the grounds you need to appeal the reduction from the VA.

[lynnf]

I have been paying out of pocket for health insurance through Kaiser for many years now (apx 150/month with a 1,500 yearly resetting deductible for anything major, ie: MRI).

It's expensive but the doctors are legit.

I served in the Air Force apx 4 years ago for a few months and was injured in training. The USAF tried to claim that my injury was the result of a pre-existing condition that I wasn't aware of...(load of crap).

After being honorably discharged via ELS due to the inability to be fully "combat ready" due to the injury, I started the paperwork process to attempt to get the VA to cover my medical bills that I started getting when I started getting treatment via Kaiser once I was back home.

After 3 1/2 years the VA has finally granted my injury as "service connected" which means I can get VA health care for almost free...

The catch...

I have been informed by the lawyer that helped me with my claim that every 5 years or so the VA will pull me in and "evaluate" my injury to determine if it has become worse/better/same.

Talking to several VA employee's on the phone a few of them told me that it's possible to have the % rating of my disability lowered by a douchebag doctor which would then lower the amount of coverage I would get through the VA...

So... (If you've actually read this far, thank you =P )

Should I keep paying for this expensive coverage from Kaiser while I have this other option available to me?

Keep in mind that I am a broke college student lol

The main worry I have is that if I cancel my Kaiser coverage now and then want to get it again later they will rape my prices even more due to my injury now being a "pre-existing condition" (That is what they did to my parents).

Yes, I realize that the VA coverage might now be the as good as Kaiser, however I am weighing the pros/cons here since,

1. I am a broke college student and every penny counts.

2. I am young and healthy outside of my nerve damage/soft tissue damage to my foot sustained during military training.

Thoughts?

my 2 cents: VA sucks and I know by experience. if they can save a penny but it means an early grave for you, so much the better - they just can't be too obvious about it.

do what you want but be prepared to suffer the consequences. some VA hospitals may not be so bad, but they all deal with the same bureaucracy.

lynn

[Reason]

I am also going to start doing some in depth research to see how much it would cost me per year/month if I change the Kaiser plan to a higher deducible so that it would essentially be my backup plan in case I had a serious health problem that I felt was not being treated well at the VA.

Thanks for the replies so far, keep em coming!

I always feel better about making large decisions like this if I have heard the opinions of a multitude of people, helps me make sure I haven't missed any better options I might have overlooked!

[Cowlesy]

I'm really not qualified to talk about this because I think it takes a lot more knowledge about the insurance industry, but, I would be very concerned about getting ixnay'd out of health insurance by way of telling your insurer that you have a pre-existing condition if you had to sign back up, or if they found out via a background check by checking with the VA, and charging you a fortune.

I'd struggle on with the Kaiser insurance, and not take that risk. I think it really comes down to your appetite for risk, and how serious your injury that got you a discharge is.

All these places are trying to stretch a buck as the economy shrinks, so more people will be looking at your file.

[oyarde]

I would suggest you check out the va place you will be using a few times before you drop the other.If you are satisfied and your injury is not very serious and at risk to decline rapidly , drop it then.When you complete your education and find a job you are likely to have a policy available.

[Reason]

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