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Show Veteran's Office Explains Method Of Medical Care Many veterans in the Duchesne Du-chesne and Uintah counties area are still confused regarding the Drpper procedure to be followed in applying for medical benefits bene-fits at VA expense, and are ending up by paying doctor bills personally, according . to O. L. Burton, contact representative represen-tative in charge of the VA office at Roosevelt, Utah. The most common error of veterans is to go to their family doctor or local hospital for treatment treat-ment and then to bill the Veter-ans Veter-ans Administration. By law the VA cannot pay such unauthorized unauthor-ized bills, even where the veteran's vet-eran's illness was service-connected. Mr. Burton points out that prior authority for treatment, even in emergency cases, must be granted by the VA. This may be obtained by written application applica-tion or in rush cases by a telephone tele-phone call to the chief medical officer. VA hospital, Salt Lake Citv. Utah. The simplest procedure in r areas covered by VA contact offices is for veterans needing medical care to contact VA personnel per-sonnel on duty and let them handle the whole thing. In emergencies emer-gencies a member of the veteran's veter-an's family should immediately call the contact office for instructions. Mr. Burton further points out that the VA offers both hospitalization hos-pitalization and outpatient treatment treat-ment lo veterans of all wars. The medical service has been recently expanded to include dental and medical treatment from private doctors in the veteran's home town, providing certain conditions are met, including in-cluding prior authorization. Veterans Vet-erans are advised to apply to the VA in practically all cases of sickness. This will insure that all local veterans will get the benefits to which they are entitled. |