VA has launched a user-friendly online financial status report form for VBA debts. This comes on the heels of launching the online tool in 2021.
The tool provides Veterans the ability to access information about their VBA benefit debts. The debt portal is part of VA’s ongoing efforts to improve Veteran access to information. It enables Veterans to download VBA benefit debt notification letters from VA’s Debt Management Center (DMC) and access current and historical debt, debt balances and the current status of the debt. The portal also sends Veterans who have provided VA with an email address a notification when new information is added to their account (such as a new debt letter) alerting them to log in.
VA has enhanced its debt portal by adding a new online VA Form 5655 Financial Status Report (FSR) feature for VBA benefit debts. This new feature makes it easier for Veterans to manage their debt online through several available debt relief processes, such as requesting debt forgiveness through a waiver, offering to settle the debt for a lesser amount through a compromise offer, and supporting requests for extended repayment plans. The FSR assembles financial information to enable VA to form a picture of the Veteran’s financial status as requests for debt relief are reviewed.
Online FSR features to improve the Veterans’ experience include:
- “Wizard” tool to assist Veterans in determining if the form is needed or not
- Ability to select specific debts for which assistance is needed
- Automated mathematical calculations for income, expenses, etc.
- “Save as you go” functionality allows Veterans to step away if needed and pick up where they left off in filling out the form
This feature comes at an important time for Veterans with VBA benefit debts. VA resumed sending VBA benefit debt notification letters on October 1st, 2021, after letters had been paused since April 6th, 2020, for COVID-19 pandemic relief. You can read more about notification letters resuming and VA’s expansive debt relief options here. VA plans to continue enhancements to the debt portal over the next several years, to include adding balance due on medical and pharmacy services copayment debts, expanded use of online FSR for all debt types and viewable transaction history.
For questions on VBA benefit debt information in the portal, Veterans and beneficiaries can contact DMC at www.ask.va.gov or call 1-800-827-0648. Call volumes are lower Tuesday – Friday.
For questions about medical care and pharmacy services copayment debt, Veterans can contact the Health Resource Center at 1-866-400-1238, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET.
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Can we access the system and ask additional questions ? It is my understanding that the system will be user friendly.
So what about the VA’s debts?
You don’t pay hospitals or doctors for over a year and we get hammered when they come looking for their money.
Veterans Experience (Patient Advocates) file the paperwork, but still you don’t pay.
Community Care? Respecting the service members? Hononing our service? Keeping your promises? Do any of these ring a bell?
More money and not enough of care , veterans are waiting on benefits and health care
Wow ive been waiting on dr appts for my shattered spine for months lost reports messed up labs supposedly new computer system is to blame!
Nice to see va priorities are more usless IT managment systems and a new way for them to recover money. Healthcare is what is needed drs and nurses. Not more expensive broken computer systems.
You are a healthcare opption for veterans not a computer company
Simon, my wife’s doctor at the Hampton Regional VA Medical Center, in Virginia, told my wife she was malingering. Her service related injury was all in her head. She threw blood clots in her ankle/foot for over 18 months, but they refused to listen. A podiatrist could not find a pulse in the foot after 14 months and wrote an emergency amputation order. My wife’s VA doctor denied the order. Four months later they not only amputated the foot and ankle, but all but 4 inches of her lower leg. The doctor said if we waited 3 more days, he would have had to amputate above the knee. An autopsy of the foot revealed that the foot had filled up with blood clots, lost circulation, and died.
My best advice is to use Community Care anytime you can. Just be warned that Community Care doesn’t like paying their bills, so you will spend a lot of time fighting with them to pay. Besides that the quality of service, care, and respect is so much better from the civilians.
Lewis and Rebecca