I might check with my own insurance to see if your son, who was injured at OCS, will actually be covered under your own private insurance. Our insurance said that once a kid went to ROTC/OCS/any military service, s/he was no longer eligible nor insurable under our plan.
That is very interesting. ROTC is not like OCS or any military service. Most cadets/mids (@80%) are not scholarship, their ROTC class is seen as an elective at most colleges.
I get it maybe after they become a POC, but not while they are a GMC.
Our DS was under our tri-care program, even as an AFROTC scholarship cadet until he commissioned. They did not see him differently than our DD and DS2. Just show enrollment. This was also true when Bullet was a defense contractor with Aetna.
~ Just saying that the military insurance company does not see ROTC cadets/mids as military members. They see them as dependent children in college in ROTC>
I think you are right to state check, because if they said to me he is in ROTC and must be cut from my insurance, I would throw up the BS flag! ROTC cadets as Bull stated or not typically covered by Tri-Care.
Here is the caveat for the OP. If injured while training over the summer, than he should be covered by tri-care... at least that is what we were told. Hence, the reason they are asking for the bills. Yet, they are in a gray area from what I am reading here. They do not state if they were diagnosed/treated while at OCS, or they suffered through it, came back home and now their personal doc diagnosed the hernia.
My own advice is this, and than throw it in the circular filing cabinet.
1. Make copies of everything.
~ They have a habit of losing things.
2. Expect to pay something if you do not follow to the letter T every direction.
~ They may say that he needs to go to Doc Smith, but since you already have the diagnosis from Doc Jones, you submit Doc Jones. They can deny payment to Doc Jones.
3. Do not contact the VA. They will shut you out. Your DS is over the age of 18 and due to HIPA they cannot discuss anything with you.
~ I am sorry this is happening, but I think you need to seriously say to him he needs to attack this day 1 because you cannot afford to pay out of pocket for an injury that occurred on their watch.
~ As sad as this is to read, I would not think he should rely on the VA hospital. The backlog is still insane at most VAs. Bullet has been retired for 6 years, 10% disability, and he has never been to a VA since his out processing from the AF. The reason why is the wait time for appointments. Heck, none of our friends use the VA, they use their Tri-Care and bite the bullet for co-pay.
4. I am with CAP. I think this will be treated like Workmen's comp.
5. What is his career field that he wants? When will he meet that board?
~ IE rated than he needs to get this done ASAP. He will need to pass a different physical than the traditional DoDMERB. The healing time can impact his options. DoDMERB can look at it as he can serve in the Navy. The Navy wanting that FAA FC1 can say he can't go rate, but still serve.
I wish you all the best. I hope it works out well. That being said, it really is now up to him to get on top of it. It is up to him to say, my folks can't afford the surgery, you guys caused it, and I need it done asap. If he decides to drop the ball, than it is his call. In a year or two, he will commission, this will be his life. He will have to fight for his future.
Not trying to be offensive. I am just saying, he has to fight now on his own two feet, because I am pretty sure you have had the insurance conversation. If he doesn't than I think you have a bigger conversation in your future about the 4 years he will owe upon commissioning.