Veteran resources
Free help exists. Most of it is under-used.
Accredited service officers, state departments and free Medicare counselling all cost nothing and are staffed by people who do this every day. Here is who does what, and what to take with you.
- All free of charge
- Accredited representation
- We refer, we do not gatekeep
Where to go
Six places worth knowing
We list these because they are better at their part of the job than we are. Use them.
VA benefits, nationally
Enrolment, priority groups, community care authorisation and the health benefits handbook all sit with the Department of Veterans Affairs at va.gov or on its national telephone line.
Your county veterans service officer
Every county in Georgia and South Carolina has accredited officers who file claims and appeals free of charge. They are the most under-used resource on this page.
State departments of veterans services
Georgia and South Carolina each run their own department, with field offices, state benefits, and help with education and burial entitlements.
Accredited veterans service organisations
National membership organisations hold accreditation to represent veterans in claims. Representation by an accredited officer is free — be wary of anyone charging to file an initial claim.
SHIP counselling
The State Health Insurance Assistance Program gives free, unbiased Medicare counselling in both states. We recommend it without reservation, including to people who then choose to work with us.
1-800-MEDICARE
For anything to do with entitlement, enrolment records, the plan finder or a complaint about a plan. Open around the clock.
Preparation
What to bring to any appointment
With ours, with a service officer, or with a SHIP counsellor. The same six things answer nearly every question that comes up.
| Bring | Why | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Your VA identification card | Confirms enrolment and priority group. | Also needed at the VA pharmacy. |
| DD-214 or equivalent | Proof of service and character of discharge. | Your county service officer can help obtain a replacement. |
| Your Medicare card | Shows which parts you hold and their start dates. | Part B start date drives your Medigap window. |
| Medication list | Every drug, its dose and where you fill it. | Note which come from the VA pharmacy and which do not. |
| Doctors and facilities | Names, practices and the hospital you would choose. | We check each one against every plan's network. |
| Any letter you did not understand | Determination notices, ANOCs, penalty notices. | Bring the envelope. The date on it often matters. |
Protection
Four things that should make you hang up
Veterans are targeted deliberately, and the calls get worse every autumn during the enrolment period.
Nobody may charge to file an initial VA claim
Accredited representatives file claims for free. A fee attached to a first claim is a warning sign, not a service.
Medicare will not ring you out of the blue
Unsolicited calls asking for your Medicare number, your bank details or your VA file number are fraud, however well they know your name.
A free meal is marketing, not advice
Seminars are legitimate and some are good. The test is whether the person will compare plans they do not sell, and whether they write the recommendation down.
Report it
Suspected Medicare fraud goes to 1-800-MEDICARE; suspected benefits fraud goes to the VA inspector general. Reporting a number stops it reaching a neighbour.
- Your Medicare number belongs on your card and in your doctor's file. Nowhere else.
- If a caller claims to be from us and you did not expect them, hang up and ring (912) 555-0148 yourself.
Veteran resources
Questions about getting help
No. Our advice costs nothing to anyone, veteran or not — we are paid by the carrier if you enrol in a plan through us, and your premium is the same either way. We do not file VA claims; a county veterans service officer does that, also free.
No. We are not accredited to represent you to the VA, and we would not pretend otherwise. What we can do is explain how a VA decision affects your Medicare choices, and point you to the accredited officer who should handle the claim itself.
With the enrolment application and your discharge paperwork, through va.gov or your county veterans service officer. Start there even if you expect to use civilian care — being enrolled and knowing your priority group is useful information whichever system you end up relying on.
Yes, and we do not sell at them. If your post, auxiliary or caregiver group wants a plain-English session on Medicare and how it sits alongside VA cover, ring (912) 555-0148 and we will arrange a date.
Not sure who handles your question?
Ring us and we will tell you — even when the answer is a county service officer rather than an insurance agency. Getting you to the right desk is part of the job.
- No cost to you
- Honest referrals
- Sessions for veterans' groups
Get a free plan review
A licensed, local advisor — usually the same day.
(912) 555-0148Mon – Thu 8:30 am – 6:00 pm