Collections - Montgomery co AMB EMS and Military Star Card

[JasonBorne84]

I apply for a credit and get the denied letter. I decide I want to figure out how to get credit. I mean I never had any credit cards before this. 2 Derogs from years ago that no one wants to help with. A little bit over 5,000 for them both combined. One for about 1200 falls off my credit report March next year. The other not until 2016. I was recommended to check out this site when I asked a friend for credit advice. I pull my credit report and low and behold. Collections for Montgomery co AMB EMS and Military Star Card.

Montgomery co AMB EMS. A few weeks after being medically retired out the Army. I ended up being rushed to the hospital. The guy in the ambulance asked me where to go. I said can they take me to the hospital on base? We are like maybe 10 mins away from the base gate for Fort Campbell. He said can you get on base? I said im medically retired yes and I have Tri-Care. They said ok and we went on base. I ended up having a kidney stone. Got some pills and was told to drink more water. Nothing much happened after leaving the ER. 

I move away to North Carolina a month later. I come back a year later. I'm staying in the same place as I was before. January a letter comes in the mail for a bill for 882.20 from Montgomery co AMB EMS! I'm thinking why in the world am I getting a bill for almost 1000 dollars? I sent an email inquiring what this was about and explained what happened. At this point im 28 and I have stressed so much since being out the Army trying to find a job that my hair is turning grey!  I recieved a email back saying:  We are checking to see if Tricare was filed on this account or if the account was placed in error. I will keep you informed.

I checked my credit report. Which I now know I should do more often. It's on my credit report as potentially negative closed! No one has said anything else to me about this. I hope this can be dealt with without me trying to pull 882.20 out of thin air. 

Military Star Card - 320.80...... Jan my balance was around 1000 dollars I had charged on it after leaving the army. buying some things that I needed. The payments were comming out of my retirement check any. So I never really worried about the billing statement they would send. It was always paid from my retirement. Sept last year I started recieveing my VA benefits. I guess I don't fit the bill for VA and 40% medical retirement at the same time. So from what I was told before getting out. The retirement becomes tax free and the remainder comes from the VA as long as its more than what I get from retirement. Apparently when that happened my Star card payments stopped. This I actually am clearing up ASAP. I sent a email to their collections explaining everything. I have 60 days to pay the balance in full from the date I recieved that email. A few days ago actually and they will delete it from my credit report. 

That success is thanks to reading post and advice on this forum. I'm glad I read about pay for delete because I definatly mentioned it in my email to them. I would actually like to thank the community of myFICO on that note.

I just hope something can be done without me having to pay 882.20 out of pocket for a less than 10 minuet ride to the ER on base. I can't believe it cost that much just to drive someone to the hospital! I would have asked a neighbor to drive me if I knew it would cost that much. Then again I assumed Tricare would be covering it. Yup..... That ASSumption DID make an ASS out of me.

I just want these 2 knocked off my credit report asap so i can work on the one thats over 3000 dollars and doesnt fall off until 2016. I tried contacting debt.org for consolidation but they said its really not enough debt. They said it would be easier to put it on a credit card! The problem is I never had any credit cards. I was denied when first trying to apply when I was younger. Then after that I just never tried again. 

[guiness56]

The ambulance would be billed to Tricare separately.  Send them the bill.

Not sure what you are talking about as for the VA and medical retirement.  You don't qualify for CRDP because you are not 50% or above disabled.  Even if you were you would not receive CRDP until you would be otherwise qualified to receive it.  In other words when you were at the 20 year mark.  As far as your medical retirement being tax free, only if your disability was combat related.

Star card is very easy to work with.

[JasonBorne84]

Yes, Montgomery co AMB EMS said to contact TriCare about the bill. Thanks for the advice. I just want in writing that they will do a Pay For Delete first. 

To receive CRDP your disability(ies) must exceed 50% from the VA. I'm 60% from the VA. I'm 40% medically retired(PDRL) from the Army. I was refering to CRSC though. I understand what your saying about the 20 year mark and CRPD though.  Yes, the VA backdated everything. All the money paid into taxes when recieveing retirement was sent back to me from the VA.

Yes, im glad the Star Card was so easy to work with. I hope the other 2 derogs will work out just as easily. 

[guiness56]

Why don't you qualify for CRCS - not combat related?

[JasonBorne84]

The army docs said do you really want PTSD to go on here? They said it would be better if they put Major Depression/ Anxiety instead. They said it would hurt my chances of finding a job after the army if they listed it as PTSD. Then my chest pain from my sternum getting pushed in during a deployment was said that it could be phycological. Because they have no way of actually measuring how much pain im in. Even with x-rays proving otherwise. Which is probably why they put me striaght on PDRL and not TDRL like so many others. It's like they were trying to make a deal with me to make what happned look less in exchange for putting me on PDRL. I just wanted the MedBoard to be over. It took almost 2 years for them to decide on the 40% while they left me in a non-deployable status.

The people at the VFW are trying to help me clear everything up. They said all your stuff happened during deployments and it even shows you talking to doctors during the deployment in your medical records. They said alot of soldiers are getting out now that have PTSD but are being talked into having it listed as Major Depression/Anxiety. He said if you didnt know thats because they have to give you 50% min just for PTSD. 

[guiness56]

No matter what %, you would still qualify for CRSC if combat related.  I am sure you know that it is not automatic and you have to apply for it.  All a doctor has to say is it is more likely than not caused by combat related duties.

Have you ever heard of the Veteran's Benefit Network?  Awesome site.  They have forums for everything including CRCS, CRDP, disability, appeals, etc.  Some of the mods work for the VA and are extremely knowledgeable and they are all very helpful.

I have been a member for a few years since I retired and had issues with my Compensation claim.

Yes, PTSD is a minimum of 50%.

[JasonBorne84]

No, I didn't know that. Thankyou for the advice. I'll look into this now.