We go to the closest ER because we think something is seriously wrong. No one runs a cost-benefit analysis while they're bleeding, panicking, or trying not to pass out. We’ll worry about the paperwork later.

When the bills show up and “later” becomes “now,” it might be a pretty big problem. The VA can pay for emergency care at a non-VA hospital, and it can reimburse you if you had to pay out of pocket. But it only works if your visit meets the VA’s rules and you meet the VA’s deadlines. The biggest mistake people make is assuming the VA will handle it because they’re a veteran. The real truth is that sometimes it will and sometimes it won’t.