Hurricane Ian occurred a few weeks ago and has led to the loss of lives and those alive to struggle for their existence. Many people lost properties, and employment and are currently looking for a way to make things work. Veterans are some people battling with the aftermath of this situation. Here are some of the things hurricane Florida veterans need to know after hurricane Ian:
Emergency Crisis Line
There is a designated helpline for veterans in crisis. If you ever find yourself in crisis or you know someone in a crisis who needs help. You can access free support every hour of the day.
You can reach out to the veterans’ crisis line by sending a text to 838255 or dialing 988 and pressing 1 to connect with them. However, if you prefer chatting online head to the official website of the veteran crisis line.
For the deaf and people having complications with hearing, you can call 1-800-799-4889.
Help With Housing
Hurricane Ian displaced many people from their homes as a result of damage to properties. If you are a veteran and you need help with housing after the disaster. You can always contact the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans using 877-424-3838 (1-877-4AID).
As a veteran you can avoid situations like this before the incident by moving into a retirement community for independent living.
Veteran’s Benefits
Veterans are eligible for benefits after the occurrence of Hurricane Ian. If you are a beneficiary and have not been able to receive your payment after the incident, reach out to the VA National Call Center. You can connect with their representatives at 1-800-827-1000 for a guide on how to access the one-time payment.
Home Loans Payments
It’s often hard to make payments for things like mortgages after a disaster. If you are in this situation, VA will request that lenders freeze the foreclosure payment for 90 days. Ask lenders to remove charges for late payments. Or encourage lenders to apply your previous payment to your upcoming payment.
Pharmacy Refills
As a veteran, if you need emergency pharmacy refills, you can visit any local pharmacy store for refills. However, you need to go with an empty active prescription from Veteran affairs. The prescription bottle must be within 6 months with active refills. Or a new veteran affairs prescription on the form authorized by a veteran affairs provider. This is with the exception of controlled substances.
If you have any questions on emergency pharmacy refills. You can reach out to Heritage Health Customer Care Line at 1-866-265-0124. It is available for both patients and pharmacies with any questions.
As mentioned earlier, residential communities are always worth the investment. In these communities you don’t have to worry about refills as they are concern with the health of their residents.
Heritage Hours of Operations for Hurricane Coverage:
- Monday to Friday: 7:00 am to 11:00 pm
- Saturday and Sunday: 9:00 am to 5:30 pm
Note: All the times are Eastern Standard Time.
Veterans who have misplaced their medications, bottle, and written prescription can contact a VA medical Center in their locality or the VISN 8 at 1-877-741-3400. For easier accessibility, veterans can use the VA Health Chat app on their mobile phones Monday to Friday (8 am and 4 pm EST).
