Parsons VA site adds Telebenefits capability

“We would like to have one located in all four corners of the state,” said Tara Cisneros, VA outreach coordinator and Kansas veteran advocate.

For now, Parsons is the only site in the state, with the others to be added after the pilot site is running smoothly. Cisneros said the logistics of the Parsons clinic made it an easy location to implement Telebenefits because it has an office just off the lobby that is accessible to all veterans who use the clinic. They can go into the office, close the door for privacy and follow instructions on the desk, which simply tell them to make a call from the phone on the desk. A camera on a computer monitor allows them to talk face to face with a VA representative. No computer skills are necessary, Cisneros said, only the ability to make a call and speak to the representative.

“It’s extremely easy,” she said.

Through the video teleconferencing system, veterans are able to chat with a claim specialist ready to assist with questions related to VA benefits and services. Veterans also can submit claims and supporting documents during a Telebenefits session.

Veterans can still call the regional office in Wichita with questions, but Cisneros said the VA has found that a large percentage of veterans prefer face-to-face contact.

“It’s a lot more personable, and they enjoy that aspect of it,” she said.

The Parsons clinic has had VA Telehealth for a while, and the VA offers video teleconferencing equipment to some veterans so they can consult with physicians from their homes.

“This is kind of following along those same lines,” Cisneros said.

The VA strives to educate veterans about their benefits through outreach clinics, and the Telebenefits system is just another way of doing that, Cisneros said. The VA will start to put up posters explaining the program to veterans around the area.

“Anything we can do to reach our rural veterans, that’s what I’m aiming for. I just want them to know this service is here,” Cisneros said.

The Telebenefits system in Parsons went live in mid-November, and Cisneros said traffic is starting to pick up, with more veterans each week using the program for the first time. She has been visiting the clinic to let veterans know about Telebenefits as they arrive in the lobby. Some have had questions about a claim they didn’t know how to file, and Cisneros has helped them get set up with the Telebenefits system to get their questions answered.

Besides asking claims questions, veterans can get information on home loans, monetary and education benefits and employment through Telebenefits. Most medical benefits questions can be answered by Parsons CBOC staff, but Telebenefits personnel may assist in medical benefits matters by relaying the correct point of contact for those needs. The Wichita VA Medical Center, where the regional office is located, also has a patient advocate manager on site to further assist.

“This is kind of like a one-stop shop for them,” Cisneros said.

Telebenefits in Parsons is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the exception of Wednesday, when it is not available until 8:30 a.m. Veterans can call 316-651-2902 if they want to schedule an appointment to coincide with a medical appointment at the Parsons CBOC, but appointments aren’t necessary.

The Cleveland, Ohio, regional office developed the Telebenefits concept at the Toledo, Ohio, community-based outpatient clinic in 2011. Additional sites were added in 2015 in Ohio, Washington and Virginia.