VA Healthcare System: Your Opinion.

vanity

[PROCON]

I' m an old Freeper just getting into the VA healthcare system in Eugene, Oregon. Today's first appt went great. Met my PCP, she gave me a free blood pressure monitor to keep a log. And my monthly prescriptions prices are lower (I don't have any other insurance). I am impressed so far. Look forward to future visits.

[Red_Devil 232]

I went to my local VA Clinic about 3-4 months ago. My first visit also. Lots of questions about my health, told my PCP that I have a hip that is giving me problems. Pain walking etc. After a lot of blood samples being taken I was given a piece of paper and told to go across the street to a local hospital to get X-rays of my hip. Visit was over and I went home. I got a letter from the VA about 4 days later. said they were scheduling me for a MRI of my hip at the VA hospital, 90+ miles away. The letter had complete details of the results of all the blood tests they tested for. It said I needed monthly shots of B-12 and I would receive the B-12 and needles to inject it in the mail. My wife has been injecting the B-12 for me.

During that first visit I was asked if I wanted medication for the pain in my hip and I declined. I have called the clinic 4-5 times trying to get in touch with the PCP to ask about the MRI schedule and to request the hip pain meds. no luck and no call backs!

Seems after waiting about 9 months for the first visit they have passed me off.

I actually thought the first visit went well and was productive.

[dglang]

The VA punts the medical bills to whatever other insurance the vets has before they pay anything when the vet is treated outside the VA system.

I recently had gall bladder surgery done at an outside hospital with only Medicare part-a and VA insurance. I was sent to the emergency room by my VA PCP doctor due to an extreme condition.

Medicare only paid the hospital portion while the VA paid some of the doctor and outside expenses while denying others leaving me with about $23,000.00 in unpaid bills for a ten day hospital stay with three operations.

My VA Dr, sent me to the outside hospital emergency room because the VA wouldn’t be able to treat me for a few months which most likely would have lead to my death since the problem was so bad.

I do have a service connected disability and I have been fighting to have a couple of other injuries I received in the Army classified as service connected as well.

Since I do have a service connected disability and the VA sent me to an outside hospital, they are legally required to pay the bills related to that treatment but they are refusing to do so.

It seems like whichever clerk receives the bills determines which ones get paid and the vet has to fight for all the coverage he was legally guaranteed to receive.

[ozaukeemom]

We dealt with that once or twice and when we contacted the provider and explained that the VA is required to pay it, they took care of it. Now that he qualifies for Medicare, yes, it can be more complicated.
For the most part, he goes to the VA hospital; it is excellent. But, we have a hospital 5 miles from us when necessary and the VA covers some local providers, He has a service related disability too.
I believe we are fortunate is how he has been treated by the VA, medically. Proving we were married took over a year. lol

[onedoug]

A “friend” and I spent virtually our whole time in combat in Vietnam. Thankfully, he never got injured and neither did I.

So how is he now drawing down 100% disability from the VA?

Scamsville. That’s how.

It’s disgusting.