Posted on 02/16/2016 4:39:31 PM PST by RaceBannon
on hold with the VA for almost a full hour post op complications, maybe neighbor said my wounds are warm, they are all asking me to go to ER VA finally answers. I was so angry, I told her I was waiting 55 minutes for someone to answer the phone, what is going on?? she said, "Do you need any help from me?" I said, "I am not sure, I think I might need to go to the ER." She said, "Well, then, just go." Didn't want to discuss symptoms with me at all, anything about my condition, nothing to reassure or confirm me, just, "Well then, just go." The VA is a criminal organization that does not provide adequate care for veterans, and it cannot be fixed.
The woman should have put in your file that she advised you to go to the nearest ER.
I’m not a doctor but it sounds like you have an infection. Get to the ER and your ID card has all the information they need to treat it as insurance.
Glad to read you went for help... God will be with you...
Race, if you weren’t talking to a telenurse you were talking to the wrong person.
I’ve been in this situation twice and both times was told to go to the closest ER. All the bills were paid.
The following info is for all vets reading this:
On your card it informs providers to send their claim to:
WPS-VACAA
Box 981646
El Paso, Tx 79998
The address where the bill will get paid for sure is:
VISN - 16 CFU
Box 320164
Flowood, MS 39232
601-933-7700
Race, at least you’re getting treated but it doesn’t sound like it’s being done right away. When I’ve gone to the VA ER I was seen almost immediately. Maybe the Houston VA is better than others.
BRAVO!
Excellent, complete info!
With the legal atmosphere, they have no choice but send you in. Imagine you are a nurse with enough training to actually help people deal with their problems at home but because of the risk of lawsuits, all you can do is take the information, do nothing with it, and tell the person to to go the ER. It’s no wonder some lose the joy of their work and just skip to the end.
An old buddy of mine recently had surgery at the VA, he was feeling lousy and the wound was beginning to drain. I told him up front, he would need to call the surgeons office, wait a long time for the frazzled surgery resident to call back who would take all the information then tell him to go to the ER. I recommended calling from the ER, by the time the resident called back they would be about ready to take him to a room in the ER.
Unfortunately, it’s not much better on the civilian side. I worked in a civilian ER for about 15 years. Can’t count the number of people that came in with minor problems because they called ask-a-nurse.
The first time the providers all sent me bills. I called the number on the “choice” card and a nice lady gave me the info and told me to tell them to send the bills there and they’d get paid. Within a month I got a letter from the VA showing all the bills that they had paid.
One more thing, glad you went to the ER, it sounds like you really needed to.
God bless and good luck.
I went to the VA ER not long ago and was treated in a matter of minutes. I’m on blood thinner and I had bumped my head. It was a nasty looking knot. I was immediately given a scan and luckily there was no bleeding.
Both times I went to the nearest ER I should have driven the 45 minutes to the VA ER and I probably would have been treated faster.
I told my wife “I may die someday being treated at the VA but so far I have no complaints.”
The tech who does your CT scan can’t tell you what it shows, but they can let you look at it, if you ask. In a few days, after the radiologist writes the report, you can get a CD with your images and radiologist report. I always get those, and keep them with my medical records. They come in handy if you have other issues down the road, and need prior scans to compare to any new scans.
I exited the service 22 years ago and just recently signed up for care.
I sm in q civilian hosp. ðŸ˜
In town, VA ER was 70 miles away!
Just had ct scan, belly swollen up, one suture redder than others, flu weakness still there but no fever
Flu shot Sunday, I wonder if they did this to me?
Finaly saw doc, waiting on ct scan
I am guessing they are admitting you for the night?
No, going home, appears my flu shot Sunday gave false symptoms, I do have a fluid sac buildup but otherwise I am good!
Thank you all for the prayers!
Thanks for the update.. Glad things turned out for the better.. Maybe you can get rest..
I knew there was a reason I didnt want that flu shot!
One can’t simply go to the ER and expect the VA to approve. They must have VA approval first with their primary doctors approval or an absolute extreme emergency.
Even if one has the doctors approval and instructions the VA might not pay if they have other insurance.
I’ve been hospitalized once each year for the past two years and I’ve had trouble getting the VA to pay even though my primary care doctor ORDERED me to the hospital and notified the “Fee Basis” department ahead of me going to the hospital.
If one has Medicare the VA will not pay anything until Medicare first pays what it is going to pay. Also, if one has Medicare part a but not part B the VA will decline paying because the vet has “other insurance.
Often times hospitals use outside services such as ambulance services to transport patients from one branch location to another and that is not covered by Medicate part A which ONLY covers hospital treatments.
Oftentimes hospitals will use outside medical services such as emergency room doctors and those also are not covered by part A.
The VA will decline paying those two and other non hospital bills claiming the VET has “other insurance” even when that other insurance is Medicare part A only.
Bttt and Thanks for the great information you posted at #43
Don’t touch VAMC Asheville NC... they are a shinning example of how to run a VA Hospital.....
Thank you for sharing that. In my small experience with the VA, their primary concern is determining how they can deny care. Despite all that, I would have gone to the ER.
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