Anyone impressed with VA health care since Trump came into office? I'm hearing good things.

It all depends on the area one is at from my perusings online in different sites. Different locales can be night and day. I believe the corruption in our Government is so vast and so imbedded it would be like walking uphill in the sand to conquer it in one term. I have gone through 3 Doctors in 5 years, and I had to reinvent the wheel with each one. Frustrating, but my needs pale in comparison to many Vets!

I can't say that I have seen anything attributable to the Trump administration one way or another.

Like most govt. programs, VA is all about hype and acronyms. The program that will let you see a private doctor has been worthless to me, and one of my local docs said he won't accept VA patients, too much hassle getting paid, and little. That said, I have been pretty happy with the VA. In my experience the providers, doctors and nurses, etc., have been great. The system, the bureaucracy, not so much.

Paul

It appears that Dr visits and basic wellness checks (physicals) are OK through the VA. I have no health issues except hearing loss which I know is military related and I'm not complaining. I know a couple of guys that are older than me that like the VA. I know a couple of guys younger than me that like the VA.

My, experience here is as good as when I had private health care/insurance.

I have been using a satellite clinic in Hot Springs, Ar. since 2012. The clinic is 37 miles from my door and the VA hospital in Little Rock is about 90 miles from my door. Since I live more than 40 miles from the VA hospital I can request local private specialist care through my primary care provider at the VA H.S. clinic.

VA picks up the tab for my local Chiropractor, recently had Lithoscopy (spelling) by private doctor at private hospital, VA picked up the tab.

As mentioned above not all VA clinics/hospitals are the same.

Better because of Trump? Ain't no worse.

jme

My experience has been positive, also. We have a major VA hospital complex in Salt Lake City and a satellite clinic here in Ogden. I am always amazed by the number of bent, broken, and terribly ill veterans I see in either facility. For some, VA is their only source of care. They deserve every bit of attention and care that they get. We owe them.

My dad has been going since my mom passed away, 2008 and I have been impressed by his experiences.

No waiting, they found skin cancer on his arm during a routine physical and did his cataract surgery. Follow ups were flawless and he has had the same eye doctor for 3 or 4 visits.

I wish I was a veteran. For the record The local VA here wasn’t always so good but they have done a ton of work to the place and most of their doctors are affiliated with Yale New Haven Hospital.

Daughter works for VA as a RN. She's worked at two different VA clinics in different states so far over the past few years. She says from her experience there definitely is a very noticeable difference in quality of care, organization, skill and attitudes of personnel between the first clinic she worked at and the one she works at now, with the first clinic being quite a bit the better of the two.

My father was using the VA system only for hearing aids, with very good service, until last spring. Then he was hospitalized with a blood infection and complications for about 6 weeks. When released he was essentially bedridden (he regained some mobility after awhile). I contacted the VA to see about their home care program.

The day after he was released he got the first evaluation visit from a VA Nurse. He was assigned a primary care manager from the VA, so gave up his general practioner, but kept all of his existing specialists coordinated thru VA. The VA nurse practioner, nurses, and physical therapist all started regular home visits. He continued appts with his specialists as needed, and was very pleased with the setup. Once the VA picked up primary care they also provided any supplies and equipment needed at home, including a hospital bed and a stairlift.

His out of pocket health care expenses pretty much disappeared. He was already on medicare with a decent supplement insurance. Once VA was his primary the non-VA specialists continued billing his Medicare and VA paid anything his insurance didn't cover.

Unfortunately he passed away earlier this spring. 96 yrs old, WWII 10th Mtn Div veteran, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, CIB.

I have been on the VA roster for 10 years and have seen several changes for the better since Trump but can't say if I can attribute it to his administration. I have had two emergencies in the last two years and both were handled professionally and both were referred a to and handled by outside hospitals. The VA made sure both outside hospitals services were followed up and my after care is being taken care of nicely.
What they now call their Community Care is being handled quite good in my area, and although there are some questions about who is going to do what. So far they have worked out positively for me.
The worst part about going for appointments now, is now due to the Covid 19, the waiting rooms are kept mostly empty and I don't get to sit around and bullshit with all of those old farts. Kind of like hanging around here .

The VA in Iron Mountain Mi. where I am patient has improved 100% since Trump has been in office.I have no problem getting referrals to outside the plan Doctors for specialties they can`t handle and are picking up the Tab.My Doc there said he will do anything that I need to have taken care of.Not so in the past.Huntz

My one and only experience with VA has been very positive. The nearest VA facility is 60 miles from my home, and after getting a hearing loss evaluation there and being given free hearing aids and all the consumables they require such as batteries, a chronic ear/sinus infection I've had for years was referred to a private ENT doc closer to home. A procedure called a "balloon rhinoplasty" was done, and the problem that several previous private practitioners had tried to treat was gone. No charge to me for either procedure, and the hearing aids I received are much better quality than my wife's $5K ones. I used to think that a VA hospital was where homeless veterans went to die, but so far, I'm very impressed.

I can say it is top notch in Reno NV. No problem here!

Step dad says Helena is aok.

All the above is what I'm hearing.

Like almost everything else, this Covidiocy has thrown a kink in the VA system, too. I can't get in-person visits except for lab work but when I needed my hearing aids re-programmed they had me drive down, park in front of the door, and the doctor came out to give curb service. I can't even get a car hop at Sonic any more, yet here was a full-fledged Doctor doing it.

Wow, the more I hear the more I'm thinking I need to get on board. I have medicare A/B and a supplement. Never considered the VA option. It would save me 3600 + per year. Plus the hearing aids I was told I needed.

I was basically blown off by the VA from from end of Service in 2011 until 2016. A dedicated young Veteran's Service Officer (VSO) took my case back tot eh VA and they finally addressed it and admitted that they had ignored me since 1996. Change had started to affect the VA as they had taken a lot of heat from the few bad actors.

I went back to the VA last year and I cannot begin to explain how much better the claims process has been. The Va has subcontracted with civilian medical professionals to address the overload or bottleneck of cases.

I still have had issues with individuals and contrary personalities but that is no longer the whole of my VA experience.

I was told by the VA that with my pension and SS I didn't qualify.

Good luck.....

F the va....

You may not be eligible for FREE health care. There is more to it than your income. Lots of info at: https://www.va.gov/health-care/about-va-health-benefits/

I'm in the situation that I could use the VA, but would have to pay. I'm retired Army, so qualify for VA care, but my service related disabilities were minor (<10%) and adequately managed/treated already, so I don't get any priority points. I'm also using the Retiree Tricare for Life. So - I could go to a VA clinic, but don't get any priorities for care, and would still have the same co-pays or more than what I have now. In a few more yrs I convert over to Medicare, and Tricare becomes supplemental coverage, so still no point in going to the VA.

Don't know - I applied and was turned down for the VA... Pretty chitty when a veteran can't get into the VA..

There were some improvements then kung-flu happened.

Although I don't use the VA system, I was my brother's caregiver when he developed ALS as a result of Gulf War Syndrome.. My issue was always with VA Benefits, not the VA Healthcare. They are 2 different entities. When you qualify for VA Benefits, they make you wait 6 months before they even look at your paperwork. If you are terminal and don't have long to live, too bad. You probably won't live long enough to see the benefits you qualify for. From what I can tell. the VA Healthcare files paper forms to the VA Benefits, the forms are placed in a tray on someone's desk for 6 months, then when they do look at it, they look for mistakes and send it back and everything starts all over. I believe this is the way the government saves money. Promise benefits but never deliver. If they actually cared, they would have an electronic claims system and human eyes would never need to look at any claims and benefits would be approved immediately so there would be no wait time.

Yes it is. They have a priority list of those that qualify with and without copays. I thought if you served at all you were eligible, but may have to pony up a copay based on income. I don't think I have to deal with the income question, I believe I qualify since I made the Westpac cruise in 1970.

Just called. I will be means tested and there will be copays

All I can say is that the Puget Sound (Seattle, WA) VA is top notch. I developed a brain pain syndrome that many Seattle neurologic doctors could not figure out. One of the guys on our Tahoma honor guard suggested I try the VA.
One visit at the VA and they had me at the University of Washington head pain clinic for a few days and they got it under control.

God bless the VA!

I can't say enough about the good they do there.
If you are a vet and not using the VA, you are missing out bigly.

I'll sign up, see if I'm approved and check out the local VA. Can't hurt. I will keep my current insurance.

My wife's father was a Korean War veteran and served in combat on the DMZ. This was pretty much our experience with the VA benefits. Started the process early in 2019 and he died late 2019 with no benefits.

If you may ever want to use VA health care don't wait until you need it. Apply as soon as you can, get your eligibility and priorities sorted out, then hold onto your card and paperwork. I was able to get my father home health care benefits activated in 5 days because he was already registered in the VA health care system.

No direct experience with the VA medical care - not a vet - but continually have been concerned/interested that the outfit functions at a top level for all vets that need it.

I have kept in touch with some who do go to the VA for care here in the SW, and spent a ton of time helping one fellow who went to them a lot - took him to Alb. for that a few times. The user comments to me have been very positive in recent times.

I just got my VA rating this past February, but due to COVID, just saw a doctor for the first time in July. My wife currently works as a LCSW at time VA clinic I go to. I’m lucky in that regard, and she made sure I got a great doctor. I have no complaints, others probably do, as the other doctor in the clinic has several malpractice lawsuits against her at the moment.

One thing I really like about my doctor, he listens. It took me 17 years of AD Air Force to get one doctor that would listen to me. I wasn’t one to go to the doctor unless I just had to either, and I still feel that way. If anything, my doctor at the VA is too and Ltd people walk all over him.

This is excellent advice. We made the mistake of waiting until we needed the benefits and my FIL died before we could get any assistance from the VA.