Well, that didn’t take long. Sucks.

?????????????????????

This...?

Troops would automatically be enrolled in VA health care under House plan

I don't know.

Trump was mean. Biden better.

Thanks

Gee, since we drop you if you don't see your PCP yearly, that seems liked a great way to waste money pushing paper around.

I see you received that letter recently too. I avoid the VA at all costs.

They've been good to me. Just made an appointment to see a eye doc.

Health care is geographic.

"The" VA isn't a thing.

It's the largest health care system in the world.

There are different levels/quality of care that, by all accounts, vary greatly. Acting liked it's all the same is not much different than acting like every private hospital in the US is the same.

The VA around here seems to be pretty good when I talk to those who've had to visit.. I tried to sign up - but somehow I 'don't qualify'...even after my time in the USN...

Whatever...

The Seattle VA has given me better care than the private medical group. Fantastic care in fact.

If you served more than 2 years active duty you should qualify.I originally enlisted for 4 and it was right in my contract.That and Sub school and A school.

Unless you have too much. Think it was in the late 80's / early 90's they changed from all veterans qualify (what we were promised when we signed up) to there is a means test. Have a little saved and you do not qualify.

My wife's brother in law got his hemorrhoids removed a couple weeks ago, they are very happy with the VA they say. My wife knows more about his assshole than she ever wanted to, which has been an endless supply of amusement for me.

Has anything the Government got in the middle of turned out better? Just a general question.

'Means Testing', or more clearly, the questions about your income disqualifies a lot of vets...or puts you in a bracket where it's hardly worth it to sign up. And that is ok with me if there is a finite amount of money/care available. I'd like to see 'em spend more resources on the poor bastards that came back from the sandbox with their heads f...ked up. Lot of resources squandered on old bastards who ate or drank or smoked themselves into bad health.

WW2?

Trump was great. Biden is an idiot.....there, I fixed it.

Uhh, can Rocky give his 2 cents, I think he says he uses the VA, I'm pretty sure.

I get all my health care from the VA. After getting my family history of heart disease, They referred to a local Cardiologist with the week. I see him now quarterly. I get all dental and vision at the VA. No issues at all, all prescriptions and meds come from the VA.

I did 28 years Navy, and have a lot of F'ed up parts. I'm well over 100% disability.

Better would be to issue vets a healthcare card that’s good in any clinic/hospital in the nation.

Death by touch tone to get a appt after a referal is a PITA.

Their fugging travel pay system is broke..
Used to have a pay cage then and their and on your way.
Now fill out a paper drop in a box.
Same # of travel pay people their all blacks..
Months to receive a travel pay now.

Admin and scheduling probs.....

Once you get into to you actual needed docs you are seeing then it aint bad.
They seem to be 90% white on the actual medical sides of the house.

Alot of issues at Nashvegas are N double O admin issues.
The new call center contract is a goat fugg.
Ph tag from hell.

Took 3 weeks of calls and left msgs never returned to finally get someone to connect me with the GI clinic schedule person to get alien probing ( colonoscopy) on 4 feb.

Only took 2 weeks of ph fugg after my 1st consol fell thru and had ta call referal doc to make another for knee surgery consol.



What kills me is the Clarksville VA cant electronically drop a frighing referral for a appt right then and their.

.gov and contract jobs for this call center schit.


They used to have a actual ph bk with extension #,s ..

Shaquithra the scheduling clerk dont like getying calls during her facebook time....

All the fugging msg,s when ya call
Did you know Blah blah blah
C19 blah blah blah
Gonna blow your brains out blah blah blah.

Just start punching 0,s and go into operator death by touch tone or the pass the buck let me connect you.
Which is always repeated several more times.

Admin and scheduling is a PITA.
Like your inconveniencing them by making them do their job...

My wife's uncle is alive and well thanks to the VA hospital. He was disabled in active service and this may have some bearing on his treatment. I kind of think that people who serve might deserve health care and making support available seems like a good thing. Every administration claims to advocate for vets but seldom is anything done. GD

Thanks for giving 110%

They take excellent care of my Dad and I have no complaints at all with them.

Seems like it used to be simple. Now I am calling and waiting on hold for 40 minutes to get an eye exam. Then when you do get through you are told that the clinic didn’t renew me to be on the VA program. The gals at the clinic claim stuff changes so fast they can’t keep up with it. Never seemed to have a problem until now.

Did you have to call the va to get authorization? They told me I had to, and I have never done that before. Even for an MRI.

if travel pay is the thing breaking your back then you have more issues than the pittance that it costs you to get to the Hospital. I fill out the form electronically with my card, and get travel pay within a couple of weeks, I drive about 70 minutes 1 way and get about $50 when I file, if I even remember to do that. travel pay is not my priority, can't imagine why it would be anyone's unless they just want to Biatch about something.

to talk with your team for scheduling, prescriptions, referrals, almost anything, Get secure messaging from here: https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/home. if you don't have an account with that website, you're an idiot.

My primary care team will answer my messages in about an hour, same day worst case if they're really busy. I'm in Alabama dude, EVERYONE at the VA is black. so fugging what? that makes absolutely zero difference in my care. My primary care doctor is black and quite possibly the best doctor I have had even on active duty.

it sounds like there are a lot of answers to your problems, but you just want to whine, cry, and complain instead of helping your situation.

get some sack and stop belly aching.

Care for my 100% combat disabled friend is horrendous ! Deny deny until they die seems to be their operating motto. Waiting nine months for surgery to remove shrapnel that was causing a cyst against his spine. The whole time on antibiotics for the septicemia it was causing. When he finally did get to the surgeon the surgeon was outraged that he hadn’t seen him right away. Much bigger issue nine months later. Next surgery he needed was on his neck to fuse 6 vertebra. After 11 months the surgeon said it was too late to do surgery and they’ll just have to put a morpheme pump in and he can live with the loss of feeling in his arms and the constant pain. He needs a a couple of hernia operations also that they were waiting on the neck surgery before they’d address that problem. I’m betting nine months or a year for that. Then there’s the hip replacement he’s going to need soon. He’s only in his late thirties...criminal is the best description of his treatment.

appointment was scheduled when covid happened and was cancelled. Just called today and they made another for me in a week.

Appears average wait time on access to care varies quite a bit from one VA facility to another within the same state. Same from state to state, too... Average Wait Times at Individual Facilities

I think renegade50 is on the money with his assessment of VA. Perhaps it's you having issues.

g

Healthcare is a crapshoot no matter where you are and what sign is on the door. Most have no real idea if they are getting good care or not. Fat [bleep] are in poor health regardless of who they see.

Yep. right here with you. Seems what was promised when I was young, no longer is available to me now that I'm older...............

Apparently I should have signed up for VA benefits immediately upon discharge, even though I wasn't in need at that time, they tell me I would have been "Grandfathered" now.

I would like to have a pleasant scheduling experience like your facility supports.
Nashvegas is the polar opposite and serves a huge demographic.
Travel pay is not a make or break issue for me.
They went from a pay cage on the spot on your way out.
To a paper drop morass that takes months.
It is a irritating loss of efficiency.
And the problem here is black admins/ clerical 100%.
Once past them .
Services are smooth.
My PCM doc/ referral guy here in clarksville VA is about the 7th or 8th one I have had since 08 era. Which adds to my total frustration.
Outside referrals over the years from Clarksville and Nashville VA have caused me to physically go obtain med docs, xray and mri reads and CD disc and bring them in for my VA records.
Doing leg work for em basically.
The excuse has always been VA saying their computer system is having problems or interoperability/ downtime issues in the data transfer.
The places I have received referrals to always say they dont have problems with record request in the Nationwide VA system when needed only Clarksville and Nashville and when they do work they both take a inordinate amount of time in their request from their end.

It is admin and clerical not doing their job in a prompt manner on the VA side of the house.


Thats about it AFAIC.

Death by touchtone. Hilarious. But, it's the truth.

Corporate offices, doctor's offices, medical clinics. Forget about it. Ree-diculous.

My VA care has been exceptional. I feel for my fellow veterans who have difficulties. It seems most of those with difficulties are in areas that serve much larger populations. I'm open to the fact I may be wrong on that; but, it's another reason I'm glad I live in the middle of BFE.

The VA in Iron Mountain Mi.goes out of their way to take care of my needs.Its the only one I have used and can`t speak for the others.Only one guy I know pisses and moans about it.He got in the VA with a Less Than Honorable Discharge.He is a typical scammer.I told him he should get nothing.

I think that's exactly why I was denied... Once wife retires and we're both on Soc Sec. I wonder if I'd qualify then?

My FIL did 3 yrs in thr Marines during the Korean war.
Jan to july 53 in theater.
Then a break in service.
AF for 4 yrs out in 59.
He wasnt eligible for VA med either per regs for years.

When He moved down here from maine in 08.
I retired and just general talk with him about miltary stuff over time.
Told him to go to the state vets services here in town.
He qualified for tier 5 or 6 level veteran status IIRC mostly under his korean war service for limited med stuff and some sort of veterans pension of around 120 bucks a month.
That was around 2012 14 era IIRC.

I think Teir is the correct term still.

Maybe if some of you guys go to a similar office in your area.
They might be alot more helpful in providing info, answers, and enrollment into what you might qual unknown to yourself currently.

These regs and qualifiers for tier level admission into VA change all the time.

Wont hurt to try one more time to find out the latest.

Signed up years ago. Didn't see anyone for a year, tried to make an appointment, said I had to go through the process again.

I'm no less a veteran because I waited over a year to see someone.

I signed up for VA healthcare ( did my disability claim) in 2019, after I retired in 2018 My healthcare has been exceptional, I even get dental care from them. I see a chiropractor almost weekly that the VA pays for as well. My only issue, my PCM quit recently. That’s 2 in less than 15 months.

Now my wife worked for the VA for 13 months, there’s a reason they can’t keep healthcare providers.

I have been in the Montana VA system for many years, and I am very pleased with how I am treated, when I am treated, and the time it takes.
So far, I have had both knees and a hip replaced by excellent doctors in the local hospitals, have gotten many pairs of glasses and hearing aids at either the VA clinic or a civilian one.
I had an emergency DVT/Pulmonary Embolism several years ago. All they told me was get your ass to the nearest emergency room.
Of course they picked up the whole bill--no questions asked.
The only thing I have to pay for is my prescriptions which are $5.00 for 30 days. each. Purple Heart recipients get their meds. free.
Actually, before Covid, it was kind of fun sitting in the waiting rooms visiting / bull-schitting with all of the other Vets.
I have a few complaints about the VA, but if some of the politicians would keep their friggen hands out of everything, the VA would be even better.
Right now, they are getting enough help, but like all of businesses in Montana they are having a hard time finding anybody who wants to work.

How do you get them to pay for civilian providers? Also, my prescriptions are free, mailed to me.

Any exposure to Agent Orange in RVN, even off shore USN, and you should qualify.

I used the VA for five years in Montana. I have nothing good to say about the VA from my experiences. Five years ago I became old enough for Medicare. I also buy insurance to cover what Medicare doesn't. It costs me a lot more now, but I get good medical care. I would not send my dog to the VA.

any civilian doctor (specialist) has to be a referral. My primary care doctor referred me to my cardiologist, and pulmonologist, both civilian DRs

I had back surgery at Walter Reed in 2003. I came out worse than I went in. I got 30% for my back, 50% total. My back has been a constant issue since the day I had the surgery in 2003. I get a VA pension and I use it for my back issues. Over the years I kept a chiropractor in new cars and paying their electric bills. I have a great back doctor now. If I have to, I will use every penny to keep this back doctor and never go back to VA again. Automatically enrolling every military person into VA is a waste of money and nothing more than buying the votes of former military personnel. Since I get that pension I would rather those men and women who don't have what I have, take advantage of the system.

I really have what I need in the civilian system and VA is paying for it via my pension. There is no need for me to try to use something that doesn't work for me. Unfortunately for me, my back issues are getting worse and someday what I get from VA won't cover my expenses.

kwg

The only thing the VA did with me themselves is a hernia operation I had early on. When the VA decided that I needed surgery for my knee replacements(7 weeks apart) is they didn't do them themselves. The hip replacement was due to a fall I had and the hospital that did that operation sent the bill to the VA. The nearest in- patient VA hospital from here is 200 miles away. in Helena. The only reason I don't get free prescriptions is I have no disabilities except for a 10% hearing disability .

Father died in a VA hospital 39 years ago at 7:30 pm after waiting for a 7am appointment, cousin died in a VA hospital with brain tumors waiting on delivery of dd214 documents before they would do any treatments based on agent Orange, close friend died after a colonoscopy because of no monitoring and reaction to anesthesia. All at the Iowa City VA

damn