100% disabled veteran and I use them for some things and also can use the Indian/Cherokee healthcare system. I still carry private insurance as I don't trust either the VA and Indian/Cherokee health system for major health problems. It takes forever to get appointments and referred to specialists. And the VA misdiagnosed my heart problems saying I was fine, only to later have two stents placed that my private cardio found. VA didn't want to do further testing but private cadio did and found the blockages. It's best to have as many options for healthcare that you can afford, just in case.
Exactly. That’s why I have Medicare and the VA.
I’ll always pick the VA first but we travel a lot and there isn’t VA clinics in some of those areas.
I’m 100% disabled vet. I was using Tinker, but changed over to the VA. The VA has been awesome for me. I get free dental, and if they can’t get me in within 30 days they contract me to an outside dentist. You only have to be 10% service connected to get glasses from the VA. Also the VA will send all your medications in the mail, which is so convenient. You can refill meds, make appts, look at your medical records and tests, and send messages to your dr all online. The best part is that, in my opinion, they have much better mental health services than out in town.
Personally, I will not use the VA for Cardiology care. For Cardiology care I’ll still use Tricare....and then tricare for life and medicare when I get older. If we ever have the choice to use outside specialty care....then that would definitely change my mind about using VA for everything.
Personally, I will not use the VA for Cardiology care. For Cardiology care I’ll still use Tricare....and then tricare for life and medicare when I get older. If we ever have the choice to use outside specialty care....then that would definitely change my mind about using VA for everything.
I have stories like this for days. All I can say is that the VA needs to go away completely and they put vets on medicare or it needs a complete overhaul. The VA already tries to push vets on medicare anyways.
Maybe I'm out of line, but I'm just gonna chime in and say I think the VA has not just a ton of regulations that really hamper things. I am really really tempted just say, "The VA f***ing SUCKS!" The amount of frustration we have dealing with them is incredible, the amount of paperwork BS is ridiculous, the extra steps to deal with them (as opposed to ANY other insurance or Medicare - even SOONERCARE!) is horrific, and our lack of ability to get any straight answers, get ANYthing done in a reasonable amount of time, or even communicate with them at ALL is maddening.
I think our vets have been shafted, and are continuing to be shafted, and I have wondered at the few vets I've had who have specifically gone out of their way to THANK me for taking V.A. ins... but the more I deal with them, the more I realize WHY so many of my colleagues will NOT.
It REALLY is incredible.
It is terrifying to think about the federal government taking over ALL healthcare. If you think it is bad now, dealing with the VA, OR with Medicare, just wait until they have a Congressional mandate to do everything, the amount of rules, regulations, needless steps, poor communication and just general "don't give a f***" from our lords and masters (aka appointed bureaucrats) is only going to skyrocket.
There won't be any 'streamlining'. There will just be a bunch more hoops to jump through. If they make it hard enough to do, more people will drop off the rolls (aka DIE) before those tests or treatments have to be done.
And no, I'm not kidding.
I think our vets have been shafted, and are continuing to be shafted, and I have wondered at the few vets I've had who have specifically gone out of their way to THANK me for taking V.A. ins... but the more I deal with them, the more I realize WHY so many of my colleagues will NOT.
It REALLY is incredible.
It is terrifying to think about the federal government taking over ALL healthcare. If you think it is bad now, dealing with the VA, OR with Medicare, just wait until they have a Congressional mandate to do everything, the amount of rules, regulations, needless steps, poor communication and just general "don't give a f***" from our lords and masters (aka appointed bureaucrats) is only going to skyrocket.
There won't be any 'streamlining'. There will just be a bunch more hoops to jump through. If they make it hard enough to do, more people will drop off the rolls (aka DIE) before those tests or treatments have to be done.
And no, I'm not kidding.
I will say the VA dental clinic in Tulsa has been outstanding so far. The best dental care I have ever received and that includes private insurance. Eye care has been good but still like my private ophthalmologist better.
My older brother who was in the naval reserves two years active duty (non-wartime) seems to get much better care than I do from the VA. As a Vietnam veteran I don't get the difference in care that I get. He is a retired nurse so maybe that has something to do with it. He easily gets referrals to outside private doctors and excellent care at the Muskogee hospital. Don't get me wrong as I'm happy he gets that kind of care, I just don't get why it's so different that what I experience.
As I said always have options if possible when it comes to health care.
I worked at the OKC VA for 18 years and I defended the VA, I was proud of the VA but then I retired... I received preferential treatment while I worked there and when I retired I was treated as any other veteran after retirement and the wait is nearly unbearable, foreign doctors you can't understand unless you've been around them for some time etc. The VA does make mistakes-all hospitals do but they made one on me. I had my shoulder replaced by the OKC VA and it was a failure. Now they say a reverse replacement is in order and I'm not going o let them operate again. I thought I was smart, I investigated the doctors and they had one at the VA who specialized in shoulder replacement-I asked her who would do the surgery and she said, "I will." In reading the report I found that she was the attending physician and a resident operated on me. She lied. I know it's part of the OU teaching school and if it were;t for that we wouldn't;t have so many specialities at the VA but they could at least do the job right. I know of a patient personally that had heart trouble and he had a valve replaced in his heart by the VA in OKC. He continued to have the same symptoms so he went to St Anthonys and they said the VA replaced the wrong valve, we have to replace the correct and defective valve. He sued and the VA settled out of court and he was granted 100% disability.
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I think the quickest way to “fix” the VA is to close it off to everyone except those who need care for documented and verified service connected conditions, and maybe veterans in financial crisis.
They can use local providers.
The VA provides care depending on your financial situation and/or if it's service connected. You can't get VA care if you don't meet either of those guidelines even if a vet if I remember right.
