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Spine Clinics And Referrals To Spine Care Center Hubs

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Being they know you have private health care, they are likely not going to do very much for you.

What are you basing this off of? You said yourself you don't have private insurance but they refused you, so it must be something other than personal experience, right? Show me the CARFAX! ; - )

LC

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arng11 - I don't believe a second opinion could hurt. Heck, that's what makes Hadit.com such a valuable tool for our community...you get lots of advice/opinions and then make your own decision on how to proceed. Best of luck to you.

REGARDING VA REFERRALS - In my experience, the care I received through the VA healthcare system has been excellent. In fact, I believe I wouldn't be here today had it not been for the many doctors, nurses, LCSW's, and civillians who have cared for me since my active duty military service ended. I may be in the minority in this opinion but for me personally, it's fact.

With that said, I too have had referrals "slip through the cracks" and have had 3 authorized referrals expire because I never received the fee base paperwork in the mail. How do I know this? Because I visit the Release of Records office (every VAMC has one) at least twice a year and ask them for a printout of my treatment records since my last request. IT'S FREE. Sometimes you may wait 30 minutes or so but it's something you really should consider. In my case, I can see WHEN a referral was placed and WHEN it expired. A referral is only good for a few months so if if, like the cases above, you've been waiting for months & months and haven't heard anything...it may have expired! Perhaps at some point it may be worthwile to involve your particular Patient Advocate (every VAMC has one of those too!).

Or...you can choose to sulk and let the system gaff you off. It sucks that we have to struggle to get the care we are seeking but I guess that's a part of our life. How we deal with every day setbacks is what makes us different from the "average joe" I guess. Stay on it and don't give up when it comes to your VA referrals!...As always, jmho.

LC

Thanks. I will try to do that. I may explore some of the options you mentioned. I won't give up either. I have come too far and still have a long way to go.

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I am 100% total and p. I have a cyst on my spine. I have been sent to MRI and got one so the VA can see the problem.I have terrible back pain and was given the pain patch by my staff Psychiatrist. It got so bad I then went to the emergency room and waited several hours. Got a pain shot that helped.

I found out why we wait so long at the emergency room! The place does not want us to go back. No pun 'indeed' intended.

I needed a refill on the pain patch and was talking to one of the nurses at the clinic. The nurse asked about the patch. The nurse said you might want to get the Primary Care Doctor to refill the patch. So I checked in and waited a few hours cause I was a walk up. I got the patch refilled after doing the paper work to see if I was a doper. Doctor referred me again for another MRI back in August 2013. MRI people said it might be Sept, Oct., or Nov. The MRI division scheduled me for NOV. I went to patient advocate and our clinic had none.

I was in terrible pain. I called the hotline cause I was finished. The hotline kept me on the phone for a few hours. This was on Friday the labor day weekend. So I knew I would not see any one until Tuesday. With the Grace of God I made it. Got a call from some VA hotshot on Tues. I went back to the clinic on Wed. and again went to patient advocate (PAd). The PAd said, "Hey we will try to get you in over at the hospital. Do you mind the drive?" So I was scheduled the next day. I was in bad pain and got a relative to to drive me. We get to the hospital and check in to the MRI department. The line was LONG. My appointment was at 2. The machines were broke and probably would not get in. So we left at about 5:30.

My pain patch went out in Nov. I went back to the clinic and so the nurse takes care of the paper work for the patch. I saw my staff Psychiatrist at the end of Nov. I had so much stuff in the 30 minutes that I did not get into the MRI.

I will keep going and I keep thinking that my service deserves better than this kind of MRI treatment. I am going to start again. I was told back in the summer 2013 by VA that a referral is only good for 30 DAYS.

The latest regulations that came out of VA are insane. I did not see them until after December 31, 2013. The comments to the Federal Register had to be before that date. Remember, all are laws are now made by edict. History shows that those that fall to that level of edicts contain the remains of failure and show those with the imperial bureaucracy doomed.

Might be faster to copy and paste Web site.

www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=VA-2013-VBA-0022-0001

I. Executive Summary

This document proposes to amend 38 CFR parts 3, 19, and 20. The proposed amendments would require the use of standard forms to initiate claims for benefits, and to initiate appeals of AOJ decisions on those claims. VA's forms are available on the following Web site: http://www.va.gov/vaforms/.

Edited by fastestinthewest
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fastestinthewest - Very sorry to hear you were/are in so much pain and that things went the way they did. I'm sure most of us can relate or has a similar story. I don't know who told you that VA referrals are only good for 30 days- That statement is not true. In fact, I'm looking at my consult request (from my VA medical record) for an opthalmology exam and it shows the authorization is good for the following dates, 7/22/2013 thru 10/20/2013. That's about 3 months. Perhaps it depends on what service/treatment you're seeking treatment for...I don't know. But the blanket statement of a standard 30 day period for referrals is not correct. Not faulting you personally...just saying that too often we get "bum scoop" from various ignorant sources...often VA employees who don't really know what they're talking about.

LC

Edited by Loose Cannon
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Surprise call from the OK VA Spine clinic. The Nurse was pleasant and asked about the Rhizotomy I had done by my private doc. From the conversation and ?'s she asked it seemed like some good progress and steps forward towards having VA start/supplement my medical treatments. 30 days since my last contact with them, so not terrible. The tunnel doesn't seem so dark. : ) I think at least it's keeping the referral open and no hassle as of yet other than getting the referral processed with my VA PCP.

Edited by arng11
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  • 3 weeks later...

From what the nurse practioner stated, neurologist and surgeons have a panel once a month to decide which case they move on and take. Haven't found out if this is true, however, when I get some information I will post it.

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