Breaking Appointments At A Vamc

[carlie]

Someone had posted a question recently that dealt with

not showing up for a VAMC appointment and being told

VA could withhold services if it happened again.

I believe this is the reg that would address this situation.

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-...1.1.19.0.182.58

§ 17.100 Refusal of treatment by unnecessarily breaking appointments.

A patient under medical treatment who breaks an appointment without a reasonable excuse will be informed that breaking an additional appointment will be deemed to be a refusal to accept VA treatment. If such a patient fails to keep a second appointment, without at least 24 hours notice, such action will be deemed as a refusal to accept VA treatment.

Thereafter, no further treatment will be furnished until the veteran has agreed to cooperate by keeping appointments. Treatment will not be discontinued until the treating physician has reviewed the treatment files, concurred in the action and signed a statement to this effect in the record. Consideration will be given to the veteran's ability to make a rational decision concerning the need for medical care and/or examination.

The veteran will be advised of the final decision. Nothing in this section will be construed to prevent treatment for an emergent condition that may arise during or subsequent to this action. Where an appointment is broken without notice and satisfactory reasons are advanced for breaking the appointment and circumstances were such that notice could not be given, the patient will not be deemed to have refused treatment.

[Testvet]

Someone had posted a question recently that dealt with

not showing up for a VAMC appointment and being told

VA could withhold services if it happened again.

I believe this is the reg that would address this situation.

Hope this helps a vet.

carlie

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-...1.1.19.0.182.58

§ 17.100 Refusal of treatment by unnecessarily breaking appointments.

A patient under medical treatment who breaks an appointment without a reasonable excuse will be informed that breaking an additional appointment will be deemed to be a refusal to accept VA treatment. If such a patient fails to keep a second appointment, without at least 24 hours notice, such action will be deemed as a refusal to accept VA treatment.

Thereafter, no further treatment will be furnished until the veteran has agreed to cooperate by keeping appointments. Treatment will not be discontinued until the treating physician has reviewed the treatment files, concurred in the action and signed a statement to this effect in the record. Consideration will be given to the veteran's ability to make a rational decision concerning the need for medical care and/or examination.

The veteran will be advised of the final decision. Nothing in this section will be construed to prevent treatment for an emergent condition that may arise during or subsequent to this action. Where an appointment is broken without notice and satisfactory reasons are advanced for breaking the appointment and circumstances were such that notice could not be given, the patient will not be deemed to have refused treatment.

Carlie, I don't understand why veterans can't make a call and exlain why they can't make an appt I have done it several times, due to my being ill or my wife who drives me everywhere being ill the day of an appt I call at 0830 as soon as they open and explain that due to illness and the fact my driver is not available and I live 70 miles from the VAMC it is not feasible for me to take a taxi I ask them to cancel that days appt and reschedule me for a new appt I have never had a problem in the past 5 years I did have issues at Dorn when I tried moving my treatment from Charlie Norwood to Dorn and after about 3 months of being screwed with I said to hell with it and my wife agreed we got better treatment and better assistance at Augusta GA than we had ever seen at Dorn VA in Columbia SC when I am ready to die I will go to Dorn until then I will drive the 70 miles to Augusta

[LarryJ]

Carlie, I don't understand why veterans can't make a call and exlain why they can't make an appt I have done it several times, due to my being ill or my wife who drives me everywhere being ill the day of an appt I call at 0830 as soon as they open and explain that due to illness and the fact my driver is not available and I live 70 miles from the VAMC it is not feasible for me to take a taxi I ask them to cancel that days appt and reschedule me for a new appt I have never had a problem in the past 5 years I did have issues at Dorn when I tried moving my treatment from Charlie Norwood to Dorn and after about 3 months of being screwed with I said to hell with it and my wife agreed we got better treatment and better assistance at Augusta GA than we had ever seen at Dorn VA in Columbia SC when I am ready to die I will go to Dorn until then I will drive the 70 miles to Augusta

No body said that you can't break an appointment. We're talking about someone that doesn't MAKE the appointment at all, someone who "fails to show".

read the very first part of the reg as Carlie has posted it:

"A patient under medical treatment who breaks an appointment without a reasonable excuse...."

The reg even goes so far as to say that even though you break an appointment without notice, that if you have a good excuse for breaking that appointment then they will not penalize you for doing so.

This is to keep people from just failing to show, time after time, taking up appointment slots that more responsible patients need and will use.

[Pete53]

Oh if it were ever so plain cut. I was a no show for an appointment that I did not know that I had. I was threatened with being kicked to the curb and basically having to start over and no more prescriptions.

Some of the clinics now send out a yellow sheet warning the Veteran not to miss an appointment.

Now the question for the day. How do you expect anyone to remember an appointment when it may be months on down the road.

I have the VA Call me and not say a thing. I usually take it that I soon have an appointment and I double check calendars and scribbled notes and computer records.

What about the Docs who are no shows that happens to me also?

[jbasser]

I got into a bind last year and had to reschedule a cardiology appt.

I still have not gotton a re scheduled appt.

It turned out to be a little GS 4 clerk who got ticked off because I called.

Does it matter to me, Not in the least. I would rather take care of the serious stuff outside the VA anyway.

J

[LarryJ]

Oh if it were ever so plain cut. I was a no show for an appointment that I did not know that I had. I was threatened with being kicked to the curb and basically having to start over and no more prescriptions.

Some of the clinics now send out a yellow sheet warning the Veteran not to miss an appointment.

Now the question for the day. How do you expect anyone to remember an appointment when it may be months on down the road.

I have the VA Call me and not say a thing. I usually take it that I soon have an appointment and I double check calendars and scribbled notes and computer records.

What about the Docs who are no shows that happens to me also?

Pete, I have, or rather I had, the same problem (short-term memory is only a memory now). I use the scheduling thingey on My Yahoo, works like a charm. It'll remind me of upcoming appointments, starting like a week out and every day will remind me up until the day of, and it'll go as far into the future as you would like. If it weren't for that and my little PDA thingey I'd not be able to function. Heck, I've even been offered a PDA via the VA, for my memory loss, but I've got this one all set up and it works fine. And, it'll be the only way that I will be able to keep track of my vets and THEIR filing and drop-dead dates.

[Stretch]

Shoot they call me up a few days before my appointment and ask me to confirm that I will be there or not. That always give me a heads up. Guess I have only called in twice, on appointments that I couldn't make, over the last 5 years here in Arkansas.

The VA dental is really hard on the Vet missing one of their appointments.