High Income Va Rejects Vietnam Veteran

[buickx]

Just had the second Vietnam Veteran rejected for va medical help....both were told they both make to much money after filling out income disclusure ..whats up with this?

[Testvet]

I use the VA Medical Center in Dallas. I use it A LOT!

I depend on them for all my prescriptions.........which, if I got them from outside the VA system, would run several hundred dollars a month.

I've used the ER twice in the last couple of years, for stuff that came up on, like Friday night, that wouldn't wait until a Monday, and, even though there are other vets there, on Friday night, for the same reason, that they couldn't wait until Monday, the VA has seen me both times and gotten my prescriptions that were prescribed by the ER doctor, within 2 to 3 hours, which is as quick, if not quicker, than if I had gone ANY "public" hospital and MOST "private" hospitals.

Whether I'd have them perform neurosurgery or transplant surgery...............I dunno, fortunately I haven't faced that decision,,,yet.

I let them do a triple bypass on me in 97 because my ex wife is a disabled vet who also worked at the Post Office and she told me they wouldn't charge me any co pays they would just bill Blue Cross BS they charged me a 3,000 dollar co pay after billing Blue Cross 60,000 for the triple bypass and 3 months after they did it I was back in the VA with another heart attack and then 3 months after that I went to MCG when I had yet another heart attack that doctor put in a stent in Nov 97 they had to put in yet another stent in Feb 98 I had yet another heart attack and on Fathers day 98 I had my final heart attack so much for bypass surgery I quit going to doctors and quit taking all the damn meds they had me on if the cure was that bad hell I might as well have been dead and I quit having problems with my heart but the stress was driving me crazy I quit the Post Office in May 2000 and by June 2002 Congestive heart failure had me completely down I went back to the VA because by that point I had no insurance and no other choice

the new primary care doc was thorough and good a lot better than the old primary care doc I was assigned you all know the type Viet nam era vets are all drug seekers etc I had 2 herniated disks etc the only thing he would prescribe was acetimenophen cough syrup with no alcohol etc he was a real jack azz but the new doc was good she talked me to start talkingthe heart meds, got me schedualed for a nuclear stress test and a echogardiogram those results scared the VA into getting me set up for a heart cath 3 weeks after the nuclear test my heart ejection fraction was less than 30% that was Oct 2002 and I have had nothing but great care at the Augusta VA ever since, I did try to move to Dorn when we moved to Columbia but they were worse than Augusta was back in 97 we decided since I was getting great care in Augusta we would just keep driving to Augusta the 70 miles is nothing

not all VAMC are the same despite the name not all doctors and management are the same I have had the same shrink since Jan 2003 at Augusta, and they have steady employment in Primary Care I am on my 3rd PC doc in 7 years they use to change them every 6 months back in the 90s and my heart docs have been the same I am on my 3rd one since 2002 which is good for the VA all of them also work at MCG so they get paid by the VA, MCG and the Physicians Group at MCG I guess it's a pretty good deal for them and it's good for the veterans....we get constant good care....

[buickx]

ok..let me go back to the orginal question and ask.....What law or beaucrat gave the va permission to charge sc veterans insurance companys, for health care related to their sc connected disease?

[Testvet]

ok..let me go back to the orginal question and ask.....What law or beaucrat gave the va permission to charge sc veterans insurance companys, for health care related to their sc connected disease?

there isn't any law giving them permission and if you bring it up to them they will tell you to contact your insurance company and then your insurance company just doesn't care, they are only supposed to be charging for all NSC problems but they send a bill for every visit if they have your insurance info if you ask why they billed it in the first place they will tell you soneone made a mistake

[john999]

The DAV sent me an email asking me if the VA charged me for SC conditions when I went for treatment. They must know about the problem. I don't know what they plan to do about it. Let's all write our congressmen about it. I have in the past. They don't seem to think it is a big deal. I think cost shifting to my insurance is a big deal since my family BC/BS plan through the federal government is going up by 12% next year. I think we are going to have a rough time if health care reform goes through or not. Our premiums will continue to rise. We can easily be priced right out of our private insurance. Medicare has a 20% deductible or co-pay. This will drive even more vets to the VA system. I can see vets being squeezed if they are not SC'ed if they are not at least 50%. There was discussion about charging even SC vets for care at the VA, but it got shot down this time. I hope the powers that be don't look to those of us on fixed incomes to pay the debt for wars and financial meltdowns of the last few years.

[Papa]

I have gone to the VA twice for medical care, and both times was a total disaster. I swore never to return. After reading these posts, I decided to apply for medical care. I did not think I would qualify since my income is around the six figure range and I have good insurance. Well yesterday to my surprise, I got a letter inviting me to an orientation. Did I qualified because of my service connection? I may use the VA like John, but the trust just is not there. They just scare the hell out of me. I'm fortunate to have a choice, and feel for those who do not.

Papa

[john999]

papa

Go to the VA and get in treatment. You don't have to let them do anything you don't want them to do. However, you will be leaving an incontrovertible record of treatment for your SC conditions and you may probably find some new ones related to your AO exposure. Hold your nose and just go through the montions. Be sure you complain about all your conditions, especially any pain or depression you feel due to your SC conditions. Really, you should stay in treatment for the rest of your life. They want to "own" your medical care so at least let them own your complaints and records of treatment. When the VA refers to me that say this "veteran is treated at the VA for multiple medical problems". All service connected I might add.