Question On Opting Out Of Va Health Care

[oldman273]

Hey I am blessed to have a medical plan under Medicare "Humana" i will let you guys know if it is good after a couple of months. What I am sure is that I have to see my Primary care Doc once a year he just saw me and told me that is about all I need to see him to keep my position inside the VA. I recently had an issue with my meds that caused my Blood sugar to go from Fasting 88 to fasting @304 about an hour later 410. I freaked out as I had no idea.

I do not recommend doing what I did but I went and got my Civilian Doc to yank me off my Physc Meds, My Blood Pressure meds all 4 of them and several others. Has anyone decided to ditch the VA my Blood sugar is back to normal my migraines are still kicking my rear end but I just feel better not being under the VA. Am I paranoid or has anyone ever thought of just packing it in with the VA? I am just at the cross roads with several issues with the combination of Physc drugs blood pressure heart meds I honestly believe I would have had a stroke if I had not asked my Civ Doctor to look at what I was on. The Physc drugs made me a potted plant I still handle certain things by avoidance but If I get anxious I go make an appointment. I am not knocking the good people in the VA it is just the policy that piss me off. again just wondering

[LarryJ]

You "went and got" your civilian doctor to "yank" you off your psych meds, your 4 blood pressure meds, and several others?

Really now?

If that really is the way it went down, then I would have some rather serious reservations concerning my practice of medicine.

But, hey, that's just my opinion.

Medicare Advantage (or whatever your insurance company is calling it) is a good deal. You had best watch out for your "doughnut hole" though. You can wind up paying several thousand dollars "out-of-pocket", especially if you have no prescription coverage while you are "in the hole".

And, as far as "opting out" of your VA health care.............I didn't know that you were required to "opt-out-of" anything as far as the VA health care was concerned. All you have to do is just not take advantage of what they have to offer.

[oldman273]

Thanks Larry you are right about the donut hole and I should have been clearer about the process. I did ask my Doctor to prescribe generic for my meds so I bypassed the donut hole.

My deal was I was overmedicated with the combination of physc meds and the other meds making me zonked half the time. I am still having issue but working with a outside mental health office also helped me as good as the VA without the drugged feeling. I was asking pretty much what you stated so Thanks again. I now have had about 2 months on my new meds and I fell better and droped about 20 lbs. I did like the way my Civilian Doctors conservative treatment he phased me off 3 blood meds and got me down to one. My blood pressure was the key interacting with my mental health issues. I am on just a better set of meds with the civillian path with them being more flexible with the types of drugs the open market has versus the VA which is goverment ran health care. Me not being a Doctor leaves me at the mercy of others I am just thinking I am better off trying another route. Now the old saying about buring bridges down I just wanted to figure out how to stay enroled just in case? I should have detailed it a bit more but yes I honestly belive that some practices the VA does is not a one size fits all. Happy Thanksgiving,...

[Pete53]

Its my opinion but I feel that the VA over medicates and does not monitor meds they prescribe. If the VA does something to change meds it rarely informs the Veteran they just do it. I have been prescribed medication that has shown to increase sugar levels and also medications like avandia that appear to cause heart problems and while I took it I had a stent and 2 silent heart attacks.

I also wonder if the VA's search for cheapness can cause them to acquire meds that are not up to snuff and also handling. I know I have gotten insulin that was ineffective before.

I am pretty sure that LarryJ was telling you that yanking you off your Meds cold turkey is not a good idea although it seems to have worked for you. My experience and many others on Hadit is bad things happen when we stop taking our Meds without working closely with a Doc.

I have Secure Horizons Medicare Advantage and I use it with my VA. The Secure Horizons is for second opinions and surgery if needed. Its to bad cause I could use the copays and Medicare Part B Premiums but I don't have that much faith in VA Medicine although I like it much better than I used too

[oldman273]

Its my opinion but I feel that the VA over medicates and does not monitor meds they prescribe. If the VA does something to change meds it rarely informs the Veteran they just do it. I have been prescribed medication that has shown to increase sugar levels and also medications like avandia that appear to cause heart problems and while I took it I had a stent and 2 silent heart attacks.

I also wonder if the VA's search for cheapness can cause them to acquire meds that are not up to snuff and also handling. I know I have gotten insulin that was ineffective before.

I am pretty sure that LarryJ was telling you that yanking you off your Meds cold turkey is not a good idea although it seems to have worked for you. My experience and many others on Hadit is bad things happen when we stop taking our Meds without working closely with a Doc.

I have Secure Horizons Medicare Advantage and I use it with my VA. The Secure Horizons is for second opinions and surgery if needed. Its to bad cause I could use the copays and Medicare Part B Premiums but I don't have that much faith in VA Medicine although I like it much better than I used too

I agree 100% as what you said about droping meds my Doctor changed them weaned me off the old meds and actually used the very first hypertension medicine I used way back in my Early days of USMC 27 years ago back where I started LOL. I have a good Doctor inside the VA but he is only able to address my concerns for about 2 minutes and he types a line or two and out the door onto the next patient. What he has to work with medicine wise is like using standard tools on a metric set up.

The VA dictates what time they spend with a patient just like in Civilian mega clinics. I choose a small operation and I am glad I am able to make that choice. Do i trust every Doctor yes but like the Great one President Ronald Reagan "trust but verify". No matter where you go or do you have to make your own choices. My liver test are high I am hoping being off a good many meds I can get my body straight. I still have major depression but the meds they have me now do not make me feel like I am drunk or I am unable to stay awake a good part of the day. I was told this week they are going to increase my meds but I just hope they do not do the same thing. Have a good morning thanks for chiming in.

[Berta]

Everyone here is a patient-whether at VA or elsewhere and WE are as responsible as our doctors for knowing what meds we take as to their reactions with anything else we are taking.

Easy for me to say-I only take one med-but I have seen medication lists that are horrendous.

And I proved that a simple VA med contributed to my husband's death as it worked against another VA med he was on.He didn't even have the problem they gave him this med for- for 6 long years- but it took me years to find that out.

Contraindications of medications and their side affects are available not only in brochures that hopefully come with the meds but also are on the internet.

Pete is right- I am sure the VA fails to monitor medications like they should.