Does This Seem "fishy"....

[rpowell01]

I finally go to see my VA Primary care provider about my herniated disc and the reverse curvature in my cervical spine. Immediately after reading the private radiologist report he asked me if I had private insurance. I stated yes, then he recommended me to go see a private orthopedic surgeon down the road. After talking with somebody today you all know we both kind of see this "fishy"..

1.Why would a VA Internal Medicine Doctor recommend me to go see this certain Orthopedic Surgeon and not Bay Pines Orthopedic Surgeons? Why ask me if I had private insurance when in fact I am SC'd for my cervical/neck anyway? Isn't this unethical for him to do this actually and against VA policy?

2. I wouldn't let a Orthopedic Surgeon touch my neck if he paid me to do it. I want a Neurosurgeon to do it because every person who told me that a Orthopedic Surgeon who did their neck DID NOT do a good job and they wished they would have went to a Neurosurgeon.... I called Bay Pines Patient Advocacy today to ask them if they had any Neurosurgeons at Bay Pines. One of the so called "top" veteran hospitals in Florida and they do not have a Neurosurgeon there? OMG!!!! But they do have Orthopedic Surgeons!!! WOW!!! I did ask the person if it was ethical for my Primary Care Provider to recommend me to a Private Orthopedic Surgeon even though Bay Pines has them and her answer was "No that is not ethical" and then she asked what CBOC is he in. I told her Sebring, then she transferred me to Ft Myers Advocacy who is over Sebring. I didn't get to talk with anyone there but hopefully tomorrow she will be in.

Doesn't this seem odd or fishy he would do this? IMHO it seems there is a "kick back" thing going on here. Yes I am going to refuse this and talk with the Patient Advocacy person tomorrow about getting me to see a Neurosurgeon and ask her if it is ethical for him to do that. If she says it isn't then I am going to file a complaint against him. I might stir up some soup on this but this guy wouldn't listen to me for 6 months last year, and now that I have the proof of what is going on, he wants to send me to one of his bros...I think not!!!! I want the VA to take care of this and I should not nor will I pay one cent to have this corrected. Plus, I know it will probably cause me to be out of work for awhile so I want the VA to at least compensate me for it temporary...

BTW for information for others. If you have a neck strain with a bunch of spasms in your neck. Please get it corrected somehow if you can. If you don't you will end up in my situation with a herniated disc being caused by a reverse curvature in my cervical spine which is caused by all the spasms I have had for 15 years. That reverse curvature is very dangerous and have been known to cause death in patients. They can repair the curvature without surgery if caught early. For me I will probably have to have surgery on this because my neck is straighter than a 4x4.....

Be care careful with who your VA Primary Care Provider sends you to....

Edited March 18, 2011 by rpowell01

[Philip Rogers]

I don't see why you would want the VA to do it. I'd, at least, go down the street and talk to them. Remember, free things are sometimes worth just what you pay for them. jmo

pr

[Pete53]

Maybe the Doc knows something and was just trying to help you out?

[rpowell01]

Okay, I can see him "helping me out" if it was a fee base situation. But you had to be there to see how "eager" he was whenever I told him I had insurance. I just think it is fishy.

I see many people who have gone to private doctors and are still messed up. I just talked to one the day before yesterday. He said if he knew that it was going to be like this he should have went to the VA. Eitherway he is still messed up. Naw I think i will stay the way I am for now until I can see a Neurosurgeon...Orthopedics is out of the question on my neck...

Edited March 18, 2011 by rpowell01

[captain soggy]

Your right. Spine surgery is the LEAST complicated surgery a neuro surgeon would do and the most complicated surgery for an orthopedic surgeon.

[Testvet]

surgery does not always "fix" the issue sometimes the scar tissue after the surgery causes more problems than the original issue sometimes if you have choices it is best to take advantage of them yes I realize that the military caused this issue and the VA should "fix it" you say you want a nuerosurgeon to do the operation and have been told the VAMC doesn't have any they have ortho surgeons yet it sounds like you still want the VA do do it so wanting the best meets the reality when it comes to out of pockets costs if a private doctor does it or a VA doctor does it if the issue is SC then you should still be entitled to the compensation for the rehab time the paperwork just has to be filed with the VARO for the temp 100%

I think if you dig deep enough into most VAMC staff you will find that most of them also have private practice offices at adjacent teaching hospitals and are in a dual role and working at both facilities and getting paid by both in Augusta GA many of them get paid by the VA MCG and the doctors group that does the billing for the staff physicians

Back when I had BC/BS I could see the same doctor at the VA for a 50 dollar copay of see them at MCG for a 15 dollar copay same doc and it was easier to get the appt at MCG to see them and also a lot cheaper

some times the high horses we ride cause us more problems than they are worth

[john999]

I have had four different surgeries over the years. I am no better off and a lot worse off than if I had not gotten them. I would not let a VA neurosurgeon touch me. A neurosurgeon on the outside makes millions. At the VA they probably make 25% of that money. Why would a neurosurgeon work for the VA? It is your life we are talking about here.