Va Medicine

[Pete53]

Its my opinion and I want to get it off my chest.

The VA is a blessing to some but a large disappointment to many. The VA practices half assed medicine or what I call crisis attention with little or no follow up. Sure hen you are so sick you get into hospital. For a Veteran to get good care in my opinion they have to fight for it. The VA should be in the business of helping Veterans live longer and better lives. Every time I go to VA its sad cause I see so many Veterans not doing well and just going through the motions to obtain meds and some kind of care. A rationed system with poor management, long waits, medicine on the cheap using stop gap measures.

Sorry for my rant but I feel better now.

[Pete53]

My wife has ChampVA with Medicare. Other than 50 dollar deductible and 25% copay for Meds it works like a champ. As soon as Medicare pays they pay within 30 days. I am glad that it last for life.

I also have Medicare Advantage and it has been good to me. The Doc who did my stent had done 4,000 before mine and Advantage plan paid all but 100 dollar deductible included one night at Hospital. This was a good thing for me as I found out later I was a difficult procedure and I am pretty sure a rookie would have blown it.

[john999]

I would settle for a plan equal to medicare that included dental and vision benefits. Let the troops who need hospital beds use the VAMC. The centralized VA system is just dumb. It is true that government medical programs like the one for federal workers compensation is hated by most doctors since they have so much trouble getting paid. This is what I fear the VA would do for us vets. I would accept ChampVA. My wife has it also and it has worked well with our BC/BS for her. Now my VAMC has different buildings for pharmacy, vision, mental health, and clinics. You have to catch shuttle bus for all these things rain or shin. To get my pain script filled would take me five hours including doctor visit. This is crazy. After all this the VA charges my BC/BS for almost everything. Why bother?

[Commander Bob]

... I found out later I was a difficult procedure and I am pretty sure a rookie would have blown it.

VAMCs are located near med schools for a reason.

[Commander Bob]

That is an excellent solution,'Pete53'. In a perfect world, that's the way it should be. I believe it is possible.

However, I am also reminded of the Brothers Grimm's tale of "The Pied Piper of Hamelin".

CB

I support Gen. Powell's theory... "You break it, You buy it... The civilians who are too afraid to serve our country must pay for the broken ones that do...and not with some charity program...

Edited June 10, 2011 by Commander Bob

[john999]

My VAMC got in trouble for using very sick, old vets for medical students to help gut like fish to do heart surgery. That was 25 years ago. I go to the VAMC and have to dodge medical students and residents from the medical school next door. They look at us and turn up their noses knowing they will soon be away from us earning that big house and boat.

Our guts and blood help them get rich.

[john6012]

I retired for the military and worked at the local VA Hospital for eighteen years, during my tenure if i told a vet that I would call them and keep them posted on whatever their problem was I kept my word. If a vet was in a wheelchair and had no one to help them I'd push them outside to their car to make it easy for them-I could go on but you get the gist. Wehn I was on the clock I work for the veterans not the system. However, once I retired from the VA Hospital I joined the ranks of those seeking treatment and it is marginable at best. I go in once per year and the Dr mumbles to the point where I can't understand her and has her head buried in the computer. I have Sleep Apnea and the VA issued me a CPAP Machine nbut when I go in for checkups, the technicians or Respiratory Therapists (I think it's techincians) act like I'm imposing on their personal time and give me the idiot treatment and show me the door. They want me to come back in a year to see if I am compliant with the CPAP Machine and I doubt if I'll go back-all they do is monitor the chip within the machine and tell me "You're doing great." Personally, my time is more valuable to me and I don't like to be treated as a "Piece of paper." I've seen the VA make mistakes and I've seen the VA save lives and by far, the mistakes are fewer than the latter. But, I am at the point where I figure I may not return to the VA for medical treatment due to a "few hired hands" who think they created the VA Medical system and all who enter their doors are on private domain. I'm 100% IU and 70% SC but due to a few clowns feel I'll take my business elsewhere.