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.

[broncovet]

I agree with Pete about Champva. My wife gets to chose whether she gets Champva or be treated at the VA.

She chooses Champva. My question is why are Veterans not offered the same choice? Oh, I know...The VA hospitals would empty out and everyone would use champva, and then they would have to shut down, due to too few Vets using them.

In other words the VA is AFRAID to offer us the choice between champva and VA care.

Government employees are offered a wide variety of health care plans, and hmo's. Would someone please explain why government employees are offered all these choices and VETS HAVE to use the VA or pay it themsleves.

[eagle-eye]

My complaint would be towards the medicine I get perscribed. I have Fibromialgia but VA doesn't perscribe the one medicine designed to treat it. I just get soemthing to tolerate the pain. Same with my migraines. I have nothing to prevent the headache but a drawer full of stuff to mask the pain..I have 11 different perscriptions for pain & depression. I don't want to think what long-term effects those are causing. I believe I was doing less damage to myself when I drank alcohol to self medicate before husband begged me to go to VA for treatment. I have to add that the people at the San Antonio out patient clinic have treated me VERY good otherwise.

Edited July 1, 2011 by eagle-eye

[john999]

If I had a card from the VA that would pay for what medicare does not pay I would never darken their doors again. I pay for my own dental and vision because I don't want to use their crummy services. They charge my Blue Cross for everything anyway so why go there? I do use them just to document my continual disability. That is one good reason to keep using them. Go to the VA hospital and complain a lot. The could have medicare for all vets, but they are not going to do that. They are going to cut services if anything. You hear those budget hawks and who do you think they want to pay for debt?....me and you. Not Wall Street gangsters or banksters.

[Pete53]

Bronco

I don't think that the VA would empty out as many Veterans would continue to use it. The ones that did leave would leave some room for the Veterans who need more help. I don't know the exact numbers but I think many would be surprised to learn exactly how many P&T Veterans there are in the system. I know it is a single digit % of the patients that are served by the VA.

[john999]

If the VAMC was just for the very sick and very poor and the rest of us could get a medical card I would be happy. In my state of Florida there are many poor people who use the VA as their only medical care. It is really a welfare system since we are all means tested in some way. If you have insurance even if you are P&T you get billed. If there were a clinic five miles from my house that would be great, but to have to travel for an hour for PT or to get my teeth cleaned is too much. I mean my VAMC is so crowded it is standing room only and I hate it. However, if I don't go I don't get the pills I need without paying a small fortune. I just do not need to go to a hospital every time I need a word with my PCP. I have very mixed feelings about the VA. They do good in a bad way or by accident. The VA is a dinosaur. I am P&T and using a cane and yet when I walk into the VAMC I am one of the healthiest veterans in the waiting room. I don't need to go to the hospital. Why cannot this system be decentralized? I know....it would mean unemployment for a bunch of VA employees who are veterans. So I will continue to go to the hospital 6 times a year and put up with it to get my pills and to prove to them I still can't work. When I get sick I go to a doctor or hospital 3 miles away.