Refuse Treatment To A Patient At Va

[yelloownumber5]

Hi,

I wasn't sure where to post this but I have two questions.

First is about blood pressure ratings. I am SC'd for High blood pressure at 10 percent, today I went to the VA for an appointment that was supposed to have been about seeing the pain physcologist, headaches and muscle spasm/pains. So my blood pressure was 174/124 and like 5 mins later 164/117.

I have a print out of a lot of my VA blood pressure readings and they seem to be about 160/110 over about 4 years. Blood pressure is SC'd is that high enough for the increase? Not that I want that, I only want my BP lowered but I need to do something now.

Second. Because I told my VA PCP I do not want to increase my bp meds nor add another med to my treatment plan BUT I am open to testing antigens, my thining kidney poles that they know about or anything else. Well since I told her I did not want the medicine she told me "I'm not going to treat you for anything!" I am rated 50% and was just in for medicine because of pain and bad muscle spasms but I guess now I cannot get anything.

Any ideas of what I can do and what does the joint commission do?

Thanks,

Y#5

[yelloownumber5]

Bonzai,

I understand that totally because about 2 years ago I went to MTF for my appointment, I was having headaches pretty bad. But first the E-2 that did my vitals asked about my pain and pain scale........I told her 10 and she said "it can't be a ten because you walked in here" I did not drive but she was something else. Anyhow doctor sent me to the ER via ambulance b/c of headaches and elevated pressure...........................so I understand the seriousness........but ER released me about neg CT scan..........oh year VA Urgent care did the same thing..............nothing wrong!?

Oh and look now my VA PCP won't even give me the pissy Tramadol and Baclofin that I've been getting for the past several years! Oh and my MH pills my depression is "better" so now my PCP is supposed to do those as well.........so I guess I'm screwed down the river!

Anyhow I will put in for an increase of the HBP and secondary migrains. That should piss my VA PCP off because the will say migrains are not secondary to HBP but my VA PCP said they are ................I will bet she did not write that up. As well I will not go back to the VA without my recorder.

A friend that is a doctor told me to report her to JACO because she is unable to with hold treatment regardless (but I do not know about that) ........and my back is service connected so it is not like I'm just coming in for nothing. We had labs done the week before, she would not discuss them nor any of my questions because I wouldn't let her adjust my outside meds. What a little witch!

I went to a psych appointment after moving to a different RO, and had run out of my BP meds. So I was screened, and the RN said you have to go to the ER, as my BP was very high. I told her "No, I am not going to miss this appointment I have been waiting three months for". When I got out of the appointment, they had two VA police officers politely escort me to the ER. LOL

Edited May 12, 2012 by yelloownumber5

[Teac]

Ok....

First you do not have to get all your treatment at the va if you don't want too.

Second, any doctor can refuse you treatment if they feel that your not following their advise, or like in your case you decided you didn't want more medications..

The va however does have a legal obligation to provide you medical care regardless how a doctor might feel.

Now as to getting care for apnea or anything outside the primary care, you should only have to ask for it, and the primary care doctor should do a referal.

As to your blood pressure, well you know what you need to do....

Personally, I get my care from three sources, VA. BAMC, and Private doctors, it all depends who I can get in to see and how soon I can see them..... and I get meds from all three sources, I just make sure that they know what I am taking.

[cooter]

Teac just took the words right out of my mouth. I have never had a VA PCP. I've had private PCP's since day one and really never had any major problems. Yes it's nice to have a paper trail with VA, but that doesn't mean you have to go to their Dr's. All this determines if you have private health Insurance or not. As you can see on my profile, the 100% IU was all achieved by private Dr's. This % is all from a blotched knee surgery done at the VA. Of course this is JMO.

Coot

[71M10]

By refusing the meds you are refusing treatment. If you refused the meds because another doctor is taking care of it, and they are aware of your numbers, and they arn't changing your meds or getting it under control some other way, you need to change docs then!

As for the tape recorder, don't delude yourself, if you walk into a federal facility and tape private conversations without all parties permission (good luck on getting permission), you could be encouraging a long discussion with a federal prosecuter about whether they are going to charge/prosecute you. The courts have already come down clearly that VA patients do not have the "right" to record thier medical exams/appointments.

Best of luck, and heed the advice from others here, get the BP controlled.

Best regards,

Edited May 16, 2012 by 71M10

[yelloownumber5]

Teac,

Right.....another doctor manages my blood pressure and treats. I am service connected for lumbar issues. I went to an appointment with my counselor and due to my pain the counselor recommended I would speak with the doctor prior to leaving.

So I went to the front and told them I am having really bad muscle spasisms and pains as well as migrains.

The took me back and my BP was high............I have a cuff and my wife has her cuff and stethoscope from medical school so it is montiored at home. My doctor told her Nurse I need to made a hour appointment and the week prior I need labs..........

I go to get labs completed on 5/4............I go to my doctors appointment on 5/11. My doctor is just talking about BP and to add medicine, I kindly told her it is treated and monitored by another doctor. She kept asking me questions. I told her I made this appointment about my migrains and my back and leg pain which I am service connected for.

She said no treatment for BP, then NO treatment.

I will get my record this week to see what she put in there. So I guess it is normal for a VA doctor to do this? I have never heard about not having the right to record a VA appointment, I have in the past and needed t for proof. I reckon my wife can attend since she was a doctor.

Y#5

Edited May 16, 2012 by yelloownumber5

[john999]

I really hate driving all the way to my VAMC and having to wait etc. However, I usually don't refuse treatment unless it means multiple trips to the VAMC and long delays. I get treatment from outside and inside the VA. The VA does my blood work and some other things. I get pills with no co-pays. This is for the good. I would not let the VA do open heart surgery on me. JMHO. I went to their podiatrist and got shots in both heals the same day. In two hours I could not walk. This was done by a resident I think. There are bad and incompetent on the outside as well. I sued one and I lost. I could not get one of the good old boys to say anything bad about another good old boy. My VAMC reminds me of a charity hospital so I consider that.

John