Nurse Practioner Are Seeing Patients Instead Of Doctors

[tmoe]

The previous post was closed.was told to start over,anyway I ask the question about NP as being my primary doctor. Is this going on at all

VA medical center or just in Augusta Ga.Carlie says its been going on but in my seven years as seeing VA doctors this is my first with a

NP.She is doing good so far even givin some pain meds. I think it maybe a good ideal stay on her good side,because they are the one

that does C&P exams mostly. I guess you see the doctor when dying only.I know a lot of MH doctors quit at Charlie-Norwood but looks

like regular doctor also

[Teac]

Remember everyone, next year we are putting about 30. - 32 million more people into the primary care system. You thought wait times and seeing a real doctor is bad now for primary care! Of course, that will just allow the VA to say, hey our wait times arn't that bad.

This just goes back to what I have said in the past.... Veterans should receive appointments based on priority. Under the present system, a 100% veteran can request an appointment and be told none are available or receive one months later... if the priority system were actually in play then it is very likely that the 100% veteran would actually receive priority. When congress threw open the flood gates to "free" medical care, they thought they were doing all veteran justice, but all they did is make it harder for service connected veterans to receive care in a timely manor if at all.

This is one area when veterans should be separated by "class" , and technically are, but the priorities levels are ignored. I would like to think , that if the priority levels were enforced then there would be enough doctors to go around for those that need them. I understand the cost of medical care and why the VA would rather hire 10 NP to 1 doctor but if the Congress would limit care to those who have disability ratings, or those pending ratings access would not be the problem it is. Under the present system the VA is even required to provide medical care for 5 years after a veteran is discharged from service regardless of a rating or not or if a claim is pending or not.. Congress has not and continues to fail to provide the funds to support even those who are rated , so is it any wonder why the system is so over burdened?

In my experience, getting an appointment became a real problem in the last 7 or eight years... now it is so bad that it actually takes months to get appoints especially if your in need of specialty care such as eye or hearing treatment. Really, who was the genus that decided that a 10% rating for anything was all that is needed to get eye treatment and hearing treatment these used to be reserved for those rated for specific conditions or those rated at 100% or TDIU. Now if you have a 10% rating for hemorrhoids you can get it to get glasses or hearing aids all for the cost of a small co-pay while the veteran rated 100% waits 4 months for an appointment, such is my case.

Some people were so concerned about rationed national medical care..... Veterans have been dealing with this issue for years, its too bad that we weren't called to testify when congress was considering Obama care, but its very doubtful they would have listed anyway.

[carlie]

Who would you rather see a NP getting a fair wage or one of the VA MD Hacks that can't find a job on the outside?

Pete,

Thanks sweetie-pie !

I about peed myself : - ) Even tho it's the damned truth.

Today I went to my VAMC again to TRY and see a doctor,

I get a female, foreign doctor - that COULD speak english

BUT

I don't think she liked the fact that I eat cows : - (

Needless to say, we did not accomplish anything towards the

improvement of my current health.

[carlie]

either way you get screwed. I like to see a doctor and not the want to be. i won't get a foot doctor to do a open heart surgery and i will not let

a NP practice being a doctor on me either. My choice. If you are fine with a NP thats your choice, I'm not happy but I do have a choice were as

some vets just has to live with it and don't have a choice of providers and these are the one 's it hurts most

I'm sure you do realize that a "doctor" themselves, do nothing more than "practice" medicine.

[Papa]

There was a reason that this young Dentist sent me to a medical person. The last time I went to a civilian Dentist, he ingnored what I put on my medical report, and told him. I have Herditary Angioedema. I came extremely close to dieing in a damn dentist chair. The VA Denist was just being careful.

When, I had my C&P for Parkinson Disease, I got a GP who had never performed any type of neurological exam in his life. He rarely spoke. A Clerk at QTC had to show him how to perform the exam. The young Lady was really happy when my wife ask her if she was a Doctor teaching this GP how to do this exam. What is really funny, this GP came over 300 miles to do this exam.

Papa

[deanbrt]

the only person I am seeing for my afib is a PA. He is very good but he is prescribing my medication, which I thought was not supposed to happen. I never see a cardiologist. I think this is a trend in medicine, not just the VA....

[tmoe]

I'm sure you do realize that a "doctor" themselves, do nothing more than "practice" medicine.

carlie, its your choice if you have one,I do know that a NP will never treat me, if I am still livng and in my right mind .I practice

with 'google'LIKE most NP & some Doctors

Edited February 16, 2013 by tmoe