tdiu Just A General Question About Using Va Health

[confusion99%]

I have never used VA health for anything except once for getting hearing aids. I was also placed in a very low catagory since I only had a 10% rating at the time.

I have since been increased to 80% due to IHD and DM2....I also have some further pending claims and one for TDIU. I am happy with my present Doctors. My outside care is also free due to having Medicare and Tricare for life so there is no financial consideration. I do not like dealing with the VA for anything that is not absolutely necessary. My question is.......should I start seeing the VA for my medical issues of IHD, DM2 and Neuropathy which is the basis for my TDIU claim? Do they hold it against you if you prefer other care??? Here in San Antonio, the VA is a nightmare, extremely overloaded with Vets as it is. They treat you more like herding animals and seem to resent you even being in the bldg. So why should I subject myself to that unless there is some major benefit for my open claims. Appreciate any opinions concerning this.

[stillhere]

Let them be upset! You need to keep yourself alive for as long as you can!

I have VAHC and medicare. I use medicare for most of my stuff and pay out of pocket. I do use the VA for pills and some things like audiology and I have a PCP. But do not use them for my heart!

You are in good shape so don't worry about using them at all.

Stillhere

[TiredCoastie]

If you are happy with the care you are receiving on the outside and your insurance package is going to continue to pay for it (despite all the rumblings over changes to TFL), I'd stick with the doctors you have. You may not find the same quality of care within the VA for the reasons you described.

However, I would maintain that foot in the door like you have to keep up with your hearing aids. Be sure that your outside providers are sharing records with your VA PCP and that should provide any coverage in case the VA were to come back later and ask if you really are receiving care for those conditions as a test to see if they are legitimate.

This is the approach I've taken - I let the VA treat my hearing loss, eye glasses needs, and one very small condition to maintain a relationship, get the care TRICARE doesn't pay for, and keep information flowing into the VA. You are not required to seek care from the VA for any condition, service connected or not, with the possible exception of PSTD. At least, at present we service connected vets are not stovepiped into the VA Healthcare System with that exception as far as I know. So long as they get the information they need and you get the care you need, there should not be a problem. My fear is that at some point there will be a push to move all of us under the VA Healthcare System for all our care, really as a cost savings measure, but under the excuse that only the VA can provide the right kind of care for veterans' service connected disabilities.

[ArNG11]

Wow that is a hard concept for me to accept. In my dealings my experiences with the VA healthcare system haven't been the best since I hit disabled veteran status. The care is nothing compared to the care I got from the VA when I was active duty and even when I was active guard. I guess there lies the difference. I think that is good advice above. I use them for my meds and keep them updated with my care from my private docs. But there is a definite difference in the quality of care and the efficiency of care. That's just my opinion though and it's based off my own experiences.

[carlie]

Personally, I feel I am getting good medical care from my VAMC cardiologist

at Bay Pines.

jmho

[Pete53]

I get good medical care from VA and yet it a procedure involves surgery I am going to get it outside of VA.

[confusion99%]

Thanks to all so far for the advice. I guess my concern was more with them having info on my care. I didn't think about having my present docs keep the VA in the loop as far as info is concerned.

Yea, if they mess up TFL that will make a big difference, but right now they cover everything medicare doesn't cover so it makes everything free. I get all my Meds at a militlary base Pharm, so no cost there either. I will make it a point to go to VA though and get my status changed to reflect my new percentage and get my category changed.

Thanks for the feedback.