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Why Does Our Spouse Get Superior Care?

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broncovet

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As most 100% Vets know, our spouse is eligible for CHAMPVA. (We are not eligible, however, for unknown reasons).

Champva enables our spouse to go to the VA for care (if approved by the local VAMC) OR go get private care as this insurance pays for it.

However, 100% Vets must go to their VA for care and dont have the choice to go for private care and have insurance pay. (Exception: Vets choice, if you meet eligibility requirment of living too far away from VA, or cant get an appointment in 30 days and get your doc to give you a note that he is too busy to see you. (As required by VA choice) Its still unclear how your doc is gonna give you such a note if he is too busy to see you and you cant schedule an appointment in 30 days.

More choices for care = Better care. So, why do our spouses who did not serve get better care than we do, when we served? Should not all Vets get "Veterans choice"? Oh, I know why! This is because VA care is substandard and VA does not want to pay for the good stuff! If the VA were truly "world class health care" they would not need "Veterans choice".

I know Vets who wont set foot inside a VAMC and they have very valid reasons for this.

Lots of Vets recommend signing up for medicare Part B. So, why should a Veteran pay for insurance (part B) if he gets VA care for free? I found out the hard way...VA care is substandard. I still can not figure out why a Vets spouse gets better care than the Veteran. Did I miss something?

Its also becoming increasingly clear VA wants to dump some of its burden for caring for vets on medicare. The VAMC always asks if we have other policies or medicare. And, even Champva insists on the spouse having Part B medicare if eligible. (Remember, Part B medicare costs about $104 per month this year, that is, if you dont have late penalties for not siging up in time.)

This means that Champva is not free for medicare eligibles. They must pay $104 per month.

I will add that I want my wife to have good medical care. Definately. I dont want them to worsen her care, I want VA to raise the level of our care.

Edited by broncovet
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I totally agree with broncovet. Wouldn't it be great if veterans could use Champva? This would solve the VA healthcare problems being experienced by veterans.

My wife and mother both have Champva and I think it is the best insurance out there. No premiums and only $50.00 annual deductibles. Both my wife and mother always use private health providers without any problems. Just about any healthcare provider that accepts Medicare accepts Champva. All of the hospitals in my area accept Medicare and Champva and about 90% of the doctors accept both.

My wife is 64 and my Blue Cross federal insurance is her primary insurance and Champva is her secondary. Between the two, she has 100% coverage except for some small copays for drugs. When she turns 65 she will have to get Medicare and pay the $104.00 per month premium. Medicare will then be her primary insurance and Champva will be her secondary. I will probably do like John and change my Blue Cross family plan to self only so my wife's Blue Cross coverage would be dropped.

My mother is 92 and Medicare is her primary insurance and Champva is her secondary. She gets most of her drugs through Champva's Meds by Mail program which provides free drugs. Basically she has 100% coverage.

Britton: You stated your wife goes to the VAMC because you all can not afford private healthcare insurance. Does your wife have to pay any copays at the VAMC with Champva? The reason I ask is because she could use most private providers with Champva and pay only the copay until she turns 65 and then get Medicare to go along with the Champva and basically have almost 100% coverage.

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We can't afford other healthcare Insure....VA healthcareless is all we have..so no choice here, some of the employess are rude and some Dr 's are also but what does one do? don't do any good to complain if you do they just make it harder on you...we just wait until were seen and get our meds. basicly that's it .

It's real important to keep in mind that private health care - at times, can be

sub-standard too.

There are tons and tons of viable malpractice lawsuits, for private health care.

Poor health care is in NO WAY limited to VAMC health care.

Also, crummy employees abound everywhere in every field of employment.

Example - 1 Mickey D's worker provides courteous and efficient service

and one day you walk into a Mickey D's and the first look you get from an

employee reads like - Awe crap - I gotta quit talking to my co-worker about

the movie I saw last night and take this sheet-heads order.

This is rampant in the US.

People want paychecks for doing much of nothing and still want to complain.

jmho

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georgiapapa ,

Yes my spouse pays 50 deduct with VA....she uses the VAMC for meds basicly /no co pay.

In 2005 she was seeing PCP at VAMC she complain to the Dr she Was having Severe pain in her back around the bra strap area, VA Dr just told her to lose weight, he wouldn't even do Xrays or MRI''s to find the problem she got no pain meds... just watch lefting things and get good night sleep ect,,ect,,take some Ibuprofen you be ok ect,,ect,,

That particular Dr had a attitude or something? she didn't like him.

So we ask if she could change Dr ..& VA Amin said Yes she can, so she ask for another Dr, this was a female Dr young Dr 30's We thought lordy mercy

If she young that means trial and error (no experience) I eat crow on that statement...

However she turn out to be the one that actually saved my spouse life that young Dr listen to her and check her out pretty good with exam...come to find out she had super hi blood pressure so the Dr order a nucular stress test same day' labs...they did the stress test she failed it badly they order another Dr in the cardio dept to do a groin catherther and they looked in her vains/heart area she had 3 stoppages main arorta was 90% blocked and two other atries was 95% blocked this was all the same day..

Since then she has had 4 or 5 MRI'S countless Xrays...ect,,ectt, with the VAMC Checking her Back and pain be to rehab swimming ect,,ect, that didn't help actually made it worse she has bone degeneration or something like that her spine is like mush the Dr said.,

After they found the blockages she was admitted to the Hospital and 3 days later had triple by pass heart surgery...so she feels committed to the VAMC for saving her life and she has just went there ever since but the young Dr is no longer there she is looking to find a private Dr that will accept champVA.

She has Osteoporosis very bad and the VA is ''trying to treat her for that but so for ain't help her to much

She checks on Private Back clinics but most won't take ChampVA without a secondary Insurance which we don't have!

My spouse just turn 60 back in Sept anyway she called around and found one Back Clinic they told her they accept ChampVA & they (back clinic) told her to go to the VA and get copies of her MRI'S and Xray's so she would not be charge for them They could look at them so we did we got hard copies on a CD from the VA.

Well we went and gave them to the private Back clinic ,,,appointment for a dx was set up...The private Back clinic called back and said if we don't have a secondary Insurance they can't see her...So we don't know what else to do other than her use the VAMC.

Sorry this is so long but my spouse sure would like to find a private Dr that will see her and take Champ VA....We can't afford insurance premium's

She has lost weight and is around 145 lbs at present she had gastic by pass surgery so her meds are limited actually she needs a specialist that knows about Bad Backs and what she can take she does take 10MG Hydro and other blood pressure meds and seizures medications from the VA. She takes quite a lot of meds Im not sure what all but its a lot!

Edited by britton
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I agree there are some good healthcare providers working for the VAMC and there are some in private healthcare who are substandard.

If a veteran has a choice between VAMC or private healthcare they should go where they think they will receive the best care in a timely manner. I realize some veterans have limited choices and have to use whatever is available and affordable.

I feel fortunate that I have a choice between using the VAMC or using private healthcare. I would just like to see all veterans have the same choice. As I stated, there are substandard employees at the VAMC and at private healthcare providers. However, the advantage with private healthcare providers is you have a lot more choices and it is easy to change from one healthcare provider to another if you are not happy with the care you are receiving. You also have more specialists available, more hospitals available, more labs and diagnostic services available, more primary care doctors available, more mental healthcare specialists available, more specialty clinics (Heart, Cancer, Ortho, etc.) available. I think you get the picture. I also have no problem getting appointments with my primary care doctor or any of my specialists. I don't have to get approval from my primary care doctor to see a specialist. I also don't have to wait for several months to see a specialist like I did at my VAMC.

Give veterans a choice between having Champva so they can use private healthcare or keep using their VAMC is all I am advocating. I believe veterans deserve and have earned the right to receive the best healthcare available. JMO

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britton,

Most private healthcare providers do require you to have secondary insurance along with your primary insurance (Champva, Medicare or private insurance) if you do not have the funds to pay your 25% copays at the time you receive the service. With Champva you also have the same $50.00 annual one time deductible just like you do at the VAMC. Does your wife also have 25% copays at the VAMC each time she has an appointment? If she has no copays, I can understand how it is more cost effective for her to receive her care at the VAMC.

Good luck and good health to you and your wife.

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