Va Choice Card = More Va Lies

[Vync]

I tried to use the VA Choice Card and found out that the only people making a choice is the VA. The card is aptly named.

My VAMC is lying to patients and scheduling them as walk-in's instead of bonafide appointments.

After being hospitalized out of state, I was discharged and instructed to see my primary care doctor within 7 days. I called my VAMC primary care clinic last week. They said the earliest appointment was three weeks out, but when informed about "the date medically determined by my physician" being within 7 days, they could suddenly see me one day next week. I received the robo call appointment reminder the night before my appointment. After arriving early for my appointment and checking in at both the kiosk and the clinic desk, I ended up waiting about five hours before being seen (despite being in priority group 1, 100% P&T). I checked periodically and was told I would be seen "soon".

I asked the doc what took so long and was told I was classified as a walk-in and did not have an appointment.

Has this happened to anyone else?

VA Choice Card

http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/index.asp

You have been told by your local VA medical facility that you will need to wait more than 30 days from your preferred date or the date medically determined by your physician

Actual wording of the law

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-113publ146/pdf/PLAW-113publ146.pdf

Sec101 (B)(2) the veteran—

(A) attempts, or has attempted, to schedule an appointment

for the receipt of hospital care or medical services

under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, but is

unable to schedule an appointment within the wait-time

goals of the Veterans Health Administration for the furnishing

of such care or services;

[63SIERRA]

I tried to use the VA Choice Card and found out that the only people making a choice is the VA. The card is aptly named.

My VAMC is lying to patients and scheduling them as walk-in's instead of bonafide appointments.

After being hospitalized out of state, I was discharged and instructed to see my primary care doctor within 7 days. I called my VAMC primary care clinic last week. They said the earliest appointment was three weeks out, but when informed about "the date medically determined by my physician" being within 7 days, they could suddenly see me one day next week. I received the robo call appointment reminder the night before my appointment. After arriving early for my appointment and checking in at both the kiosk and the clinic desk, I ended up waiting about five hours before being seen (despite being in priority group 1, 100% P&T). I checked periodically and was told I would be seen "soon".

I asked the doc what took so long and was told I was classified as a walk-in and did not have an appointment.

Has this happened to anyone else?

it seems like lying to veterans has become the norm, rather than the exception. Being you had an appointment, there is no excuse for you to wait that long. You have a right to be upset. They should have told you up front that it would be an all day ordeal, or told you to go to a fee based provider. This all leads to money, if the hospital lets you stray, then they cant justify thier pork barrel , gravy train budgets. My vamc gets a WHOPPING 577 MILLION a year. I would love to see where that money goes on an itemized expenditure sheet, after all, it is tax dollars isnt it, shouldnt that be public information? The VAMC should have to account for every penny spent, from toilet paper to toothpics.

ALSO this stinks of long term good ole boy understands and relationships between contractors who are doing business with the VA and hospital administrators. If suddenly company XYZ was getting all of the VAMC urinalysis tests, at 1200 a pop, (thats what they billed my buddies ins co} . and say 30 percent of veterans start getting outside care, well that doesnt jive with the promised that were made in the "agreements" .. There is a reason the VAMC want to keep ALL patients inside the bermuda triangle, and it has to lead to money. that is my opinion

Edited January 8, 2015 by 63SIERRA

[john999]

My VA has me as having had a heart attack and yet I have never seen a cardiologist. Try and see a neurosurgeon at the VA or even an orthopod and suddenly every one is out to lunch. I am glad I have private insurance. I cannot remember seeing a specialist for any of my 8 SC conditions even the ones that may kill me. I had cataracts done on Medicare. Foot surgery done at private hospital on my dime. I am asking for CT scan with contrast for my neck and my PCP says it is going to be hard to get the VA to do it. I can't get MRI due to implant in my chest. My neck and feet and lower back all have nerve issues and all I get is pain killers. I actually want to know what is wrong with me. Maybe I should forget about the VA then, right?

John

[Buck52]

Vync,

That is totally redictlous I would email Robert ''Bob'' McDonald on that! This nonesense has to stop..if it keeps happening what the hell can us vets do? Most of us depend on VA Healthcare ... I can't afford to see a Private Dr.& the majority of veterans can't.

I don't think it matters what your rating is or what group your in its happeing to all of us no matter what.

you could be a General and still have to wait for the long appointments.

Makes me sick to see a disabled Vet that needs emergency care and has to sit in ER for 12 hours. grrrr

Edited January 8, 2015 by Buck52

[Navy04]

I received that card and thru it in the old kitchen drawer. I have Tricare for life, VA 100% and SSDI insurance, and yet all they do is blame each other to see who is going to pay for the bill, WTH!!!

[Tbird]

I received a card, I can't use it, but I got one. I can't even imagine the circus I would have to go through to get approved. The only way I could get approved is if the a doc couldn't see me in 30 days and in that case I think what happened to Vync would happen to me.

Before the Choice card I've had situations where I needed to call an ambulance, first I call the VA and ask to speak to the nurse on duty, I tell her what's going and will the VA pay for an ambulance. They never were able to give me straight answer on that.

I had a circular argument with the Patients Advocate. I said the hospital diverted my ambulance to a civilian hospital and I wanted the VA to pay for it. She said they didn't refuse to treat me and I said the hospital diverted me and she said yes but if you had come here we would have treated you and I said the ambulance diverted me and she said we didn't refuse to treat you. I gave up and my niece helped me get it paid for but it took a long time and a lot of frustrating calls and runarounds.

[Notorious Kelly]

I've waited months for appointments in Phoenx, Vegas and Portland only to have them call morning of and cancel - they then wrote it down as a "no-show" until I called and argued it.

They treat the ER as a day clinic and jaded ER staff are in no hurry to process the mountain quickly.

I came up with a saying for the awful San Francisco hospital: "Don't go to the VA unless you can STAY all DAY."

The VA is the epitome of a soulless, heartless, union-infested bureaucracy that should be shut down.