Moved And Changing Vamc's

[Guest jangrin]

Has anyone had any experience changing care from one VAMC to another. We are trying to accomplish this but we are having quite a challenge. I thought once you were in the VA system you could be seen at any VA clinic or hospital, all you had to do was show your VA card and wait in urgent care or sign up and get an appointment.

It seems having been in the system and having a VA card is not good enough, you need to carry around the DD-214 too. Has anyone else ever heard of this?

Any advise on how th change doctors and clinincs?

Jangrin

[larryjones24]

Has anyone had any experience changing care from one VAMC to another. We are trying to accomplish this but we are having quite a challenge. I thought once you were in the VA system you could be seen at any VA clinic or hospital, all you had to do was show your VA card and wait in urgent care or sign up and get an appointment.

It seems having been in the system and having a VA card is not good enough, you need to carry around the DD-214 too. Has anyone else ever heard of this?

Any advise on how th change doctors and clinincs?

Jangrin

Been there done that. Transfered from New Mexico to South Texas. Had to do the 214 thing, again, show the 100% letter. Plus, I had go through a process of being treated as if I was new to the system. wait for assignment of new doc, plus renewal of previous drugs. Thank God, the people from New Mexico kept sending my old drugs, to my new address. I even talked with my old Doc in New Mexico to see if he could grease the wheels, He was and still is the Chief of Staff there. That had no impact here, even when he called the Chief of Staff here. I did get a call from A Pt rep. Could tell from his language, he was just foing through the motions.

It took about 6 weeks, to get back to some sense of normal.

But then again had the same trouble, when I transfered from American Lake, Wa, to South Texas, and south Texas to New Mexico. Then again thinking of moving again. I just keep all my paper work on line, now. I been looking for a new RV.

[calton]

I am considering a move from San Diego to Missouri in the near future and am wondering about the transferring process and why is it so difficult? I am rated 70% with three different problems, but will these have to be reevaluted at the new VAMC, or will the ratings just automatically carry over ??

Can anyone out there reply to my concerns, so that when the time comes to transfer, I can get all the information I need in the proper order.

[carlie]

How do I change my address for health care?

Inquiry

If I move, how do I change my enrollment information?

FAQ

To change your address, please contact the VA facility at which you receive treatment, or you may also call the VA Health Benefits Service 1-877-222-8387.

http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp

Edited October 23, 2006 by carlie

[Guest rickb54]

I've moved twice, from NC to Texas and then to Georgia. It is a real pain in the ass. Both times I had to prove who I was as if I had never been treated. And don't bother taking copies of your medical records to any visits because if they are not in the va system they will not review them. I had to provide my award letters and dd214, I had to wait 30+ days for an appointment and assignment of doctor, even thought the law says no more than a 30 day wait is legal. It is a good thing that meds can be renewed on line at the VA Health cite, I received meds from texas for 10 months even though I was already getting meds from Georgia, I received so many meds I should never run out. Anyway the procedures suck, the va medical centers apparently do not have the ability to download medical records from another facility.

[Pete53]

I run out on a fairly regular basis. I don't know if it is me or the VA?

[Guest jangrin]

Thanks Everyone,

It seems the VA is NOT able to enter a veteran into thier computer from one area to another and pull up the infomation. So any time you may be away from your home area and need medical aid, you best have a copy of your "official DD-214" and picture ID and anyhting else you can think of. They will have to re-enter you into the "local" system in order for you to be seen.

After driving 1 1/2 hours to the clininc. We got to the out-patient clinic 2 hours before they closed and the very "nice ?" gentlemen at the front desk told us that we should not have come there if we wern't able to allow enough time to be seen, and if my husband could not provide his DD-214 he would not be seen anyway. We were just trying to get the NON-narcotic prescriptions filled. Does anyone know how much time were supposed to allow for a walk-in appt. ???

With all the technology you would think that they could use a software program that would track your medical condition, medications, and treatment to be accesses at any VA facility where you might need to be treated in an emergency.

It is a process to get appointments for changing PCP's and home area, and especially meds. Now we have them being mialed to a PO BOX, then forwarded from a PO bOX by a friend to another PO BOX out of state, until we get a permanent address. They will only mail NON-Narcotic meds to a PO BOX.

This is just another challenge for the veteran, as if they vets don't already have enough challenges. We're still working, to get through the maze.