News: VA trying to keep vets from using community care under Mission Act

[GBArmy]

This is a sad state of affairs. I hope examples cited are really the exception than the rule.

As for me, I'd get on the whitehouse hot line and my Congressman ASAP if I were experiencing this BS.

[McRay]

I requested CC for a speciality dental problem. I was told there were no dentists in the community able to do this kind of work. A quick search on the internet turned up 5 dentists in the community that were capable. When I asked my dentist and patient advocate about this I was told they were not contracted with VHA. In essence, I was going 'out of network' to request community care and it couldn't be approved.

[Vync]

15 minutes ago, McRay said:

I requested CC for a speciality dental problem. I was told there were no dentists in the community able to do this kind of work. A quick search on the internet turned up 5 dentists in the community that were capable. When I asked my dentist and patient advocate about this I was told they were not contracted with VHA. In essence, I was going 'out of network' to request community care and it couldn't be approved.

Had a similar experience trying to use CC for dental over the past two years. Every time I had a cleaning or exam scheduled at the VA, they would contact me a couple of days before and push it out by a couple of months. After one cleaning I was told I needed a molar filled. After six more months repeated rescheduling, I asked for CC and they said the VAMC did not use CC for dental. After continuing this for another six months, I found some posts here on Hadit indicating other VAMCs did use CC for dental. Of course, they have to do an exam first. They said I needed an extraction because the cavity got infected. I was not happy and complained to the dental chief. CC was approved and I got seen by a non-VA dentist who found the adjacent tooth needed a replacement crown, too. They had to request permission to use gas and the crown repair which was eventually approved. After the crown was installed, I needed a replacement bite split because the old one did not fit. They had to request permission for that too, which eventually was done. In the end, the VA wasted about two years and cost me a tooth. Had I obtained non-VA dental care initially, I could have had everything done properly the first time in a span of a few weeks. Keep in mind I have been SC for a dental condition since 1995 and never before had so much trouble with VAMC dental.

[GBArmy]

This is a sad state of affairs. I hope examples cited are really the exception than the rule.

As for me, I'd get on the whitehouse hot line and my Congressman ASAP if I were experiencing this BS.

[GBArmy]

Vync You were s-c for dental??? That is unbelievable! I'd send a detailed letter to the VA Secretary and ask him what kind of zoo did he manage, with a c.c. copy to the director of that VAMC. I could see some issues but not if you are s-c. What is the advantage of being service-connected if they don't take care of the disability. Seriously Vync, I'd send it to the Secretary.

 

[pwrslm]

At some point, action to correct VA abuses need to be taken. Organization of IG complaints would be a beginning step.  If enough people presented valid complaints the IG would have little choice but to investigate.

 

Organization of the complaints in a single point would benefit complainants becuase they could turn the entire project out to the press if there were no response. 

Edited December 4, 2021 by pwrslm