I am experiencing the VA medical system. I thought I would share my experience with other vets. Some of the employees have attitudes, but it is clean and so far all is ok.
First step is the lab.
First step is the lab.
Isn’t that the truth. My wait was almost a year.I'm fortunate to have a full VA hospital within a few minutes of the house. It's been my primary care option for the last ~18 months or so and to date my experiences have been very positive. The hardest part was simply getting into the system in the first place. Once through that, the rest has been great.
Good pointMy experience with them was nothing but positive. I had a sleep study done, and a colonoscopy. My only gripe (really picking nits here) is the suggestion to use "Country Time Lemonade" to make the colon blow medication "palatable". My experience is that McDonald's Sweet Tea (cut 2/3 regular tea to 1/3 sweet tea) was enough to kill that nasty tasting stuff's taste.
You know it is great to have good medical support at a cheap price. I guess it is not that cheap since I have the US 25 years of my life. I too am very happy with my care al be it only 1 visit.I have been in the VA system for 10 years or more and have had excellent experience with the system. We have a full-service hospital and if they can't handle the problem they send you to St Louis. There are people who come from Tennessee, Kentucky, or Missouri to our VA system because their VA system treats them not as well as the one in my area. For me, it's an A+ system. We have a VA nursing home next to the main Hospital.
pm said:Why did you start the thread on the VA?
We gave with service and deserve the best care available.
What makes you think I only know military and VA hospitals? That is a pretty bold statement. As a clinician, I have worked in all three (DOD, VA, CIV). Quality is more than that gut feeling in the bottom of your stomach as a 20 something year old on active duty.Rhetorical question. If you have only known the Army and VA medical system, how can you compare or evaluate how good it is with non-VA medical care? I served on active duty for 8 years in the Army and found the care subpar compared with what I receive now. I live near Cleveland and can visit University Hospitals or the Cleveland Clinic and get true world class care. When I had my colonoscopy last year, I didn’t have to cut the meds with country time lemonade. I was given two small packets I mixed with 8 ounces of water and it didn’t taste bad at all.
Perspective is everything.
Hoping your visit to the doctor was routine and not anything serious.
I’m glad this is your experience. Having said that, I don’t recall ANY civilian hospital making the news for ignoring patients so long that they literally died from what they were seeking care for. Are these the kind of facts you are referring to?What makes you think I only know military and VA hospitals? That is a pretty bold statement. As a clinician, I have worked in all three (DOD, VA, CIV). Quality is more than that gut feeling in the bottom of your stomach as a 20 something year old on active duty.
My last facility, for which I served as the Chief Medical Officer, had a NSQIP score (surgical outcome score) that was higher than the Cleveland Clinic and in the top 3%. That means that its surgical outcomes were superior. Our COVID survival rate at the end of the first wave in admitted patients led the country. We has lower adverse outcomes than any facility in the DOD and nearly all facilities in Georgia.
The best Orthopedic surgeons in the world come out of military training. They do sports medicine every day.
So yes, prospective is everything and so is knowing the facts.
This is the reason I haven't used the VA system yet. I have a military facility that sees me as a patient. They also share the facility with the VA so many of the services (Lab, X-ray, etc) are shared, so in a sense, I have used the VA but my primary care is done "on base." I am told it is only a paperwork drill to get "signed up" but the three times I've tried it was met with disaster. First, I was still on AD with a retirement date and they told me to come back. Second time (after retirement) they lost the initial paperwork (I haven't checked to see if I can do it online). The third was in the beginning stages of the CV so I was told to go away. So I dutifully complied and haven't tried going back yet.The hardest part was simply getting into the system in the first place.
I'd written it off for years because there was always another option via employer provided health insurance. Two years ago I took a position with a small company that didn't do that. Around the same time, I found out a family friend works at the local VA facility and her position was based around getting veterans set up with the VA. After thirty minutes or so with her, every piece of paperwork was filed and I'd gotten a walkthrough of how to use the system smoothly. That was a game changer for me.This is the reason I haven't used the VA system yet. I have a military facility that sees me as a patient. They also share the facility with the VA so many of the services (Lab, X-ray, etc) are shared, so in a sense, I have used the VA but my primary care is done "on base." I am told it is only a paperwork drill to get "signed up" but the three times I've tried it was met with disaster. First, I was still on AD with a retirement date and they told me to come back. Second time (after retirement) they lost the initial paperwork (I haven't checked to see if I can do it online). The third was in the beginning stages of the CV so I was told to go away. So I dutifully complied and haven't tried going back yet.
There are plenty of reports of CIV facilities ignoring patients. You don’t hear about it because it is not an expedient to the news and the facilities settle quickly with non-disclosure agreements. You do not get that from GOV facilities. As the CMO of system, I had to intervene for a beneficiary in a CIV facility at least once every 3 months. It is common but I do not vilify the CIV facilities or characterize them as all unsafe. .I’m glad this is your experience. Having said that, I don’t recall ANY civilian hospital making the news for ignoring patients so long that they literally died from what they were seeking care for. Are these the kind of facts you are referring to?
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/r...-of-the-vas-health-system-during-the-pandemic
https://www.cnn.com/2014/01/30/health/veterans-dying-health-care-delays/index.html
We have a beautiful new facility (not hospital) here.
It took me 3 tries to get into the system.. made too much money. Applied again after I was fully retired and got in.. cheap meds, physical, blood work, etc.. all good.
Then last month I received a letter.. I don't know where they got all the information (probably the IRS).. interest from my savings account, Social Security, etc.. and they determined that I had gone over the limit.
So now I'm responsible for copays, and judging by the email they sent, a bill is forthcoming.
Mark me down as currently unhappy with the VA.
Sorry Colonel, not flaming just think that there are few examples of the government running anything efficiently and well. Amtrack, USPS, NASA and the list goes on. I’m sure you did an excellent job when you were on active duty just like I did. But, as a Commisioned Officer who took the same oath I did to protect and defend the Constitution, surprised to hear the advice coming from you to “shut up”.There are plenty of reports of CIV facilities ignoring patients. You don’t hear about it because it is not an expedient to the news and the facilities settle quickly with non-disclosure agreements. You do not get that from GOV facilities. As the CMO of system, I had to intervene for a beneficiary in a CIV facility at least once every 3 months. It is common but I do not vilify the CIV facilities or characterize them as all unsafe. .
I would recommend that you stick to rocketry and the stuff you are an expert in than flaming something in which you are not.
Of course there are bad GOV facilities but characterizing the whole system based on a few news articles on one is just wrong.
Sorry Colonel, not flaming just think that there are few examples of the government running anything efficiently and well. Amtrack, USPS, NASA and the list goes on. I’m sure you did an excellent job when you were on active duty just like I did. But, as a Commisioned Officer who took the same oath I did to protect and defend the Constitution, surprised to hear the advice coming from you to “shut up”.
You may not agree with my view, but I should be free to express it. But then I resigned my commission in 1996, perhaps they swear fealty to the President these days. Don’t know.
Worked for the VAMC in Decatur, GA from August 1989 until December 1997 in their IT department (known as Information Resources Management Service, at the time). When I became diabetic, I visited a couple of buddies that worked in the Lab (I supported the Lab software package) and they drew blood to check my sugar with the lab equipment and compare the results with my glucometer. They did a WAY better job at drawing blood than the phlebotomists at Kaiser the weekend before.Just finished with the lab. The phlebotomist was fantastic. I did not even feel the blood draw. Best I have had in my 55 years.
Very true.If you live far away from a VA Hospital you can have your family Dr be appointed as your primary care physician. My family Dr is 4 miles away where the VA hospital is like a 2 hour drive away
The income limit is unfortunate but is congressionally mandated. Congress implemented that to maintain access for this that cannot afford it.My wife has been going to VA hospital in Vegas since it opened. It's less than 10 years old. She was diagnosed with MS about 6 years ago. She has never had anything negative to say about it. She can send a secure message to her doctors and get a response quickly. She has a shoe box of meds. We have often talked about negative comments made by others about the VA. They don't make sense compared to our experience. She gets appointments quickly. The pharmacy has been great. Every place I have taken her looks brand new. Clean and well kept. Nellis just opened a new hospital and is taking civilian patients. There are a lot of Vets in Vegas and here in Pahrump. I would say half the population are Vets here. We have a VA clinic here that has been very good to her. She can send a secure message to her provider here and get a response in a few hours most of the time. Me they wouldn't take because our income was over the limit.
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