Do you use VA Clinics? Why do you go there?

[Valk]

Is it just me or does the VA clinics leave a lot to be desired?

I often think “the system” (if you can call it that) is designed to discourage you from participating or receiving treatment for a service connected disability.

Prescriptions always run out BEFORE your next appointment. Prescriptions can also expire without you having a clue as to when that occurs. That means yet another call to the overworked pharmacy where, in my experiences, may be the only department of the clinic, that does actually care.

I always apologize first thing when I call the pharmacy, because they receive these unnecessary phone calls everyday, all day long.

The pharmacy has to send a request to the doctor each time you run into a problem with refills. You never know how long that will take. You can call the doctors team, but no one will answer the phone, you will be forced to leave a message, and absolutely no one will call you back.

My blood pressure is usually off the charts when the nurse checks it before I see the doctor. She often tells me that I will have to return everyday (a 35 mile trip one way) to monitor it. I told her I do monitor it myself and it is normal. I asked if she ever considered that the high level may be related to the 3-4 hour wait to see the doctor.

I do realize this happens with private doctors and pharmacies, but they are most always resolved the same day.

In the past, after you saw the doctor, you made another appointment at the desk. Now they will make an appointment after you leave and you will not know what date it is.

[AEA]

I use them. But I am in pretty good health and all I need them for is an Annual Physical and new ONE YEAR prescription for Blood Pressure and Lowering Cholesterol pills that I get by Walmart Mail Order (10.00 each for 90 days supply). Much cheaper than the VA price.

I'm pretty well convinced that they view blood pressure levels much differently (depending on who you are talking to). I got tired of them telling mine was too high and that they wanted to increase the medication. I knew they were wrong as I too monitor myself at home with a meter that they supplied.

Now every year BEFORE I go in for the Annual, I fill out a spreadsheet with BP readings taken twice a day for at least 30 days before the appointment. I make sure I show this to the Nurse when checking in and then I personally hand it to the Doctor when in the exam room. This has really put a stop to them about this. We all agree that I have normal BP (under current Meds) and nothing more is needed.

Last years visit, they called and told me there was a spot on my xray and I need to consider quitting smoking. I said I will consider it. But i enjoy smoking. So this next visit I will simply ask them about who interpreted the xray and did they bother to look and compare the previous 3 years xrays??? We shall see what their answer to that is.

[snatchel]

I completely understand. I despise this broken system.........

Some advice: When I run into trouble with them, I will call exactly 2 times, and give them a week to fix it. Be sure to document phone calls & emails. If at the end of 1 week the problem is unresolved, I write my Congressmen and he fixes it--usually takes less than a day.

I use the VA as little as possible. My school (Angelo State University) has a clinic that is run by a Nurse Practitioner. She is a beast, and is amazing. I go see her for most of my issues...flu and the like. I go to the VA for checkups and for anything that requires a prescription.

[Valk]

One of the best and most prescribed drugs for cholesterol is Liptor. I have been taking it for years. The VA doesn’t have it. A couple of months back it went generic and I thought for sure they would finally get it. Nope!!

The really new and good drugs aren’t in their formulary. The doctor always says, “too expensive”. I remember a time when he sat me down and showed me how much a particular drug I was taking cost “because the government buys so much”. It was 6 cents as opposed to 8 cents a piece. He gave me the larger dose and said to cut it in half. The math works, but when you try to cut a pill that is not meant to be cut, the outcomes vary.

[Jumping Frog]

Just a sneak preview of how Obama "care" will be for the entire country.

[SewTexas]

I take my in-laws to BAMC almost weekly....it's not ideal, it's honestly not what I would recommend for anyone who does not need to go to the doctor on a frequent or a VERY in-frequent basis (does that make sense?) the reason I like? it for my in-laws is they are in their mid-80's and have appts in sooooo many different clinics, BAMC is able to keep all of their records in one place so each doc can read what another doc said....and all labs are avail to everyone.

The Pharmacy....is a problem....when I first got here he wanted to go onto Ft Sam, he'd had to wait hours once in the hospital I guess and it stuck in his craw....well, it took waiting well over an hour in over 100 deg temps (and he wasn't the only elderly person) I refused to take him back over there, we get everything in the hospital now...and the wait isn't so bad anymore, it can take an hour but at least it's air conditioned. Yes, you have to call ahead and wait 5 days, but that's one of the things you have to adjust for to get the free meds on base. One of the docs told my father-in-law that if a particular med was needed they would get it but it might take a while.

[Valk]

I go mostly for the meds. The meds that are for my service-connected disability are free. My other meds, I have to pay an $8 co pay. What’s really funny (not really), are the dosages they come up with. I have diabetes and I’m supposed to check my blood sugar 3 times a day. I can get the test strips, but the VA only allows 1 test strip every other day!!

[SewTexas]

Valk, you have SE Texas as your location....that's a big area and can be interpreted even bigger, are there any military bases you can get accepted on? I'm guessing Houston area, so I'm guessing not, if you're any closer, you might consider coming down to BAMC, alot of folks come from all over Texas.

if you're in the tricare "system" rather than VA then you don't have to worry about how many strips you use per day or anything else. Heck, you want claritin, benadryl? it's free too. (yeh, sometimes I get a little bitter about what all they get for free when I just want to get my meds when and where "I" want them)

[Heartland Patriot]

Just "getting in the system" this year, got my initial blood work and physical done. Not a lot wrong with me, thank goodness, and I really don't want to tie up a lot of services that those who truly need them could be using. But, after 20+ years around jet engines, my hearing just isn't so good anymore. I wanted to get it checked as I now have trouble hearing human voices when there is any real background noise. The Ft. Worth clinic is a VERY nice, new facility. The people seem friendly enough...but I'm having to wait about 1 1/2 months to get it checked. We'll see what happens...I'll come back and update this thread once I have my appt.

[jimlongley]

VA has denied me "membership" (for the lack of a better thing to call it) because my income level is too high. I just wish I knew where all that income is.

I went up to Bonham and sat for 4 hours just waiting to apply, because they didn't have anyone there who knew how to run "the machine" (a device to take photographs of applicants). When I was finally waited on it was almost closing time for that office and the young lady was obviously put out that she would have to stay late to take care of me, despite the fact that she sat and did nothing but fiddle around several times between 1pm and almost 5 when she finally "noticed" (my wife went with me) that we were there. AND THEN I STARTED THE PAPERWORK, which I could have had all filled in if I had had it to work on.

Got down to the income verification part of the form and she wanted to know why I hadn't brought a tax return with me and I told her that I didn't think I was buying the place, all I wanted was an ID card. She got a little upset and told me that she stayed late just as a favor to me, and things started to threaten to get ugly until my wife calmed me down. I took the, unfinished, forms with me and went home to finish and fax them in, and two days later, after receiving several busy signals on their fax number, I had almost decided to drive back up there and present the forms when I got a letter in the mail indicating that they were denying me VA coverage because they had determined that my income level was too high.

I went back up later and they couldn't put me in contact with anyone of authority to talk to about the situation, he wasn't there and nobody knew when he would be in, and they wouldn't give me a name so I could call and check, and of course if you start to get insistent, they say things like "If you want any help, you will have to calm down, Sir!" and pointing out that they are not helping at all seems to just irritate them more.

The last trip up, my wife and I took a load of donations to the veterans' home up there, which we have done in the past, and as we left I noticed a large plume of smoke in the sky. There was a house fire just a couple of blocks away and we arrived just about the same time as the apparatus. The officer in charge would not give me a leader line and let me protect an exposure, so we stood around with the gawkers for a while, took some pictures, and then left to go to the farm store, another reason we go to Bonham regularly.

One of these days I will get around to talking to my congressman about it, but it's not all that important, I don't need the medical, all I wanted was the ID.

[jimlongley]

Just "getting in the system" this year, got my initial blood work and physical done. Not a lot wrong with me, thank goodness, and I really don't want to tie up a lot of services that those who truly need them could be using. But, after 20+ years around jet engines, my hearing just isn't so good anymore. I wanted to get it checked as I now have trouble hearing human voices when there is any real background noise. The Ft. Worth clinic is a VERY nice, new facility. The people seem friendly enough...but I'm having to wait about 1 1/2 months to get it checked. We'll see what happens...I'll come back and update this thread once I have my appt.

Yeah, and when I went, decades ago because of shooting five inch guns with cotton for hearing protection, they eventually told me that my hearing loss was normal for a man of my age, 25!

[barstoolguru]

I go all the time, they have a good system and have made good progress in cleaning up ( in Dallas) my doc will not see me until I give blood and a urine sample to be analyzed (preventive program) no matter what your income level is they never charge more than 50.00 for the day (15.00 follow ups) and 9 dollars per a prescription

Someone mention they refused them because of a high income level. I have never heard of that but my woman was in the National Guard and she can't get medical attention there because she was not a full time solider

[Valk]

Do you guys receive disability compensation?

[n5wd]

According to the VA guidelines, I'm eligible for disability and treatments secondary to early onset diabetes thanks to Agent Orange exposure while in Vietnam.

But, after taking patients to the Fort Worth, Dallas, and Waco VA clinics/hospitals/medical centers while working on an MICU ambulance in the Fort Worth area, the stories I heard from the patients and their families, and what I saw with my own eyes, makes me want to avoid the VA system as much as possible. It's not wholly the staff's fault - it's the Congresscritters who won't fund the VA system like it should be funded to take care of those who served our country. It's a disgrace, and everyone in this country should be ashamed of the VA.

[jimlongley]

. . . Someone mention they refused them because of a high income level. I have never heard of that but my woman was in the National Guard and she can't get medical attention there because she was not a full time solider

The "Financial Eligibility Calculator" is now online, and apparently my phone company pension combined with my pay from Home Depot put me over some threshold. http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/app ... alculator/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;