What Form Do You Need To Register To See A Doctor At The Va
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During Army Veteran Joy Ilem's recent visit to the Washington, D.C. VA medical center, her primary care provider referred her to a specialist in the community for her almanac mammogram. Ilem has received her medical care from VA for the by 25 years and was a bit skeptical at first.
"When my provider told me that I needed to exist seen in the community, I wasn't sold on the idea," she admitted. "I would have preferred to wait for an engagement in VA but that simply wasn't possible in this situation."
To her surprise, she had a very positive experience. She received prompt, courteous service from her VA medical center's new Referral Coordination Team.
"My primary intendance provider said someone from the coordination team would accomplish out to assist me schedule an appointment," she said. "The coordinator called and made it easy. Fifty-fifty when I left a message because I needed to reschedule the original appointment considering of changes at piece of work, she called me back the same day and helped me get it rescheduled."
Referral Coordination Teams
Ane reason the process was easier is considering VA is using Referral Coordination Teams (RCTs). RCTs simplify the process when a Veteran's health care provider refers them to another provider, whether in VA or in the customs.
"We want to empower Veterans to brand more than informed decisions about when, where and how to receive their health care," said Marker Upton, Yard.D., and acting banana under secretary for health for Community Intendance. "Like they did with Ms. Ilem, our RCTs are providing Veterans with data about their options earlier they decide where to receive intendance, in VA or the customs. This is making the referral and appointment process easier than ever."
The teams at each facility are dedicated to connecting with Veterans quickly to improve scheduling timeliness. Team members are knowledgeable well-nigh the specialty intendance resources bachelor within their facility. They piece of work with Veterans to understand all eligibility and preferences when scheduling appointments with specialists.
Army Veteran Joy Ilem
What can Veterans expect
Teams are now being set upwardly at each VA medical eye and the new referral coordination process is substantially seamless for Veterans. Veterans can ask their provider or PACT squad for more data. They tin expect these iii changes when the teams are in identify at their location:
- More information about bachelor options for appointments, including face-to-face care, virtual care options or even a telephone engagement if that's advisable.
- An easier experience resulting in faster appointments, and an all-around better experience when providers make referrals to a specialist.
- Appointments that reverberate each Veteran'south preference for direct care in VA or care in the community.
"Veterans should know that these referral coordination teams actually are there to assistance you lot and help you through the procedure," Ilem added. "They become you the information yous demand. They know how to help you understand if you're eligible for or demand to run across a provider in the community."
Preparing for increased demand
The employ of RCTs is a critical part of VA's strategy to prepare for increased need for care afterward in 2021, as many Veterans elected to put off routine health care during the pandemic. Millions of routine procedures and appointments were canceled, changed or deferred over the past year to reduce unnecessary risks and potential exposure to COVID-xix.
Fortunately, VA was an early on adopter and pioneer in telehealth. Information technology chop-chop ramped up the utilise of virtual care, primarily video and telephone visits, when the pandemic began.
VA's use of video visits increased past more than than one,700% within fiscal year 2020. Video visits accounted for 160,000 video visits to homes in a single week.
"In-person care is absolutely the correct way for a provider to meet with a patient for many health concerns. VA will continue to provide face-to-face care," said Susan Kirsh, M.D., the executive director of VHA'south Office of Access to Care. "However, video visits are as well appropriate. They're equally equally constructive every bit face-to-face visits and frequently the preferred choice of Veterans for many other health care visits."
With increased safety measures to minimize exposure to COVID-19, VA completed more than 66 million Veteran visits in fiscal 20, including in-person appointments, telephone and video visits.
As demand for care is expected to rising later this twelvemonth, VA will go on to leverage all available intendance options to brand sure Veterans go the care they need while enabling clinicians to spend more time providing direct patient intendance.
Expanded services and admission
The expected increased demand will occur aslope VA's unprecedented efforts to provide COVID-xix vaccines to Veterans and staff. While continuing to meet Veterans' health intendance needs each twenty-four hours, VA has also already provided at to the lowest degree i vaccine to more than than 2.4 million Veterans and staff.
In all, VA has administered more than four million doses to Veterans, employees and federal partners.
VA is also continuing to address the claiming of providing care to millions of Veterans who alive in rural America. This has included calculation VA medical centers and outpatient clinics in communities where information technology makes strategic sense.
With the MISSION Act, VA has besides increased opportunities for Veterans to receive community care when VA facilities are too far away, have longer wait-times, and don't have the care services Veterans demand, or other circumstances.
Even amid the pandemic and the rollout of vaccines, Veterans have more options for health care today than at any fourth dimension in history and nigh proceed to choose to receive their care in VA.
VA has hired more 86,000 employees since the end of March 2020. That includes 18,000 registered nurses and nurse practitioners. Every bit VA puts RCTs in place across the network, we are strongly positioned to encounter Veteran's health care needs at present and in the future.
Veterans can continue to count on VA to provide the highest-quality care. Referral Coordination Teams will help brand information technology easier and faster to schedule appointments with specialists.
When Veterans have a choice where and how to receive their intendance, nosotros want them to choose VA.
Rick Flim-flam is the communications director for the VA Function of Veterans Access to Intendance.
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What Form Do You Need To Register To See A Doctor At The Va,
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I receive outstanding care from New Orleans VA. I have had several Primary Intendance Dr.'s over 7 years at their dedicated female person veteran clinic. Each 1 provided fantabulous care and treated me every bit a whole person and not a sum of my chronic medical problems. My specialist care from the physical rehabilitation dept has referred me out for neurosurgery and PT. TRIWEST had probs at times but the VA worked to resolve. Merely worked due west/ Community Care for outsourced PT….referral and approval took 5 days. I'm sorry others have had and so many problems.
I accept had first-class service from ii VA Med Ctr since 2005. 78 year onetime. They are Loma Linda, CA Pettis and San Diego/La Jolla.
In fact, with the enactment of the Mission Act I dropped my Medicare Part B. That has saved me a net of about $threescore per mo. (out of $130) because I did have to sign up for dental via VADIP for about $lx per mo.
Reading some of the complaints here is kinda scary now that I dropped the Medicare Part B tho.
Community intendance words are the farthest from the truth. They requite a remember number and never answer. When they call I asked what is going on and he says I'm but i person hither. What ever the issues are at the va please go someone who doesn't have their head up their ass. Get with it s$&t or get off the pot and allow some one who knows what the h&$fifty they are doing.
We're glad to see this post has generated such a great give-and-take about referrals to specialists and has provided real examples where we tin can improve. Due to privacy laws, nosotros can't discuss specific cases in this forum. Please speak to your provider or patient advocate about specific requests. We do understand your concerns and this is exactly why nosotros're making these changes. Adding Referral Coordination Teams at each VA medical center will simplify the scheduling process, ensure you empathise your options, and better your overall feel when it comes to appointments with specialists – for direct VA care and when eligible, for care with providers in VA'southward community intendance network.
I am a service connected totally and permanently disabled veteran, all of my wellness care including dental is 100% covered by the VA. Nether Customs choice I got routine care and had my selection of providers. Its now been over a twelvemonth since I received mental health for my C-PTSD/TBI and I've been waiting and so long on dental that small-scale cavities have developed into cracks and fries and crave crowns.
There is no point to this. All of my non-constituent wellness care is covered. I should simply exist given a TriWest card like whatever other insurance and allowed to find my own care. The VA could have saved thousands by giving insurance cards to veterans who have full coverage, instead of making u.s. wait, call, telephone call again, call again, call again, call again etc etc until the trouble is then bad we accept to go to an emergency room. Multiple emergency and urgent care appointments could accept been avoided if the VA would but permit me to make appointments with providers myself. I can empathize verifying eligibility, but in one case its verified, veterans like myself should be able to get care in a timely fashion.
Seattle Veteran with untreated PTSD.
I had my yearly physical back in July 2020, I requested to have a referral placed for my tubal ligation. I didn't recieve a call from the referral team until late September. That call was a joke. They tried to send me to a identify 5 hours away. I informed them of a place 30 minutes from me that would handle information technology. (The aforementioned hospital that the war machine sends people to all the time in this expanse) It took until Jan 2021 for them to go the referral sent to where I mentioned. I had my surgery on March 1st, bumped to a tubal removal to help ease other conditions I endure from. I received a alphabetic character from community care stating that VA hasn't covered any of the surgery costs because their referral wasn't inside the xxx day window of the procedure. half-dozen month await time for an appt and 7.v months from initial request to bodily process appointment…. and even so non covering it. The same thing happened with my yearly optometry appt. Lawton VA couldn't schedule me, then they referred me out in July 2020, wasn't seen until end of September on that referral, and yet another letter from community care stating that VA hasn't paid annihilation because it's out of network and no referral sent within the fourth dimension limits. Plus I had to pay out of pocket at the appointment and didn't even recieve all the services I would have gotten had I been seen at the actual VA. I fifty-fifty had to pay for my "gratis spectacles." This unabridged system is all a joke. I know I am not loftier priority since I'm only 70% rated, but I can't even become an appt to exist seen for my rated disabilities out here. Information technology'due south and then disheartening. I'1000 lucky to become my yearly physical, but skillful luck with annihilation else effectually Lawton/Fort Sill surface area.
1st off I love the thought of community intendance existence that I alive 2hrs from Audie Murphy VAMC. Nonetheless, the VA'due south typical bureaucratic morass has reared its ugly head once over again. Ever since it took over referrals from Triwest (not the best management group anyway) everything has come to a consummate standstill. My pain specialist put in a referral for a trial spinal cord stimulator (SCS) dorsum in mid-Oct. Whenever I would call the community intendance function I would get diverse excuses. "We accept it but we're not to it yet." "We're currently x weeks out from approving it." Then iii weeks ago I call & they tell me they never received it!!! They fabricated my Dr's office resubmit information technology & now I'm at the back of the line. This will be my 2nd SCS, 1st i for my lumbar hurting & this ane for my cervix. I started all this back in the Fall of 2019!!! Due to my intractable pain I want them both washed before having my human knee replacement surgery (canonical by VA ortho back on 31Oct19) but I don't know how much longer I tin hold out. Basically anything the VA has too much control over goes to hell. Run the program similar to Medicare where nosotros have approved Drs & facilities in the civilian sector that we can go to & present a card. Don't have to reinvent the damn wheel.
I accept been in the VA health system for over 10 yrs. Between the Minneapolis and St Cloud MN VA health care systems I accept had no issues what and then always. I charge per unit both of those facilities the all-time.
I likewise use the Minneapolis VA and take always had the all-time intendance whenever I needed it. For a rare eye cancer I was sent by customs care to the U of 1000 for cutting edge treatment. One time a year I accept to contact Community Care to renew my authorization for continuing cancer care at the U of M. Outstanding service!!
When getting a routine eye exam with my regular VA Optomotrist, Community Care again promptly( 4 days) chosen to ask where and when I wanted to go. That provider called the next twenty-four hour period to schedule an appointment!
We must exist lucky upwards hither and I Cannot say enough good about the Mpls MN VA Hospital.
My ass! Simply spent 3.5 months getting a referral…
This is most definitely a lie and very disingenuous. The process is broken. I relocated from coast to coast. Prior to moving all of my monthly appointments were virtual. I had a neat customs care provider. Since the movement, VA has stopped the care and refuses to allow me to continue the relationship I've already established. Instead, they take gone silent and yet to provide any data to help me restart much demand mental health therapy. BTW, I work for VA and know for sure this is not right! The commodity does not represent the reality.
Amen brother. This procedure is getting worse not better. I even called their community care because the 2 surgeons I was sent to disagreed on what to do. The customs intendance person told me to pray on it. WTF? And at present take been waiting for months to get my spinal injections.
It's broken not better!
You are up in the dark. Since Biden took presidency it has become even harder to get care. The VA doesn't care well-nigh your quality of life like they claim. Veterans are nothing more then the amount of funding the VA gets to keep the over run over populated facilities in business. They micromanage your care and force you to go subpar care because the hospitals and clinics accept more patients then they tin can accurately treat. They take a fourth dimension frame calculator that determines whether you can get intendance virtually you or take to drive to the facility itself. Anyone under an hour is being forced to become to a facility that when they get there a xv infinitesimal appointment takes 4 plus hours. Who finds that adequate? Some clinic's even condone other affair'southward that make you lot eligible for intendance in the community and I accept been told and I quote we are not going to refer you lot out considering we like our ortho team or we like our pain management team. Then instead of helping united states of america they inconvenience usa and make usa feel nosotros do not matter and we stop upwardly not going unless it is life threatening. Would y'all like care like this?
Hi,
Veterans should be able to go to exterior medical facilities of their choice. Such as, UCLA, USC or whatsoever other beginning rate Hospitals. There are people on welfare going to height rated Hospitals and veterans should exist a priority. We veterans have fought for this country and we deserve the " VERY Best"
God Bless America no one else will!!!
I am currently waiting 6 weeks for two outside provider referrals and this is not the first fourth dimension this has happened. It happens repeatedly.
The VA Is supposed to provide y'all with the option of a community care service referral if they can't provide in house VA service within 30 days. If you lot are having problems with getting a customs
care referral to an exterior provider call the VA complaint line in Washington DC. Their numbers are 1-855-948-2311 or 1-202-456-1414 and this avenue is the equivalent of a Congressional Inquiry. I've used this artery on numerous occasions with extremely effective and rapid results. I'm guessing a lot of veterans exercise not know this number exists. The VA does non advertise the availability of this avenue. I highly encourage any veteran who is experiencing issues with the VA to employ either number (aforementioned location) to get results….it works!!!
I have all but given up on the VA. First, they refused my Kidney Transplant based on age and an aneurism ( considered medium). The University of Washington took me in, and using Medicare and tri-care for life, I now have a expert Kidney. I also had a Sciatica operation done by UW Hospital using the same Medicare and Tricare. All of this because the VA will find an excuse to not aid the veteran, and the outside sources volition find an excuse to get it done. I know other 100% disabled vets that volition not become to the VA as the supposed improvements and faster service is for newspaper stories and do not use to Veterans. We all use our Medicare Tricare to go the help nosotros need.
Understand why the VA does non desire the responses published. It volition be too damning to them.
I will not always recommend VA wellness care to any veteran if they accept any other choice.
The VA treats veterans with a "herd" mentality. In other words, medication and procedures that are proficient for one veteran are good for all with the same status. BUT, medications and procedures that are non expert for one patient are taken abroad from all other veterans. The VA has suspended medications on me twice with no contact from my provider or whatsoever other VA employee. Ordered meds by calling the VA pharmacy, every bit I always practise. Meds did not come. Chosen the Chemist's again. Was told that the VA no longer issues these meds. Was given no alternative treatment or advice. Also, my team in Dublin, Ga. changes their main provider just near as ofter as I change T-shirts. Never get to build a relationship with any provider.
I do non and never volition trust VA for my health care. I cannot afford to be kicked out of the VA system because I do accept a lot of medicine that VA covers. The VA organization is just similar whatever other federal bureaucracy. They provide high paying jobs ford those that cannot find employment elsewhere. Problem is, they provide poor quality wellness care, very poor communication. and could care less about those that accept fought for THEIR liberty……..
I keep struggled with the Phoenix VA for customs cardiology intendance. VA sent me to this doctor over three years ago. I take angina. Whenever I need regular or emergency care,
there's, too often, is a problem with having an Dominance for customs care in place. I have been turned away at the doctor's office, had a procedure followup for bandage/stitching removal denied and I've been threatened by collection agencies for nib payment of some of these services. I have asked too many folks at the VA for a permanent authorization, since I am rated 100% Disabled because of my Heart. But, the answer is always a "Definite, No Mode"!
I feel like they recollect I'thousand going to dice, anyway. So, why bother.
HOW SAD It IS THAT THE VA CAN Non PREFORM Information technology MISSION. ALL SICK VETERANS GET IS MOKE Smoke Blown Upwardly THEIR Donkey. Fifty-fifty More than SAD IS THE FACT THAT THE FORIEGHN MEDICAL SERVICE PROMISES TO REEMBUERSE FOR OUR Exterior TREATMENTS BUT NEVER DOES. NO WONDER And so MANY TIRED VETERANS JUST Give up AND END THEIR MISERY WITH A SLUG TO THE Head! WHAT A SAD SAD STORY.
The VA sucks. If you lot really become a live person on the phone, y'all are speedily transfereed to a dead stop. Specialty care referrals are a joke, the VA takes so long to approve, a person could die before being authorized for care. Our veterans deserve better than this crap.
Depends on the process you used to request a referral
I have parallel neuropathy, information technology's now spring from my easily and feet to upward my legs and chest I have requested a community doctor referral as of iii weeks ago and I have not heard anything from the VA they continue going to give me Gapatin prescription which just mass the problem and not resolve the outcome. There is a treatment eye in the community that assures me that they tin reverse my type 2 diabetes equally it relates to my neuropathy just it was seem to exist actually want to continue giving me medication rather than resolve my issue. I've been to free VA ane in Memphis one in Detroit and at present we're here in Texas I accept no problem with the VA they have been wonderful by me but when information technology comes to community referrals when it takes one to two months if not longer to get a video date club for years and even so have not resolved the issue I think information technology'southward fourth dimension to allow the community doctors to practice their work.
Persistence is ever the key when dealing with the VA. In the case of medical care, e'er know your rating and care tier so you know what your priority is.
https://www.va.gov/health-care/eligibility/priority-groups/
Know your rights, ie the mission act etc.
https://militarybenefits.info/va-mission-act/
When you become a no, ask why. If they hem and haw, and yous refer (know your rights), entreatment to a supervisor.
Ever, e'er be nice, cordial, and cooperative; it will get you further (trust me, I know).
I accept experienced nigh every VA region in the country, and there are expert ones and bad. NJ, Albuquerque, Houston regional systems; terrible. Northern California and Tennessee regions; as skilful, if not better than private wellness providers
Your mileage may vary.
I agree with everyone of these reply
Veterans im 100% disable. I am told now no referrals in the private sector so where do I go to become referral for real i have read over and over from higher up ppl workin at the VA but nobody that has this problem are regular vet and we cant become things like this VA web log and ppl like this has no ideal what we have to thru . instance i wanted to see hurting management so i got appt and he was simply offering shots I gauge it was steroid shot i want something unlike main doc said pitiful o sent y'all there and you Reject and I volition not be sending you out to the private sector
WHAT???? where practise we observe a PACT person? Thanks
I am a cold war veteran, I served from 1975 to 1990 and got out of the ground forces on a medical discharge and accept been dealing with the VA ever since. The VA is a joke. They had television receiver ads not to long ago saying how us vets love the VA and our intendance that we receive, it is a bold face lie. In 2018 I had a tkr(total human knee replacement) , done by the VA at a VA hospital in Denver, Colorado. After fighting with the VA for twenty years most it. Well the cement that they used to secure the caps (every bit they call them) had expired so they did not set. The caps kept turning aroung the bone and was destroying the bone, the told me to live with it. I finally got a referral from Community care to see a specialist outside of the VA virtually it. After a revision surgery(a new articulatio genus with metal rods stuck in the bone, above and below the knee), I am a lot better. I hate the VA care, and I honey the Community Care the but problem with it is information technology has simply a yr authorization for it. My community intendance DR is great, he puts referals in for my care with specialist and they get approved. We have a CBOC (Community based outpatient clinc) with a FNP who does just triage. My wifr who is 100% disabled has to go to Denver which depending on weather and driving conditions tin can take up to 6 hours to go there, instead of being able to use the hospital here in the customs. The VA is a joke. They do not care about the veteran at all.
I besides feel there is a lack of care and followup. After 40 years of VA and the lack of a listening ear I choose to keep an additional physician locally.
Just recently my VA doc stated she requested for me to take a CT scan and telescopic washed locally. When scheduling chosen they said that was non what was entered. I live 85 miles from the VA hospital. I have splendid healthcare which is charged either fashion. My treatment other than the CT is paid 100percent by my insurance too as my mammograms.
Last time i used VA to schedule a mammogram information technology took weeks to get date just to get in and find the VA had not followed upwardly. Luckily they accepted my insurance and said the old Choice program charged peoples insurance anyway.
I tin pick up the phone, schedule my own and have appointment scheduled aforementioned day.
Im tired of beingness led astray. I will continue followups with VA due to being a Campsite Lejeune vet. Otherwise Ill detect care locally. Some Option eh?
Whatever happened to rural areas being assisted?
Why does the people hired by Regime act every bit if at that place are improvements making appointments, referrals better. They are no better than they were 2 years ago. They collect their paychecks and don't really care about whether the Veterans are taken intendance of. I haven't used the VA much because I was still working full-time. Now I'yard retired and seem to go the run around when trying to speak to my Doctor. I gave 20 years of my life to protect my Country, they could at least help me when it's needed.
My "master" told me direct out, at that place is no possibility of a referral outside of the arrangement in NJ, I did try but the requests never went anywhere… after 3 years of begging for pain relief I went outside the system on my own and found surgical and medication relief in curt order. I accept stopped using VA care for annihilation but prescriptions… it is a shame… De Opresso Liber.
I am disappointed in the VA services. It's either the appointments are so long to get one or my needs haven't been met. I don't know well-nigh the referral team. I can't run into my provider on a zoom call. I can't update my healthy Vet or the portal. And I tin't find a counselor to update my benefits. At that place needs to be more data available!!Even when I had my Covid19 Vaccine, they didn't want the paperwork virtually symptoms I had after both Vaccines and didn't know anything about an antibody examination!!
As a 100 percent disabled vet I could not fifty-fifty get the dental clinic on the phone when I needed a tooth pulled. I went to a outside insurance company, bought a small program and had the work done by a good dental role. Yes I had to pay some out of pocket expense, simply the hurting is gone. VA is scrap in a lot of things they say and do!
G O D Preclude, That I should take my 3rd Heart Attack, & I practise Not reside about VA. Capeesh knowledge in knowing I'd be accepted at Local Hospital?!! Since I am UNABLE to speak with my VA Dr. Profoundly appreciate an answer dorsum. Many TNX.
I've had nothing only excellent service from the Nashville V.A.
Tin can't the VA c by all the comments that they're not doing anything for the veterans I've been waiting for a referral and I'll nevertheless be waiting because they don't care. I'm a 100% service connected and it makes no divergence it just seems like they all act like you're wasting their time the doctors are groovy that's not a trouble the trouble is the VA assistants if they would burn down all of them and hire veterans to practise the job maybe we can get some assist
The VA should exist abolished and Veterans should be able to go to whatsoever provider they want to get to. The VA sent me to a hurting clinic that was a seven hour round trip for me. I'm already in terrible back pain then I have to drive 7 hours. In that location are clinics 30 minutes abroad from me withal I accept to go where the VA says. Almost clinics and dentists don't want to take VA patients due to the paperwork and extremely late payments from the VA, this gives Veterans few choices for care. Give u.s.a. the rights we fought for. Give usa the best medical care bachelor, we earned it!
Sussex County Delaware is 70 to 100 miles. They are not telling Vets nigh Community Care and go along pushing old very sick veterans to Wilmington Med Center.
I have received medical care from the VA since 1996. I have never had the problems I am experiencing now. I understand that Covid has inverse things. However, my main care provider passed away last summertime. My new provider is a Nurse Practitioner or a PA. Not sure which. Only prior to my my previous provider'southward passing she had referred me to an exterior specialist for a biopsy of 9 nodules on my thyroid with an outside provider. Thankfully, they were all beneficial. The md from the VA that called me said that they would continue to monitor my thyroid function with blood tests. Notwithstanding, when I had my telephonic date with my new main care provider, she did not lodge the exam nor did she fifty-fifty mention it in the telephone call. From the chat, I deduced that she had not read or possibly not fifty-fifty looked at my file prior to the phone call. She certainly did non know my medical history or what my medications were for. I had to ask her to renew medications. She did renew some of them but not all of them. I needed to transport a bulletin, through "my salubrious vet", to asking the others be renewed. In the past, I take received my annual mammograms from a community provider. When I received a notification from that provider that I was due for my annual, I first called and tried to schedule with the provider, paying with medicare/tricare for life. She said she could not schedule it without a referral from my provider. I e-mailed my provider request for a referral. I was told it was done. However, subsequently 3 weeks, I checked back with the community provider. They had not received a referral. The scheduler from the community provider had tried to contact the VA to become the referral. She told me no 1 called her back. Later on my 2d call to her, she contacted another individual in the VA who told her to go ahead and schedule it and she would get the referral from the doctor and forward it. Finally, information technology has been scheduled for 4/16/21. Half dozen weeks after it was due. On another occasion, I had sent an due east-postal service to my new doctor request to be seen due to swelling in my leg that had persisted after a metal gate came off of the hinges and barbarous on it. Someone from the clinic chosen me back and just scolded me for not going to the emergency room when it happened and said they were not taking whatever engagement. I emailed again asking if I could come in every bit a walk-in when I was scheduled for my 2nd covid shot. I said I was concerned that there could be a blood clot. I was told to come in. When I got there, it was on a Mon, I was told that the clinic was closed. I explained that I had been told I could come in as a walkin. The nurse, who usually does the screenings, checked the emails, saw that I was told I could come in as a walkin. However, the doctor was working at another dispensary and was not available. When she tried to call her, the doctor did not return her calls. The nurse finally contacted y provider's supervisor, who agreed that it could be a blood jell, and arranged for me to go to the emergency room for testing. Thankfully it was non a clot. But, my primary care provider was unwilling to even return the nurse'south call, let alone see me. Since I have been receiving my intendance at the VA, I take never had a primary intendance provider who seems to have so picayune business for me as a patient or who sees her chore as only treating injuries or problems the patient enquire southward well-nigh, like going to a noncombatant dispensary for treatment of a recurring sinus infection. All of my other VA primary care providers would discuss test results, inquire about my general health, talk over life-mode issues that I could benefit from. They seemed to actually have read my medical history. But not this new provider. As I get older ( I am now 71) it is even more important for my provider to care for me every bit a whole person, not just a specific complaint. The same thing happened when I went to my lipid clinic date. My provider of many years retired. At each appointment, nosotros discussed changes in my exam results, tried to figure out what acquired the changes, and then she would make dietary recommendations and hash out whether a modify in medication was warranted. My new provider, a swain, but gave me my examination results. Some of the numbers had gone upwardly. When I tried to get recommendations from him as to whether, a change or increment in my medication was warranted, he only asked me what I wanted to do about information technology. Again, I don't believe he had not even looked at my records prior to my engagement. I am non a physician, I depend on my provider for medical communication. My new providers, simply don't seem to intendance. They see me as an old woman who they merely want to placate. And, as I said previously, the older I get it is more important now for my providers to have a whole person approach to my care and then at anytime in the past. Prevention of illnesses in their elderly patients, which only happens if they take a "whole-person" approach, is critical for our futurity health and well-being. I am more than fortunate than a lot of my peers, and am still in relatively good health. That is considering, upwardly until now, my providers worked on prevention and provided sound advice regarding lifestyle changes that would help me maintain my health and lifestyle. One provider told me, later on I had gained over l pounds, my blood pressure had skyrocketed, and my knees were buckling from the backlog weight, that she could prescribe medication to treat these problems, merely she could guarantee me that if I fabricated some lifestyle changes (basically good for you eating, practise, etc.) that I would live longer. From that signal forward, I accept tried to follow that advice and all of my doctors have helped me and encouraged me to do just that with only the minimal medications necessary. Information technology seems that era in my care is gone and I am just some other elderly patient they are forced to run into. It is very frustrating.
I have had then much problem getting the V.A. to do anything just drag their feet .
V.A. talks the talk simply don't walk the walk .
I trust the Five.A. as much every bit I trust people's republic of china ———- Non .
My spouse's dentist sent me a letter stating how the VA never paid for preauthorized intendance and proceedures and then now he needs to notice a new dentist. The referral system is a nightmare. I want to know their definition of "easier".
My spouse'south psychiatrist put him on meds he reacted badly to and would non tell me (I accept release of info) what med information technology was they added that was causing so many things. Even after he got locked in a psych ward the psychiatrist would not help. Then two meds were removed and he was sent home to withdraw at habitation and almost 3 months later he all the same hasnt talked to his psychiatrist ….
aye the VA is sooo like shooting fish in a barrel to become referrals and assist…they do not care if yous well-nigh die in their care…
I 100% agree! I have a broken pes bone, where it'due south located requires a CT. I called my PCP ii weeks ago and got a referral to podiatry final Th. Podiatry did new X-rays, I have yet to hear a discussion about the results or when they volition go around to scheduling a CT… meanwhile I still can't walk on my human foot!
Anytime perhaps the VA healthcare volition be proficient again, so far I am not convinced with their change to Optum insurance and the insurance BS of having to have an Ten-ray, then a CT, then an MRI.
I also have been denied appointments and there are times the medical care is so bad here in New Mexico that I refrain from fifty-fifty asking. This community intendance matter is for the birds. I can't even get my teeth cleaned at the VA let along a referral for the local dentist.
I am an one-time Roswell guy. I was in the Albuquerque system for years with nil results and finally went to private Healthcare where my issues were addressed and resolved within 2 years. I attempt feel your pain, simply proceed with it!
I take the article by Mr. Fox as aspirational. In other words, I recall the VA is moving in the right management to make outside referrals easier and quicker. But experience in the field isn't upwards to par all the same. I had a referral for a diabetic centre screen recently in Las Vegas that was messed up from the word go. After 3 or 4 weeks, the provider canceled on me and I had to reschedule at the main VA facility for three+ months later on, due the backlog in optometry due to Covid. Not enough RC team members trained at VAMC, and outside provider not sufficiently briefed, I believe. Go along working on improvement, delight.
In 2005 I had a massive middle assault which resulted in having open heart surgery on an emergency footing at an exterior hospital. They did a 3 bypass procedure. I was told I would be taking sure drugs for the rest of my life.
In the Fall of 2017, the local VAMC performed a surgical procedure called "'cardiac catheterization'.
After the heart scan, the surgeon told me since there was no sign of any blockages or whatsoever other problems, I did not need to have any more than of the meds I had been taking for my eye, namely 81mg. aspirin, atenolol and Lisinopril.
Equally ordered, I stopped taking them.
In July 2019 I had another eye attack, went to a unlike outside hospital. Subsequently doing the Cath examination, I was told that two of the bypasses placed in 2005 were totally blocked, and I needed some other open middle procedure performed.
At age 83 years erstwhile, I did not want to do that again.
After telling the Dr. what I was told in 2017, to stop my heart meds, he said that was probably why I had my 2nd attack.
We agreed to place 5 stents in the eye, up through the groin, instead of open up heart.
Now, The VA wants me to have the local VAMC accept over with follow upward procedures, instead of my seeing the exterior Dr.
that placed the stents exercise it, since an inhouse Cardiologist is bachelor.
Whatsoever suggestions, anyone?
Make sure all records from outside go transmitted to your VA docs and files; it creates an inspect trail and liability trend. I honestly would not change back to VA unless you lot absolutely take to for the middle as they already proved, to you, they are not capable of managing that aspect
Only my 2 cents
I had three VA doc appointments scheduled merely to exist cancelled three times on short discover by the VA. I and then requested in writting a waiver to be seen by a customs doctor. No response from the VA was ever received back. Is this an exception or norm? Does the VA actually know?
Whenever I ask for a referral information technology is usually denied. I did manage to obtain one about a twelvemonth agone for x-rays of my feet. Even so, since and then my GP/other VA employees reject to refer me. I am a senior denizen veteran who does not similar to travel far for an appointment. I feel I am risking my life driving to the VA hospitals from Bergen County NJ. In the concluding few months I accept had 2 collisions with my motorcar which required torso work to the car. I recently accept had cataract surgery and am getting used to my new lenses. I take ischemia and take seen several cardiologists at the VA. I feel very uncomfortable driving, and every fourth dimension I state this to the VA, they still pass up a referral. There is a infirmary merely two mi. from my dwelling in NJ in NY. That is Proficient Samaritan Hospital in Suffern NY. I wish I could obtain all of my medical services from them.
I don't know nigh others, merely I have to talk to 5 dissimilar people before I tin go an date, and usually I'grand told that its not important and I can wait. I went into the hospital in July 202O and when I got out, the VAMC told me I didn't need to be seen past my cardiologist, even thought that was what the hospital wanted – a total follow up with my chief cardiologist. This is why I have to take a dr in the community because VA constantly dismisses my requests for appointments.
Importance is in your eyes, not theirs. Keep upwardly the good fight and learn your rights and escalation paths through supervisors