VA Clinic

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17 years 7 months ago #466 by monkey44
VA Clinic was created by monkey44
does anyone know if a Vet can sign up at more than one VA clinic ... say, for example if a vet lives part-time in New England and part-time in Florida, can you be assigned to both clinics for treatment??

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17 years 7 months ago #473 by fiatspider79
Replied by fiatspider79 on topic Re: VA Clinic
No. You must select a clinic and be approved there. To go to another clinic you must go in through the emergency room or in an emergency basis.

The VA does not recognize us as truly existing and the rules for "stick owners" just don't work for us "homeless vets." No one has ever given me any reason to believe the VA will ever take our circumstances into consideration.

That said, some clinics will work with you (Lake Havasu City, AZ for instance), others will refuse to talk to you even tho you may be extremely ill. I also know of a couple of guys who have been seen at two clinics but in each case it was a fluke.

Glenn

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17 years 7 months ago #476 by monkey44
Replied by monkey44 on topic Re: VA Clinic
Have you (or anyone else) ever actually been refused treatment at a VA hospital when you asked for it??? If that happened to me, they would never hear the end of that one...

I have not ever been refused, but actually haven't gone to another clinic besides my home clinic -- when on the road, I usually use Tricare if a need, but that's pretty rare and never has been a problem, at least for myself ...

Would sure be interesting to see if a hospital ever sent a veteran away though, especially a DAV like myself.

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17 years 7 months ago #481 by FastEagle
Replied by FastEagle on topic Re: VA Clinic
the Veterans Administration is as bureaucratic as an organization can get in our country. When you walk into a clinic for the first time it will be the only time you are equal (Whale Poop). Once you establish who you are they will give you a priority. If your condition cannot be treated at that clinic they will make arrangements to have you seen at another clinic that has the ability to help you based on your priority and maybe your needs. The VA is organized into regions and if you leave one and move to another you must have all your records transferred from your old home region to your new one. Most people that complain about the VA all the time have never learned to play by their rules. They make them and they use them, so if you want to get the service you deserve from them, LEARN THE RULES. I've learned over the past 20 years of dealing with them to be humble, ask valid questions and only demand from them when you have the winning hand. Unfortunately being sick will not always provide you with the winning hand.

FastEagle

2003 Everest 363K 38' 14K
2004 Dodge 3500 STL-DRW-QC-LB-2WD-4.10-AUTO-CTD
USN Retired - PDRL
DOD Retired - Aircraft Mechanic
Part Timers with sticks in SC

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17 years 7 months ago #483 by monkey44
Replied by monkey44 on topic Re: VA Clinic
I've been a disabled vet for more of my life than I have been healthy. And never complain about that fact -- serving my country -- and I'd do it again in a second.

But, when I left the service with these injuries, the VA hospitals were and still are my primary medical facility. Most recently, the VA decided to become what is called the "primary care" model. And, suddenly instead of a system of VA hospitals that offered care to all veterans, the VA became a "one location" facility that cares for a limited number of veterans based upon a priority. So now, when I happen to be traveling and happen to get sick or injured, I have difficulty obtaining medical care.

I can say from personal experience that the VA clinics now serve veterans much better than in the past due to this exact fact -- the primary care model -- because it is more efficient (at least budget wise, which translates into better medical care in the long-run) but it does make it difficult to get care in a VA facility that is not in your home area. My comment above was aimed at a facility that would refuse service to any veteran in an emergency situation -- not if I would walk in for "Health maintenance" care ... If I fell of my bike and broke my arm, I'd expect any VA clinic or hospital to help me ... if I arbitrarily walked in for a physical, I'd expect them to send me to my "regular clinic".

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17 years 7 months ago #494 by Mustang03
Replied by Mustang03 on topic Re: VA Clinic
I've had to seek care at a VA out-of-state twice in the past year for problems related to my service-connected (SC) disability. (My home state is Washington.) On both occasions, it was my first visit, so some time was spent going through their check-in process. In both cases, there was NO problem getting care and in one case (Alaska), I was offered access to specialist consults and care beyond routine emergency/urgent care. The VAMC in Phoenix was also great when I got ill this winter, too. Got no complaints from me so far.

I do have a problem in that my SC specialist schedules me for visits every six months, which impacts our travel plans so a somtimes significant extent.

Even at your "home" VAMC, if you don't have an appointment, you're going to have to go to the Urgent Care clinic to be seen immediately. This is not so different from a civilian health care provider. Try talking to non-veterans about their problems getting health care on the road - mcuh the same as ours in many respects.

It is my understanding (anyone who has better info feel free to jump in) that the various VA regions/states have their own personnel records systems that cannot "talk" to each other, However, your medical records are accessible between regions once their individual systems have accepted you as a real person. When you go to register at a new VAMC, take proof of service. I have used my retired ID and the VA ID card I was issued in Washington. I guess a DD214 would work also, if you happen to carry yours with you.

I normally use TriCare (Standard) for problems that are unrelated to my SC problems. No problems there either.

B.N. Lavender
Capt. (LDO) USMC (Ret.)
Some people wonder all their lives if they've made a difference. The Marines don't have that problem.” Ronald Reagan

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