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Back when I used VA for my prescriptions I lived in a rundown trailer park. One day my prescription delivery was left outside my trailer door easily visible from the road. If not for our dog barking I would not have known it has been delivered and it probably would’ve been stolen.
They now send out RX Shipment notifications that includes the USPS tracking number. If you have Informed Delivery from USPS, it will show on your 'Arriving Soon' package list and will change to 'Out for Delivery' on the delivery date. If it's a medication of delivery importance, I hit the notify me button on USPS site and you will get a text when it's delivered.
Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings.
So, the 18th went better than expected, much easier than I expected (of course the last time I was there was several years ago). But after that I received a phone call from the B'Ham VA and they noticed that I was not registered with the burn pit registry, so they wanted me to fil out that out and come back in for PT 2 where they ask me questions for about 45 minutes about exposure while in desert shield/desert storm. I registered for the burn pit and forgot to make my follow up, so about a week after they called me up and made the appointment with me.
Another appointment I had on the same day was with the Interventional Pain Clinic, my left shoulder, arm, and neck have been hurting since 2016. My left shoulder would start hurting, and evidently my left shoulder/arm would go numb for a few hours and back to normal. Here in Huntsville, I've had 3 MRIs completed, 2 spine doctors look at me, the only thing that really helped was my chiropractor, they could find nothing. So, I went to this pain clinic for a specific NP (highly recommended), and I explained my symptom's and situation to him, he did all his pulling and pushing and with in 30 minutes he had me diagnosed with "Long Thoracic Nerve Injury" in conjunction with a winged Scapula. He said me wearing my flight helmet and flight vest for 18 years is probably the reason for this injury.
I go back next month and he is going to trigger point shots from the scapula to my shoulder and hopefully that'll start to clear me up of this pain.
Isn't that kind of the fox in the hen house scenario ? That said, I am a huge fan of the VA Healthcare System, but if you think self reporting cannot be tainted....well....
I have seen our own (wife and I) reports of documented VA Hospital malfeasance, sent to the OIG in DC, only to be glossed over with no one held accountable. How many managers were held accountable in the scandal over scheduling at the Phoenix VA of 10+ years ago ? If I recall, the whistle blower fared the worst for his efforts to shine the light on the problems.
Bottom line...they fail like all institutions, we just hope at a lesser rate.
Veterans who are enrolled in VA health care are proven to have better health outcomes than non-enrolled veterans, and VA hospitals have dramatically outperformed non-VA hospitals in overall quality ratings and patient satisfaction ratings.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Sure.
Like the fox's report on how well he's guarding the henhouse.
If you have some kind of healthcare [even if it is the worst possible] you will do better than if you had no healthcare.
The statement is attributable to a report outlining how Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare received better healthcare (service provided to them) and more satisfying (how the Veteran felt about their care) compared to Veterans who did not use the VA Healthcare systems. Like all such reports, there is some truth and some fantasy about it.
It's pretty much accepted that the VA's provided services are generally higher than the private sector. This doesn't mean it's always better, just the availability of extensive and expansive services are a know positive with the VA system. Since Veterans are not saddled with cost considerations, there is no reason not to ask or accept whatever is offered. Because there is little to no financial consideration involved, Veterans have no reason to think of anything but the care they get. They don't have to play the deductible, co-insurance, 80-20 or whatever saddles commercial insurance considerations, they get to just focus on their health needs and care.
As for satisfaction, that is wholly dependent on location but as the VA healthcare system is an entitlement affinity operation, of course everyone who uses and/or abuses it swears its gods gift to mankind. As the affinity factor of the VA Healthcare excites the gim-me entitlement gene in many, anything that may cause anyone to consider closing, moving, shifting or modifying the program to make it more commercial based, will be met with resistance. The number one factor when looking at improvements to the VA healthcare systems that could result in care shifting is satisfaction. Asa result, it behooves everyone to say it's the best care they have ever received.
The statement is attributable to a report outlining how Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare received better healthcare (service provided to them) and more satisfying (how the Veteran felt about their care) compared to Veterans who did not use the VA Healthcare systems. Like all such reports, there is some truth and some fantasy about it.
Yes. Veterans who are enrolled in healthcare report doing better than other veterans who are not enrolled in healthcare.
That makes perfect sense to me.
I tend to socialize with many other combat vets. Most of them are one-enlistment vets, they served and they got out.
I have been told the praises of VA healthcare many times, by these friends.
As a military retiree, I have a completely different healthcare system available to me, and as such I can go into any / every doctor's office, hospital, or clinic in this state, they are all 'in-network' and covered.
I have a neighbor who many times has tried to urge me to drop out of our healthcare system and instead that I should drive 2 hours to our VA facility to seek treatment there. He can not comprehend that I can go to any MD doctor in the state with no need for me to drive 2 hours.
As you say many vets are very thankful that the VA is available, and that it is now 'free'.
I must be the only Veteran who’s not on VA Disability. I have tinnitus from two and a half years as a Huey Crew Chief and in 1978 I busted my knee playing softball in the 8th Army championship game in Korea. The injury should be documented in my medical records if they still exist somewhere. To this day I still have a twinge if I start off wrong when walking.
When I check into it the process of making a claim with the VA it seems daunting. It’s almost like they don’t want me to register. Whatever, I’ve made my way this long and there’s a lot worse off than me out there. As long as they get the help, I’m good.
Immediate post Vietnam, yep the VA was pissed that you were still alive to even apply for disability compensation. They figured is they made it hard enough or overly complicated, you just may die before a C&P exam could be scheduled. At worst, you may be strung out enough on drugs that your brain was so screwed up, you wouldn't even make it through the intake. Reality was (despite attempts to whitewash it) Vietnam veterans were treated as the enemy by the VA, service organizations, our government and the ignorant public.
Times have changed and when serving for one hour made you a hero to America, just saying you were flaking out from knowing someone who may have heard someone else say they saw a person possibly getting shot, well that was good enough for a PTSD rating.
The process is much easier and simpler now, so, if it's in your military medical records and the C&P exam verifies the disability and it meet current rating guidelines, you will be granted the deserved service connected disability from the post Vietnam era.
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