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I am a Vietnam-era veteran. I volunteered for the Army when I was 18, and I was trained as a Tank Gunner. In 2013 , because of my hearing, I filed for a hearing disability with the VA and at the same time I went to my local [provider] for hearing aids. It took 4-5 months for the VA to turn me down. I called the claims department and asked how long until I could get an additional answer. The answer... 1 year! To me it's not about being turned down. It's that I can't get an answer in less than a year! You can die before you get an answer.
My wife drove me to the ER. After over an hour in the waiting room, I was triaged. The triage nurse accused me of being a "diabetic drunk on a bender." In reality, I was septic according to the symptom checker behind the triage nurse. I was dying, and the ER tried to discharge me. My wife chewed up and spat out enough VA employees to have me admitted. I was placed in a room with very little oversight by medical staff. Nurse supervisor finally comes to my room, checks my chart, and states, "What the f*** is he doing here, he's septic, he has to be in ICU." Doctor comes in behind, same quote, I wound up in ICU. 9 days later, one emergency surgery, double pneumonia, collapsed lung, c-dif infection multi system organ failure (more than once), and I was released after 12 days inpatient in Albuquerque.
If my new career ever takes off enough where I have the cash to go to a private doctor, I'll ditch this clown show and advise every veteran I can think of who has the means to do the same.
The VA has been very good to me. Occasionally one runs into a hiccup but it is usually easily fixed.
Honestly, I would get better medical care from a medical student than the military and VA doctors who were quick to dismiss any and all concerns.
My most recent fight deals with my failing physical health and how it’s going on 3 yrs and I’ve still not gotten in to see a dr. The VA has canceled appointments on me 3 times, I’ve lost 2 of my drs., tried asking them to let me see a dr. in the community and all I get for that is I don’t qualify.
I have been going to VA medical since 2005. It has been the worst care I have had. Every once in a while I get a doctor that is really good, but then there are the doctors that my wife and I have to fight with to get things done. We have to fight to get sent out to the community to actually get things done. I feel that anymore we are herded in and out like cattle. None of the doctors actually listen to what you are concerned about. I also haven’t got into my mental health for therapy since before Covid started. Every time I call I get the same response, we are backlogged so it will be 6 or more months. I ask about being sent out to the public and I get the same response I have to see my caregiver social worker but I can’t see her for like 7 months or more. I really have no idea of what to do.
In 2008, he had a heart transplant at a hospital (NON VA) here in Dallas. As a result, he was required to take very expensive immunosuppressant drugs. The VA decided to us send a means test to see if we made too much money to be covered. At the time, the dollar amount was $40,000.00 per year. Hardly a lot a money. At the time, I was making about $50,000.00 per year. Consequently, the VA said we made too much money and cut off my late husband's VA benefits. My husband died in 2010. Despicable treatment for a veteran who proudly served his country.
I have to say my VA experience has been nothing but good, however I have many vet friends who are now in their 70s and early 80s who have had nothing but very poor service or none at all from the VA.
I will NEVER depend on the US Department of Veteran Affairs again. Never again.
Living in the most rural area in the US with my nearest VA hospital being 5 hours away I battle continually with my PCP denying basic health care screenings using the Mission Act. So many congressional inquiries. I have ended up paying for my own health care. My PCP blocks all attempts to refer me to cardiologist, rheumatologist and gastroenterologist. My PCP denying all referrals into the community has led me to be chronically ill. I now suffer from heart failure which could have been prevented if there was early detection
For the last several years I have been dealing with a chronic medical condition. The VA misdiagnosed my condition and it got much worse. An outside doctor correctly diagnosed me and I am now in the middle of the arduous disability claims process. It has been mentally strenuous, and I have wanted to just give up several times over the last few years. I’ve never seen an organization that is more confusing, broken, and adversarial than the VA health care system. I am now learning everything I possibly can in order to understand my rights and help other veterans navigate its complexity.
Make no mistake: Anyone who thinks 'government provided health care would be better than private care,' is asking to be treated at least as poorly as I have been--or worse!
I [had] been trying to schedule a primary care appointment since 10 December 2021. One hour from my scheduled appointment, the office cancelled my appointment, "due to not seeing new patients". So they referred me to community care. Waited the two - three weeks for the referral and heard nothing back, so I decided to call. On 10 Jan 2022, I found out that they denied my community care referral one week after submitted.
I am thoroughly unimpressed with my experience with the VA thus far…Accessing benefits in a timely manner, competent evaluating providers and communicative staff/systems is not an unreasonable expectation.