I have some injuries that are getting worse and starting to impact my life and ability to do things. I honestly have had a fairly positive experience with the VA. I filled out the paperwork that ended up resembling War and Peace in length and submitted it.

A month later a overnight envelope shows up on Tuesday and it has me scheduled for 4 appointments on Wed. I call the VA and the answer I get is frustrating to no end and lacks all common sense. I can cancel them but you can only cancel once before you have to redo the entire package. I can reschedule i can't pick a day or window of days it is entirely at their discretion. I ask if I can schedule this in July because I have the entire month open and I get told that they don’t do it that far out. My options are to take the chance that they will schedule me when I have off or I wait and try again next month and know that the appointments are when they feel like it. The appointment is also 1.5 to 2 hours away depending on traffic and is on the other side of Chicago from me.

Yeah, they suck ass.

Make sure you know what evaluations they are doing on you and what the criteria are.

This is how they operate. Make the appointments. I assume this is the closest hospital for you. Guess it is the Hines VA. You need to get into the system first and this is generally what this is about. Expect to spend the day.

If you get those folks angry at you expect to receive substandard service. This is how it works.

I am in the system and was sent to the Jesse Brown center for the skin cancer and the Crown point extension for some other stuff.

Are these for Comp and Pension exams?

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
If you get those folks angry at you expect to receive substandard service. This is how it works.

Standard Government operation, for sure.

I wouldn't go to a VA facility for medical care if it was my last option, nor would I set foot in a facility without being wired for audio & video recording to a wireless cloud.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
Are these for Comp and Pension exams?

Yes, this I mostly things that have gotten worse over the last couple of years.

I would rather go to a Veterinarian than the VA.Massachusetts VA hospitals are something out of the Stone Age, poor outdated facilities, impatient and incompetent staff; generally a hospital from a horror movie and all they are concerned about is how many firearms you own.

It is best to make those Comp and Pension exams if possible. As you are probably aware the VA is trying to improve timeliness in scheduling. I guess no one complained about lack of appropriate notice.

quote:

Originally posted by spunk639:
all they are concerned about is how many firearms you own.

"Not enough. Definitely not enough. Where do I sign up to get some issued to me?"

I have to wonder if experiences are overall generated by the State they reside in. Minneapolis VA has taken such good care of me that I do not even bother with my work-related health insurance anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by spunk639:
all they are concerned about is how many firearms you own.

"Not enough. Definitely not enough. Where do I sign up to get some issued to me?"

Yeah! Me, too! My youngest grandson has been dicking around with the VA for something like SEVEN YEARS!

Won't go into details, but the PTSD that the VA acknowledges is due to injuries received while on active duty! And it has been nearly a year since they acknowledge that, and they still have not got the freaking paperwork done!

Wife drives him to his appointments, many of them in Richmond which is about 150 miles round trip. Half the time when she gets him there, the "doctor" who was scheduled to see him is not even in the facility!

The only answer to this problem is to do away with the VA entirely! Give the vets an ID card that is good at any accredited medical facility in the country! Cut costs dramatically, and provide good service to the vets.

quote:

I have to wonder if experiences are overall generated by the State they reside in.

Here in Nashville appointment scheduling is very easy. The VA admin is as incompetent as all the rest according to the Doctors & staff I have asked. Dealing with Tri-West is a nightmare.

quote:

Originally posted by Elk Hunter:


Give the vets an ID card that is good at any accredited medical facility in the country! Cut costs dramatically, and provide good service to the vets.

Didn't President Trump just sign an EO or legislation making this start to happen?

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by Elk Hunter:


Give the vets an ID card that is good at any accredited medical facility in the country! Cut costs dramatically, and provide good service to the vets.

Didn't President Trump just sign an EO or legislation making this start to happen?

I think you have to be outside a certain distance or have to wait a certain number of days to use it.

So pretty much ops normal when you consider the paper shuffle to prove they can't see you in time.

Exactly what you'd expect from a government run, impossible to get fired, non-profit kind of outfit.

quote:

So pretty much ops normal when you consider the paper shuffle to prove they can't see you in time.

Yes, It took 6 months to see a Doctor about my knees the first time. Got the gel shots & was told they would last about a year. So, 4 months before a year was over I started the process again & it took 5 months. Tri-West was the biggest problem!

Here in Utah, we've had pretty good experiences. Nothing's perfect but this state seems to be better than most.

I just can’t believe that there is no way to make a appointment like you would with a regular Dr.

quote:

Give the vets an ID card that is good at any accredited medical facility in the country! Cut costs dramatically, and provide good service to the vets.

The fee basis card as it was known provided this service. What is currently in place is not very attractive for doctors or patients. The program is called Veterans Choice. In reality it is run by a government contractor that pays extremely low rates to doctors, requires medical record submission in order to be paid and is in short a bureaucratic nightmare for both the patient and the doctor. Most doctors find that they are not paid in a prompt fashion if at all. Currently it is administered by TriWest.

And, veterans choice plan means that the patient is responsible for all authorizations needed to have the service paid to the dr. The dr office cannot get an authorization for them. Most of the time, when a reply come back it says no auth and it’s the patients responsibility.
Being on the phone for over an hour just trying to even reach a person is not enjoyable.