quote:

I sent the VA the prescription for Metformin that my private care doc wrote and that wasn't good enough as they now want her chart notes. For a prescription that costs me all of $1.00 for a 90 day supply it isn't worth my time to pursue getting the VA to pay for my Metformin.

^^^^
I would suspect government regulations to document Type 2 diabetes. Since the service in your area has declined a visit with your Congressman or Senator is in order. All of them have reps that deal with the VA.

And, I am one of those who has had excellent care from the VA.

I have insurance, Medicare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, so I could go most anywhere, but I've been going to my local VA hospital for about 20 years. I know the docs, nurses and have no complaints.

From cancer (twice) to open heart surgery and lots of stuff in between, they have been there for me.

I go to two outside non-VA docs and am amazed at the double-booking and how long I have to wait to get in to actually see them.

That's not my experience at the VA.

Bob

quote:

Originally posted by straightshooter1:
And, I am one of those who has had excellent care from the VA.

I have insurance, Medicare and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, so I could go most anywhere, but I've been going to my local VA hospital for about 20 years. I know the docs, nurses and have no complaints.

From cancer (twice) to open heart surgery and lots of stuff in between, they have been there for me.

I go to two outside non-VA docs and am amazed at the double-booking and how long I have to wait to get in to actually see them.

That's not my experience at the VA.

Bob

I will agree that I have heard some VA clinics/hospitals are above average. However, this one is sub- par. I worked there for seven months as an administration assistant and saw a bunch of incompetency. Heck my supervisor when I was there took a position at the Spokane, WA VA as there was a better atmosphere there for patients and health care professionals.

I only have experience at two VA hospitals, Bay Pines and Haley. Bay Pines near St. Petersburg and Haley in Tampa. Bay Pines is where I get my care, but Haley is where I went for open heart surgery.

At Haley, it's big, real big and my wife and I had no idea where we were going. Three times, in our pre-op/post-op visits, an employee would stop us, ask if we were lost and walk us to wherever we needed to be. One time it had to have been well over a quarter mile inside that hospital.

The first time we went there, we parked in the garage, and got out, having absolutely no idea where we should go to get to the hospital. A man, obviously just getting off his shift at 7AM, was walking towards us, and he looked beat. When he got to us, he stopped, turned on this great big smile and ended up walking us to where we could catch the shuttle.

I don't have any idea if these folks were typical or if we were just blessed those days, but I was pretty sick the first two times I went there before my surgery and will be eternally grateful for these folks and their willingness to help us.

I've never been to a VA Clinic, so I don't know how they are, though I have a friend who goes to the one in Palm Harbor on US 19 and he says he loves it.

I don't think the VA is perfect, but my experience has been fine. I'm no fan of the Administration, but the docs, nurses, techs and clerks I've dealt with have been great.

Bob