VA rant

[mattpegher]

Just spent the last twenty minutes trying to reach someone in the VA, for a patient. Guy seen here and may have cancer, needs further workup. Problem is the workup would cost thousands if he pays out of pocket. He has VA benefits but no other insurance. All I need to do is talk to one of the physician at the VA to scedule an expedited appointment. His next scheduled appt for his internist isnt for 3 months. Can't even get to a person today being that it is sunday.
Last time this happened with another patient it took 4 hours to get a physician to call back on a weekday. And he couldn't care less.
Medicine is a 24/7 requirement, not a 9-5 weekday job with impenitrable barriers to access. Not even an answering service for other physicians.

Worst system I could imagine. If the rest of the US goes in this direction were all fucked.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Not to get all P&N here but... Welcome to government run health care.

 

[zinfamous]

yawn at hack argument.

 

[mattpegher]

Not to get all P&N here but... Welcome to government run health care.

I wasn't sure if it was appropriate for P&N, since it was just a personal rant.

 

[AlienCraft]

Not to get all P&N here but... Welcome to U.S. government run health care.

ftfy
:sneaky:

 

[waggy]

The VA is a fucking mess.

My father-in-law (well ex now heh) had to deal with the VA. i take him up all the time and help him. its a fucking nightmare.

then they fuck around so long i wonder if they are trying to kill him off before they do what is needed.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

The VA is a fucking mess.

My father-in-law (well ex now heh) had to deal with the VA. i take him up all the time and help him. its a fucking nightmare.

then they fuck around so long i wonder if they are trying to kill him off before they do what is needed.

After watching my friend die for most of last year I'm convinced that's the case. In desperation he went to India for a new liver. The tests they gave him over the course of a week took nearly four months through the VA system. If the VA had just authorized the tests instead of fucking around it's likely he could have been put in line for a transplant in time to save his life. But by the time he made it to India it was too late and a transplant wasn't possible.

I guess hospice care for a couple of months is cheaper than a liver transplant.

 

[CrazyAznDriver]

My wife rotated in a va hospital during her surgical residency. There were some very scary stories she told...

 

[MarkXIX]

I think the VA is one of the most poorly run, financially irresponsible organizations in our government. This is coming from a veteran who all but refuses to ever have to deal with them.

 

[lupi]

yawn at hack argument.

that must be why when the head enlisted of each of branch went before congress they all said military medicine/care was severaly lacking. those partisan hacks!

 

[BornStar]

Based on what my wife has told me, very little actual work actually gets done at the VA.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Sorry you've had bad experiences. Here in Tucson, the VA has done a great job for my friends and wife.

 

[Whoozyerdaddy]

Sorry you've had bad experiences. Here in Tucson, the VA has done a great job for my friends and wife.

Well you can't be a fuckup 100% of the time. Once in a while I'm sure they get things right. But overall, the negative perception of the VA system is well earned.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I would rather deal with the VA than the Army. Four years I have been trying to get my discharge fixed and all I get is constant passing of the buck.

 

[Nintendesert]

I would rather deal with the VA than the Army. Four years I have been trying to get my discharge fixed and all I get is constant passing of the buck.

What's wrong with your discharge? You an OTH and trying to get it changed?

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Well you can't be a fuckup 100% of the time. Once in a while I'm sure they get things right. But overall, the negative perception of the VA system is well earned.

Perhaps the success of the VA here has something to do with having a large military base close by. I wonder if other VA healthcare facilities around the country close to bases have good care as well?

 

[mattpegher]

Perhaps the success of the VA here has something to do with having a large military base close by. I wonder if other VA healthcare facilities around the country close to bases have good care as well?

Could be. No bases closeby. Does your VA have an emergency department? Urgent Care? or other sick call facility?

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

What's wrong with your discharge? You an OTH and trying to get it changed?

They mistakenly separated me for failure to attend training while I was home recovering from an injury during training. I should have been med boarded out. The problem seems to be that there is nobody really in charge of this kind of situation, and the group that was in charge of me during this time was disbanded immediately after my separation.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Could be. No bases closeby. Does your VA have an emergency department? Urgent Care? or other sick call facility?

Yes, they have a hospital and ER.

 

[eits]

Just spent the last twenty minutes trying to reach someone in the VA, for a patient. Guy seen here and may have cancer, needs further workup. Problem is the workup would cost thousands if he pays out of pocket. He has VA benefits but no other insurance. All I need to do is talk to one of the physician at the VA to scedule an expedited appointment. His next scheduled appt for his internist isnt for 3 months. Can't even get to a person today being that it is sunday.
Last time this happened with another patient it took 4 hours to get a physician to call back on a weekday. And he couldn't care less.
Medicine is a 24/7 requirement, not a 9-5 weekday job with impenitrable barriers to access. Not even an answering service for other physicians.

Worst system I could imagine. If the rest of the US goes in this direction were all fucked.

agreed.

i also feel this way about private insurance companies. you try calling to verify benefits or speak to someone about treatment and they're not available unless it's 9-5, m-f. what if there was someone in the e.r. on a saturday and the were transported to one hospital when their insurance covers them in another one closeby?

i feel like this is where the insurance industry and the hospital association are like hand in glove for making profits off unsuspecting patients/insurance carriers.

 

[mattpegher]

Yes, they have a hospital and ER.

None of the facilities within driving range have any kind of ER or sick call. Its just scheduled appointments made months in advance. And they put up so many barriers that you cant get in touch with anyone that will take responsibility to get the job done.

 

[eits]

and, yeah, the va is shit. it's horrible. as an outpatient intern, i remember having a few colleagues who worked at the va. i remember hearing about how awful it was to work there because you had to do a ton of paperwork and forced to perform a piss poor examination on the patients because there were so many... and you didn't get paid shit.

so, naturally, the chiropractic care that is received at the va are typically pretty awful. however, it's free to veterans. that's why i'm contemplating the idea of offering my services to veterans for free.

 

[Pliablemoose]

Not to go all apologist on the VA, but it's Sunday, none of the people that make appointments are even there today.

There's a skeleton crew of residents and medically necessary staff and that's it.

Call your docs office today and try to schedule an appt, see how far you get.

I know you have your patients best interests at heart, but what clinic is open on Sunday?

Call in the morning, and if the guy has problems, have him call his congressman.

 

[mattpegher]

agreed.

i also feel this way about private insurance companies. you try calling to verify benefits or speak to someone about treatment and they're not available unless it's 9-5, m-f. what if there was someone in the e.r. on a saturday and the were transported to one hospital when their insurance covers them in another one closeby?

i feel like this is where the insurance industry and the hospital association are like hand in glove for making profits off unsuspecting patients/insurance carriers.

The Emergency Medicine and Active Labor Transfer act makes it illegal to transfer a patient to annother facility until they have been stabilized. So Ambulance crews will ask where the patient wants to go, or they will go to the closest facility. However, the last thing anyone should be worrying about in an emergency is payment. Ambulances dont ask, the clinical staff don't ask in the ER, and that is not the right time to be looking over the menu to see what you can afford.
I am talking about clinical care only. If the insurance co, bank, lawyers and the rest of the useless scum want to work 10-2 monday through thursday so be it. They just need to get out of the way when I am trying to keep people alive.

 

[mattpegher]

Not to go all apologist on the VA, but it's Sunday, none of the people that make appointments are even there today.

There's a skeleton crew of residents and medically necessary staff and that's it.

Call your docs office today and try to schedule an appt, see how far you get.

I am not trying to make the appointment, I just need to discuss the case with an on-call physician, like I would with any private practice group. ( hell I have home numbers and cells on most of them)

Since I am my own doc, and I am working today it should be no problem. You see I have been working weekends, nights and holidays for the last 20 years and sometimes I need others to do so as well.