All you Vets

[Phu Cat]

If you are service connected for your hearing the VA has contracted with a telephone company and will give you a phone that amplifies the callers voice. There are several different types of phones to choose from: Cordless or corded, ones with answering machines, caller ID, etc. Your audiologist can tell you all about them and it only took 7 days for it to arrive after being ordered.

PC

[Fowler]

Speaking of VA and hearing

I had not been to VA for a long time (25 years or more) I had bad experiences with VA back then
Anyway my hearing was getting worse so I decided to give VA a try again

I was amazed of how helpful they were.
Everyone seemed very happy to help me.
I got my hearing test and hearing aids quickly and have been using them ever since.
Now I need to decide if I am going to let them replace my knee.........

[Ed Hobgood]

I have mixed feeling about the VA. I worked for the VA for several years after I retired from the Army. The VA has great people working for it in most cases but I'm not real comfortable with some of their surgeons. I live in SE Missouri and the VA sends you to St Louis for any surgery's needed. I went to get a joint replaced in my big toe and right before the surgery they told me it was going to be fused instead of the joint replace. I was in quite a bit of pain at the time and I said OK. Long story short, I've not been very happy with the decision I made. I think it all depends on where you are sent for your surgery and find out who the doctor is going to be that is doing your surgery. I use the VA for all my routine medical care just so I stay connect but anything big I use my TRICARE.

[Phu Cat]

Things have changed considerably since that shake up with vets having to wait too long for appointments and it's spilled over into most other aspects in the VA I go to.

PC

[Catfish]

What I dislike the most is having to travel 100+ miles to have any major testing and surgery. Every time I see a VA doc it costs me 50 bucks-kinda like a deductible. Medicare and supplemental insurance is less expensive since I have to pay the monthly premium. Besides that I like knowing my local doctors. The VA needs to allow VETS to receive local care in my opinion.

[Keystone]

Over the past 15 years the VAMC in Minneapolis, MN has taken excellent care of me. Some of the best Dr's and Nursing staff anywhere! I live in Mayo land and have spent time in St Mary's Mayo Clinic etc. They were not any better than the VA and in a few cases fell short.

[Phu Cat]

Catfish, Is it costing you that much in gas for the round trip? Or is the VA charging you that much?

I think they're working on vets being able to see doctors that are closer to their homes but don't know how soon that will come into being.

Are you interested in signing up for the VA's "my HealtyE Vet" program? It allows you to ask questions of the VA from your home. You can make appointments or cancel them, renew prescriptions,or ask questions like how the legislation is doing that allows vets to use their own doctors. I was leery of this at first but really like it now. Your call.

PC

[Rmitchell55]

Catfish

You don't have to travel if you meet the requirements. Take a look at this program to see if you meet the requirements. I have had rehab. care in my town and I live less that 20 miles from the VA hospital.


www.va.gov/opa/choiceact .

[desertclassic]

Catfish, the VA will pay you mileage if you have an appointment. The Choice program is new, but if you have a service connected disability you will qualify for consults with a local doc for your issue. Jim

[Keystone]

The Veterans Choice program has turned out to be a huge waste of time in my area. For some reason Mayo will not take appointments from them. I got the run around so bad from them that it took 3 months to get a non VA appointment the same distance from me as the VAMC! The VA ended up doing a direct referral to the local Mayo facility.

[Phu Cat]

Keystone, your problem is the type that legislation was supposed to clear up. I wonder if a call to you congressman/woman wouldn't get things changed and quick.

PC

[Downtown Cowtown]

Ive got a new set of hearing aids from the VA, they work, but it aint magic. Theyre so much better than previous aids i got from them, these are married by blue tooth.

Now ya think all is fine and dandy, but, but, there is that tinny sound coming in with most calls, and my callers bitch they cant understand me.

Kinda a hell or heaven situation. I do use them, lost the last set in a bike wreck, tried to get the VA to charge the insurance company for them, no go, they say.

Odd ??? govt wont take money from insurance company if i can get them to pay, just odd.

I lost about 3 sets of these things, they were flesh colored for the vain, and easily lost, and no app to find, the new ones are candy apple red to match my 55 Chev gasser.

New ones have a finder app, lots of adjustment and it really is state of the art, but alas, as hearing impaired folks know, it jus aint the same, and they make your ears itch.

Dont misunderstand, i am grateful, i really am, but technology aint the same as what Gawd gave originally gave me.

I asked about the implants but thats for folks that cant hear whatsoever i was told, so if your not hearing impaired, dont let it happen. You will live to regret it.

My 2 cents.

[Catfish]

Catfish, Is it costing you that much in gas for the round trip? Or is the VA charging you that much?

I think they're working on vets being able to see doctors that are closer to their homes but don't know how soon that will come into being.

Are you interested in signing up for the VA's "my HealtyE Vet" program? It allows you to ask questions of the VA from your home. You can make appointments or cancel them, renew prescriptions,or ask questions like how the legislation is doing that allows vets to use their own doctors. I was leery of this at first but really like it now. Your call.

PC

The VA pays millage. They charge me 50 bucks for every visit and they pay all other costs including hotel if appointment is later in the day or early in the morning. Why they charge the 50 dollars per visit is unknown to me but, it might have to do with income. Guess I need to ask if other Vets are being charged as I am. It has me wondering now. Nineteen months in service overall with 12 months and 4 days in Vietnam. I had to extend 4 days to get the 5 month early out with an honorable discharge. Not a real hardship-it would simply be more desirable for local medical testing and surgery procedures if necessary.