The VA: Where Veterans go for a 2nd chance to die for our country

[DJ_Critterus]

This Northeast FL/Southeast GA VA program is absolutely crap. It's crap, I tell ya.

Since I've been here in 2012, I haven't seen the same doctor more than twice except for the Chinese guy who lied on my medical records (blatant lies that I was able to prove and get assigned to another doc closer to home).

I go to refill my meds, but my doctor needs to approve them. No biggie. But wait, my doc transferred to St. Augustine and again I haven't been assigned to another team. This is the 4th or 5th time I have been lost in the system since I have been here. Letters to Senators and Reps don't do shit, either. It's the same old-same old.

the only thing that has been hassle free here has been Vision and Dental because they are backed up for 6 months or more which gives me the option to use community Care and see non-VA doctors.

It's frustrating as hell.

/rant
/bitching&complaining (for now)

[mtnman]

Shitty way to support those that served.

[vettemed]

Counterpoint:

I don't get any VA benefits because I didn't serve enough active-duty days in my 8 years of being a Reservist.

BUT, I'd happily put up with that bullshit to not be paying $450/mo for Obamacare.

[6spdC6]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

This Northeast FL/Southeast GA VA program is absolutely crap. It's crap, I tell ya.

Since I've been here in 2012, I haven't seen the same doctor more than twice except for the Chinese guy who lied on my medical records (blatant lies that I was able to prove and get assigned to another doc closer to home).

I go to refill my meds, but my doctor needs to approve them. No biggie. But wait, my doc transferred to St. Augustine and again I haven't been assigned to another team. This is the 4th or 5th time I have been lost in the system since I have been here. Letters to Senators and Reps don't do shit, either. It's the same old-same old.

the only thing that has been hassle free here has been Vision and Dental because they are backed up for 6 months or more which gives me the option to use community Care and see non-VA doctors.

It's frustrating as hell.

/rant
/bitching&complaining (for now)

WOW, I had to check and see who wrote that. A good friend of mine now living in upper Florida say the same things you do. He is a Vietnam vet and depends on the VA. He has a shitload of stories about seeing superseded Docs. He says its like they are just stringing him along till he dies!

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by vettemed

Counterpoint:

I don't get any VA benefits because I didn't serve enough active-duty days in my 8 years of being a Reservist.

BUT, I'd happily put up with that bullshit to not be paying $450/mo for Obamacare.

thanks for serving. I've never heard of needing so many active days to qualify especially if you have any injury or condition that's service related. Might want to check that out, again.

Originally Posted by 6spdC6

WOW, I had to check and see who wrote that. A good friend of mine now living in upper Florida say the same things you do. He is a Vietnam vet and depends on the VA. He has a shitload of stories about seeing superseded Docs. He says its like they are just stringing him along till he dies!

All of us up here could sound off on the same complaints and you'd think we were a choir that had been singing together for years.

[Onebadcad]

So what you are saying is recently released multiple murdererous felons from venezuela that enter our country illegally through the southern border are getting better healthcare coverage than you??

[Bill]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

thanks for serving. I've never heard of needing so many active days to qualify especially if you have any injury or condition that's service related. Might want to check that out, again.



All of us up here could sound off on the same complaints and you'd think we were a choir that had been singing together for years.

I know a guy who got bitten by a brown recluse at Ft. Polk and suffered serious complications from that. Even now, he has problems flare up. He got disability for that, and I think his only deployment was to S. Korea.

We also had a guy working for us that got throat cancer that the VA here treated, because when he was serving in Vietnam, they handed out cigarettes to the troops. I thought he got good care at our VA in Houston. Every time we went to visit, the nurses and occasional doc that came in were very attentive, and this guy was....let's just say he was known for being gruff and hard to get along with. He called us once and said, hire me another guy, I fired so and so today.

Oh, why?

They went to eat lunch, kid threw his pack of cigs on the table, and out pops a joint. Our crusty foreman fired him on the spot AND made him find his own way home. They weren't even in the same city where the kid lived. Dude was hard core. And the VA folks treated him very nicely from what I saw, and what he and his wife said.

[vettemed]

Originally Posted by DJ_Critterus

thanks for serving. I've never heard of needing so many active days to qualify especially if you have any injury or condition that's service related. Might want to check that out, again.



All of us up here could sound off on the same complaints and you'd think we were a choir that had been singing together for years.

At least when I got out, in 2017, I needed at least 180 days of active duty on my record to qualify. I did not have that.

I also do not have any significant disability that I didn't already have when I got in (low back pain that got waiver'd at the MEPS)

[Steve_R]

It's not just the Northern FL VA facilities, it's the entire VA healthcare system. I'm eligible for VA healthcare, but I'd go to a back alley unlicensed "Doctor" before I set foot in a VA medical facility again. NFW I'll ever use the VA healthcare system again.

[69camfrk]

Don't even get me started on the VA. Carl Vinson medical center in Dublin Ga is shit. We would have to have a side bar on what I think about them.

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Onebadcad

So what you are saying is recently released multiple murdererous felons from venezuela that enter our country illegally through the southern border are getting better healthcare coverage than you??

Yes, them too.

[DJ_Critterus]

Originally Posted by Steve_R

It's not just the Northern FL VA facilities, it's the entire VA healthcare system. I'm eligible for VA healthcare, but I'd go to a back alley unlicensed "Doctor" before I set foot in a VA medical facility again. NFW I'll ever use the VA healthcare system again.

I go to them mostly for my annual exam to get meds refilled, vision and dental since I'm 100% and they farm out the last two.

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

Don't even get me started on the VA. Carl Vinson medical center in Dublin Ga is shit. We would have to have a side bar on what I think about them.

Of all the places to air grievances, this would be one of the appropriate ones.

[Hardluck]

I'm a Vet but don't use the system.[Don't have any service connected disabilities]
It makes me sick to my stomach that you guys go though hell trying to get decent health care through the VA!! I use MC with a supplemental plan through USAA that is fantastic!

[zeek]

Wow....sorry some of you guys are having so much grief at the VA. Mine must be the exception to the rule then. The Biloxi VA is the best medical Ive ever had, and I always had great medical coverage before using the VA.

Ive been with the VA for about 10 years now. Ive had the same Dr's and same team since I started. The VA just did my open heart surgery/bypass. They even accommodated me when I asked to transfer to Nashville for the surgery to be near family. The Dr that did the surgery also does heart transplants so Id say he was pretty well qualified.

Im at 70% but going next month for a review due to my surgery. Hoping to get up to 100%.

[IB4TL]

They have trillions to send to other countries in "foreign aid" and billions to spend housing and feeding ILLEGAL immigrants but are unwilling to take care of our veterans

[Yadkin]

My Dad raved about the VA in Ft. Myers.

My uncle had the opposite experience at the Charlestown Naval Hospital, back in the 60s. He shattered his leg in an auto accident, so the put a few pounds of metal in his leg. It got infected and his recovery extended to well over a year. During that time they hooked him on morphine.

[jw38]

Originally Posted by vettemed

At least when I got out, in 2017, I needed at least 180 days of active duty on my record to qualify. I did not have that.

I also do not have any significant disability that I didn't already have when I got in (low back pain that got waiver'd at the MEPS)

How the hell do you serve in the reserves for 8 years and not have 180 days of active duty? How many drill weekends and two-week summer camps did you miss?

[GTOguy]

Originally Posted by zeek

Wow....sorry some of you guys are having so much grief at the VA. Mine must be the exception to the rule then. The Biloxi VA is the best medical Ive ever had, and I always had great medical coverage before using the VA.

Ive been with the VA for about 10 years now. Ive had the same Dr's and same team since I started. The VA just did my open heart surgery/bypass. They even accommodated me when I asked to transfer to Nashville for the surgery to be near family. The Dr that did the surgery also does heart transplants so Id say he was pretty well qualified.

Im at 70% but going next month for a review due to my surgery. Hoping to get up to 100%.

I'm thinking that 70% Zeek is equivalent to 100% of most normal people your age or even 30 years younger.

[vettemed]

Originally Posted by jw38

How the hell do you serve in the reserves for 8 years and not have 180 days of active duty? How many drill weekends and two-week summer camps did you miss?

As a medical professional, the system works a little differently. That, and I turned down a voluntary deployment in a futile attempt to save my marriage.

[zeek]

Originally Posted by GTOguy

I'm thinking that 70% Zeek is equivalent to 100% of most normal people your age or even 30 years younger.

The percentage is a rating of how disabled you are considered. The higher the percentage, the more the monthly disability payment is. (tax free too). At a 100% disabled rating, along with the larger monthly amount, there is also a lot of other benefits like no property tax or license plate fees. The benefits vary from state to state.

It may be confusing to a civilian, but 100% disabled does NOT mean a person is in a wheel chair.....it is just a rating system the VA uses to determine how much they ****ed you up while in the military. (think agent orange)