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The VA is fucking retarded

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I'm surprised we don't already have this thread. Anyway, here it is. Feel free to post your stories, bitches and complaints. I'll start with today's stupidity. Not a major issue, it's just dumb.

So, it's time for new glasses and it's been a couple years so I decide I better get an exam. There is a Vet Clinic here but it is for basic healthcare. No x-rays, stuff like that. Gotta go to Salt Lake 150 miles away. Long story short they recommend the new Veterans Choice program. Okay, I get approved and have a local appointment. After the appointment, and finding out I'm still getting older and need fucking bi-focals, it occures to me that I still need to take the fucking perscription to Salt Lake to get glasses. Only now it costs me because it's walk in and I don't get travel. I don't have an appointment in SL for about another year. The Vertans Choice people say they cover the exam, but not glasses. Soooooo, I still have to go to SL, now without travel reimbersment, or buy my own. At least, that's how the day ended. Maybe sitting on the phone pressing this number, then that number, then this number until I get someone that knows something tomorrow may have different results. I doubt it.

Anyway,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
 

Zamazam

Evil Vulcan's do it with Logic
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Member For 5 Years
How about getting a prescription from one Doc at the VA for gout, and then seeing a specialist for high creatin (Kidney infection) and being given 2 other prescriptions that combined with the gout medication would have taken me out to a dirt nap. The other doc even LOOKED at the prescription list I wrote out for him. It was the Pharmacist that caught the royal fuckup.
 

inspects

Squonkamaniac
Senior Moderator
VU Donator
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Those are a couple fucked up affairs you both had....but typical. Everyone of those fucking jackasses should be unemployed or working at a Burger King where it doesn't take too many smarts. Shit like that pisses me off as much as you.
 

BigNasty

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
In oh 93/94 with Hitlery's push for health care now what we call Obamacare the VA was the testing grounds for it.
While at the VA for internships in the Navy the changes were happening so fast in that last two weeks it was amazing.
Fucking horror stories that could fill reams of paper or terabytes of HD abound, seeing it first hand with my grandfather, my father, my uncles and even inside of how monkey fucked and half jacked the VA from a former GF who worked there.
I will never entrust my care to the VA.
 

Zamazam

Evil Vulcan's do it with Logic
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Platinum Contributor
Member For 5 Years
While I was in the service, I had some dental work done, a crown and a bridge. Now, I would not go near a VA dentist with a 9 1/2' pole. One buddy went in to get a root canal on a bum tooth and three weeks later he was in the ER with a massive infection of his lower jaw. Seems the antibiotic the VA doc prescribed wasn't the right one for the infection. He ended up having to get all his teeth in his lower jaw pulled and got lower dentures because of the mess.
 

BigNasty

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
I have seen first hand the lack of care or care that so bad it was criminal and was in at least two investigations directly related to witnessing it that caused patients deaths.
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I use the VA for general health but use medicare for anything important like my back surgery. There was no way I was going to let them touch my back.

It's sad that a guy that has free health care chooses to pay $1200 a year premiums and copays.
 

BigNasty

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
ECF Refugee
OK The Portland VA has ONE thing going for it.
It is attached to a teaching hospital but as a whole.. I would rather go to TJ for back alley medicine.
 

pulsevape

Diamond Contributor
Member For 4 Years
remember when they were selling America on Ogrubercare, and when people questioned the ability of the goverment to efficently handle the entir health care system ...some of the pinhead experts pointed to how well the goverment run VA worked...LOL...
 

Doc Roland

Member For 4 Years
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Member For 1 Year
Saw this thread and just died laughing. Preach.
 

omnipotentduo

Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
So, I shit you not I was in the dallas VA and getting my script and watching the other counters and this guy was saying his doctor forgot to put in his glycerine pills for his heart condition. her response was 'OH WELL!' litterally said OH WELL to this guy who could potentially die because the doctor didn't put in refills for that and the pharmacy person didn't give a flying turd of a political view.

Also, being an Iraq vet they sat me down with 3 different hadji doctors. I went to the patient advocate and ended up speaking to one of the deans of medicine there and explained that its not a great idea. Sitting me down and parlaying with the enemy with over my weaknesses wasn't a great tactical move.

So, in a nutshell, fuck the VA but there are some avenues of approach that can really put a wrench in their plans of veteran domination. Bear in mind that the patient advocate is on your side so be calm and LOGICALLY explain your problem and for me in less than 2 hours my issue was resolved. You are your own advocate with the VA, but there are people who can (if you ask) help you light a fire under the well rested ass that the VA sits upon.
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I crashed my Harley this spring. Hit a large dog @ 50mph. Ambulance took me to hospital and I got xrayed up, no broken bones. Sewed up my forehead. Bandaged all the road rash. Sent me home with instructions to see PCP in two days. My knee was in bad shape and I couldn't walk on it so I used my wifes walker from when she broke her leg badly. Was also dizzy as fuck. Long story short, two weeks to get in to the clinic. My wife gets the sniffels and can see a doc the next day. I roll down the pavement at 50MPH and it's two weeks. Good news is that it used to take 30 days to get in. Oh, and my Doc at the clinic is good. He fixed my dizziness in short order. Loose crystals in my inner ear. But yeah, by the time you can get in, you usually don't need him, lol.
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
I retired out of Fort Dix NJ last year and was going to the VA there. I thought it was bad but... then I moved to Texas. I brought all my paperwork, blah blah blah and saw my doctor for the first visit. I told her I needed refills for all my prescriptions. When I got to Oxycodone she said "I think you take enough drugs already... I'm not prescribing that..." I said that I've been on it for 4 years and that it would be very VERY painful to go into withdrawals... and what about a taper protocol. Nope. Sent home to vomit and shit myself to death on top of my agonizing pain. Once I felt better, I tried to switch doctors... took 3 months and a crap ton of phone calls to get in. She said I had to go to neuro and have that doctor say I'm a candidate for narcotics but in the mean time, take more "other" drugs like Lyrica and Cymbalta. Finally got all my ducks in a row... got my oxy... felt better for a couple of months... went to get my refill and it's "nope... you have cannabis in your urine" and again... puking and shitting myself to death for another couple of weeks. There are a lot of other factors like (at the time) I was only 8 months post-op from my spinal fusion which means I should still be in physical and occupational therapy and be tracked by a neurosurgeon because I was having fusion issues (my spine wasn't fusing properly-prolly still isn't but how would I know?) but I've had my ONE time visit with neuro and the PT gave me 5 exercises to do at home. I'm pretty depressed because this can't be happening to me. I can't concentrate on anything or do anything but hobble around my house and think about walking in front of a fast moving bus so they put me on MORE antidepressants... as I left group therapy at the VA one day I fall down a flight of stairs ( I fall a LOT) and they took 5 mins to figure out what to do with me. Pick me up off the floor would have been a good start. I sat around waiting to be seen by my doctor for over an hour and a half. She was busy. My husband came and picked me up (literally) and carried me out. I still hadn't been seen by a doctor. He took me to ER. Broken tibia. The ER doctor's eyes about bugged out of his head when he saw the list of prescriptions and said that there were more than one case of VERY dangerous interactions (which I knew about and kept bringing up to my doctor but they said "not to worry") and that the interactions were causing my dizziness and falls. So I've stopped all my medications and while I went through "HORRIBLE" withdrawals AGAIN with the worst being from Cymbalta and Lyrica, I feel better. The pain is still there but I'm seeing a private doctor now but I have my brain functioning back. For the most part. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around big concepts like how to rebuild the coil in my vape but it's getting better. Everyone says I should sue but who the fuck has that kind of money and who wants to put themselves through that kind of nightmare again. This obviously isn't the whole story because I did go back and complain and start a stink and then I was labeled "difficult" and had to have a police escort when ever I went in. I'm 95 pounds and can't lift a full 12 oz bottle of coke but I'm a threat. I'm currently boycotting the VA and use my Tricare for life but I can't even afford the co-pays. I'm only 70% which means I get less than burger flippers... I've tried to work but I can't sit for more than an hour and my last boss fired me for what he said was " a bad fit" but I'm pretty sure it's because I dropped stuff, I walk like I'm drunk and I'd had an angry outburst or two... I have 2 degrees and a masters. I used to be an editor in Manhattan. Now I can't order my dog's food on line without taking a break and running it by my husband to make sure I didn't miss anything-which I always do. And don't let anybody tell you Texas loves their vets. They don't. They make shit so difficult that it's not worth it. I had to pay an extra 3 dollars to get "disabled veteran" plates but the Bronze star was free. WTF?
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
So, I shit you not I was in the dallas VA and getting my script and watching the other counters and this guy was saying his doctor forgot to put in his glycerine pills for his heart condition. her response was 'OH WELL!' litterally said OH WELL to this guy who could potentially die because the doctor didn't put in refills for that and the pharmacy person didn't give a flying turd of a political view.

Also, being an Iraq vet they sat me down with 3 different hadji doctors. I went to the patient advocate and ended up speaking to one of the deans of medicine there and explained that its not a great idea. Sitting me down and parlaying with the enemy with over my weaknesses wasn't a great tactical move.

So, in a nutshell, fuck the VA but there are some avenues of approach that can really put a wrench in their plans of veteran domination. Bear in mind that the patient advocate is on your side so be calm and LOGICALLY explain your problem and for me in less than 2 hours my issue was resolved. You are your own advocate with the VA, but there are people who can (if you ask) help you light a fire under the well rested ass that the VA sits upon.


I called and wrote so many patient advocates and not a one of them ever wrote me or called me. I've been labeled "difficult" so they can blow me off. It's not worth having to go through all that bullshit again.
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I retired out of Fort Dix NJ last year and was going to the VA there. I thought it was bad but... then I moved to Texas. I brought all my paperwork, blah blah blah and saw my doctor for the first visit. I told her I needed refills for all my prescriptions. When I got to Oxycodone she said "I think you take enough drugs already... I'm not prescribing that..." I said that I've been on it for 4 years and that it would be very VERY painful to go into withdrawals... and what about a taper protocol. Nope. Sent home to vomit and shit myself to death on top of my agonizing pain. Once I felt better, I tried to switch doctors... took 3 months and a crap ton of phone calls to get in. She said I had to go to neuro and have that doctor say I'm a candidate for narcotics but in the mean time, take more "other" drugs like Lyrica and Cymbalta. Finally got all my ducks in a row... got my oxy... felt better for a couple of months... went to get my refill and it's "nope... you have cannabis in your urine" and again... puking and shitting myself to death for another couple of weeks. There are a lot of other factors like (at the time) I was only 8 months post-op from my spinal fusion which means I should still be in physical and occupational therapy and be tracked by a neurosurgeon because I was having fusion issues (my spine wasn't fusing properly-prolly still isn't but how would I know?) but I've had my ONE time visit with neuro and the PT gave me 5 exercises to do at home. I'm pretty depressed because this can't be happening to me. I can't concentrate on anything or do anything but hobble around my house and think about walking in front of a fast moving bus so they put me on MORE antidepressants... as I left group therapy at the VA one day I fall down a flight of stairs ( I fall a LOT) and they took 5 mins to figure out what to do with me. Pick me up off the floor would have been a good start. I sat around waiting to be seen by my doctor for over an hour and a half. She was busy. My husband came and picked me up (literally) and carried me out. I still hadn't been seen by a doctor. He took me to ER. Broken tibia. The ER doctor's eyes about bugged out of his head when he saw the list of prescriptions and said that there were more than one case of VERY dangerous interactions (which I knew about and kept bringing up to my doctor but they said "not to worry") and that the interactions were causing my dizziness and falls. So I've stopped all my medications and while I went through "HORRIBLE" withdrawals AGAIN with the worst being from Cymbalta and Lyrica, I feel better. The pain is still there but I'm seeing a private doctor now but I have my brain functioning back. For the most part. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around big concepts like how to rebuild the coil in my vape but it's getting better. Everyone says I should sue but who the fuck has that kind of money and who wants to put themselves through that kind of nightmare again. This obviously isn't the whole story because I did go back and complain and start a stink and then I was labeled "difficult" and had to have a police escort when ever I went in. I'm 95 pounds and can't lift a full 12 oz bottle of coke but I'm a threat. I'm currently boycotting the VA and use my Tricare for life but I can't even afford the co-pays. I'm only 70% which means I get less than burger flippers... I've tried to work but I can't sit for more than an hour and my last boss fired me for what he said was " a bad fit" but I'm pretty sure it's because I dropped stuff, I walk like I'm drunk and I'd had an angry outburst or two... I have 2 degrees and a masters. I used to be an editor in Manhattan. Now I can't order my dog's food on line without taking a break and running it by my husband to make sure I didn't miss anything-which I always do. And don't let anybody tell you Texas loves their vets. They don't. They make shit so difficult that it's not worth it. I had to pay an extra 3 dollars to get "disabled veteran" plates but the Bronze star was free. WTF?

Have you applied for IU(Individual Unemployablity)?

I know you have a rating appeal in but you don't have to be rated 100% to get 100%. If your 70% is for a single issue and you cannot work, you should qualify for IU and get a 100% IU rating. http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/claims-special-individual_unemployability.asp
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
I've looked into that but I think it will require another trip to the VA and I just can't do that right now. And my appeal had an expected completion date of 8/8 and when it wasn't done by then they simply changed the date to 8/18... I may try that route again. I also found out about the extra stipend foe family members that help with my care (I mean what the bell he does all that stuff anywAy like help me with baths and the like why not get paid right?)but that would also require more trips and dealing g with them. I know it sounds really wimpy but of all the shut I've had to deAl with in all my deployments and going to the VA gives me nightmars
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Have you applied for IU(Individual Unemployablity)?

I know you have a rating appeal in but you don't have to be rated 100% to get 100%. If your 70% is for a single issue and you cannot work, you should qualify for IU and get a 100% IU rating. http://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/claims-special-individual_unemployability.asp

My appeal got pushed back AGAIN this time to October. God Damnit! I guess I'm going to start working on this because it looks like I'm out of stuff to sell besides my fat ass on a street corner... Have you done this? The UI not the prostitution... or know someone who has?
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
My appeal got pushed back AGAIN this time to October. God Damnit! I guess I'm going to start working on this because it looks like I'm out of stuff to sell besides my fat ass on a street corner... Have you done this? The UI not the prostitution... or know someone who has?

No, I have not done an IU claim. I do know lots of people that have.

http://community.hadit.com/forum/77-tdiu-unemployability-claims/

Many of the folks that helped me are still on that forum. I'll help in any way I can. Your best bet is start reading all you can. Learn as much as you can. I'm afraid I had to learn way more about a rating specialists job than I really wanted to.
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Thanks! Pretty interesting website. I didn't know I could allow the SSA To access my VA records. Everyone's posts still lead me to believe I'm going to need a lawyer to get approved for anything. Geez... OK.
My appeal (wasn't really an appeal as a review for increase) came back today and I was bumped up to 90%.
Not exactly what I was hoping for but at least the things I wanted included were added even if at 0% for now.
Now that this portion is done, I'll be asking for that UI. I'll have to continue reading.
Thanks for the website again.
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Thanks! Pretty interesting website. I didn't know I could allow the SSA To access my VA records. Everyone's posts still lead me to believe I'm going to need a lawyer to get approved for anything. Geez... OK.
My appeal (wasn't really an appeal as a review for increase) came back today and I was bumped up to 90%.
Not exactly what I was hoping for but at least the things I wanted included were added even if at 0% for now.
Now that this portion is done, I'll be asking for that UI. I'll have to continue reading.
Thanks for the website again.

You're welcome. I'm glad you got the increase, sorry it wasn't what you hoped for.

I don't know what, if anything, has changed since I went through the system but Lawyers at the time were worthless. There was only a couple that did VA claims. And my SSDI lawyer was worthless. But maybe they can help now, I don't know.
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Everyone I've spoken with said you'll keep getting denied and a lawyer could help? At least with SSDI...
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Everyone I've spoken with said you'll keep getting denied and a lawyer could help? At least with SSDI...

SSDI does like to deny and a good lawyer could help. But I wouldn't get a lawyer until you've been denied the first time. I don't think most will even take you until you've been denied once. There is no money in it for them as they get paid from backpay.

Most people don't have their ducks in a row when they file a claim, VA or SS. They think the VA and SS will help them with the process. That's what I thought. So, we get denied because we didn't know what we needed. The main thing for both, IU and SS, is what your doctor and medical records say. Find out what you need in your individual situation and make sure they have it.
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Is that website a good place to see whAt is needed for a specific situation?

It's good for the VA ratings. I'd just ask in their forum if you have questions and don't mind sharing the medical details, within reason of course.
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
I thought I saw something on that forum where you can link/share your VA meme records with SSA but I can't find that post... can I do that? I imagine that would make things easier no?
 

Time

Platinum Contributor
Member For 4 Years
I thought I saw something on that forum where you can link/share your VA meme records with SSA but I can't find that post... can I do that? I imagine that would make things easier no?

I don't know. But you should have a copy of your c-file. Claims file. Everything the VARO has on you. I'm don't know if the VA has gone digital but when I was going through the process I requested a copy of my c-file. That's probably what helped me the most. I found the VA did not request and thus didn't have my medical records. Anyway, since I had and still have all those records, I gave them to SS.
 
Succint version - Screwed over on my rating for a grade 3 AC separation because I had already been given an extension on my ETS twice which leadership didn't like and was told the VA would make it right when I got out. Two nerve conduction velocity tests because they wanted to "make sure" and diagnosed me with phantom limb pain. I still have all my limbs.
 

MEENMAN83

Bronze Contributor
Member For 4 Years
Member For 3 Years
Succint version - Screwed over on my rating for a grade 3 AC separation because I had already been given an extension on my ETS twice which leadership didn't like and was told the VA would make it right when I got out. Two nerve conduction velocity tests because they wanted to "make sure" and diagnosed me with phantom limb pain. I still have all my limbs.
phantom limb....I said I had those symptoms as one of my hamstrings now is my glute to due several botched military surgeries. VA said it cant be phantom limb as a glute isn't a limb so it wasn't diagnosable...all I can say is keep fighting man. I am missing several organs, 9 ft of scar tissue and cancer in remmitance and I am barely a 90%.....you just have to keep your head up and keep fighting.
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
Succint version - Screwed over on my rating for a grade 3 AC separation because I had already been given an extension on my ETS twice which leadership didn't like and was told the VA would make it right when I got out. Two nerve conduction velocity tests because they wanted to "make sure" and diagnosed me with phantom limb pain. I still have all my limbs.
That totally makes sense...
 

Comfygirl

Bronze Contributor
Member For 3 Years
I'm surprised we don't already have this thread. Anyway, here it is. Feel free to post your stories, bitches and complaints. I'll start with today's stupidity. Not a major issue, it's just dumb.

So, it's time for new glasses and it's been a couple years so I decide I better get an exam. There is a Vet Clinic here but it is for basic healthcare. No x-rays, stuff like that. Gotta go to Salt Lake 150 miles away. Long story short they recommend the new Veterans Choice program. Okay, I get approved and have a local appointment. After the appointment, and finding out I'm still getting older and need fucking bi-focals, it occures to me that I still need to take the fucking perscription to Salt Lake to get glasses. Only now it costs me because it's walk in and I don't get travel. I don't have an appointment in SL for about another year. The Vertans Choice people say they cover the exam, but not glasses. Soooooo, I still have to go to SL, now without travel reimbersment, or buy my own. At least, that's how the day ended. Maybe sitting on the phone pressing this number, then that number, then this number until I get someone that knows something tomorrow may have different results. I doubt it.

Anyway,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Whenever I go to a walk in appointment they will pay for travel. I suggest you talk to your travel people at your VA and get some things situated. If I go to Urgent Care, sick call, or whatever I get reimbursed on my travel. I normally do my travel stuff once a month, as most of my appointments are after our travel reimbursement people are off. If I can't get there during their time frame I have been able to have someone at Urgent care do my travel stuff for me. I think my VA is one of the better ones in the country (Erie, PA), but feel that all healthcare should be great across the board...sorry for your situation, man.
 

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