Disabled vet story on using the VA, from Reddit

[dccrossman]

Friend of mine passed this to me from Reddit. Worth the read and perhaps sharing. Note: I am not the disabled vet. My father served and my parents get great care via Tricare, but neither they nor I are the vet in the story.

http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/9e1rz/hey_reddit_i_am_a_disabled_us_vet_and_use_the/">Reddit - Hey Reddit, I am a Disabled US Vet and Use the "Socialist" VA Healthcare System Exclusively. This is My Story.

A small slice:

11:00AM
He notes that it has been 2 years since my last MRI and feels that we should get a new one to see how the injury has progressed. In our conversation I also told him that I have been having trouble sleeping (possible apnea). He picks up the phone and calls the VA hospital to schedule me for an MRI. They can get me in on Sunday morning. He also submits an electronic prescription for a pain killer, it will be ready in 20-25 minutes at the VA pharmacy for pick up.

Note: Yes they do walk in MRIs on a Sunday. Also note, the first MRI was done through my HMO. It took 3 months to get approved by Aetna, and 4 weeks to get scheduled. It only covered 80 percent of the bill, the rest was out of pocket. The first MRI occurred while I was still waiting for approval for admission into the VA program and was working for a company that offered a healthcare plan. My treatment for my back problems during that time, including MRI's, Physical Therapy, Cortisone Shots, and surgery left me with a $22,000 bill that I am still paying off. My treatment since then has been covered through the VA.

The VA routinely gets higher ratings that your private health insurance company and whether you like them or not, they are "socialized medicine".

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2007_August_15/ai_n27344791/">VA Ratings higher than private insurance, 5 years running, from 2007.
(If anyone has a newer link for the ratings, I'd love to have it. Please send a message.)

[jody]

1. VA experiences vary from excellent as in the OP to unsatisfactory in others. IMO one particular

area where VA has failed is treatment of vets with PTSD beginning with VA's reluctance to acknowledge that PTSD is a major problem.

[southernyankeebelle]

2. Am glad you are getting the help you need. There was a time when the VA was

terrible. I love my tricare government healthcare plan. I wish all americans could get it.

[madokie]

3. I love my VA healthcare and wish all of you could be so lucky as to have the same

[saigon68]

4. Mine is great also, My personal PA is one hell of a guy

Former Navy Corpsman,went to college and has a Masters degree. Really sharp.

Its better in the last 6 months. Years ago it did suck tho

Primarily because there was a glut of WW 2 vets.

Their website is A # 1

[madokie]

5. I didn't start using the VA until 7 years ago

before that I was one of the lucky ones who didn't require any healthcare but since then things have changed for me. I'm happy they're there now that I need them and like I've said so many times befoe on here, I wish everyone could be so fortunate.