VA treatment

[bruno]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...14fd66a0-9199-11e2-bdea-e32ad90da239&hpid=z16

Anybody on here use the VA medical system? I don't though I know a few guys who seem to get pretty good service out of the VA. But if the care is as fouled up as has been alleged why would Vets be hesitant to use this program? I would think that the ability to go to a private MD rather than wait in line for a VA Doc would be pretty attractive. So what are the issues?

 

[BAMA ROTC]

I use the VA and I have had minimal problems. It has become so good that I use them for Primary care now.

 

[cga82]

Can you use both VA and Tri-care?

 

[kp2001]

Can you use both VA and Tri-care?

Yes. The way I have seen it happen is a retiree gets some specialty care at the MTF and some at the VA because the MTF didn't have access to some other specialty.

For example I recently operated on a veteran at the VA, but their cardiologist is at the military hospital.

 

[Sampia]

I do not know much about the hospitals. I am a nurse and have had several patients who do use them and have not complained. Quite a few years back I worked briefly at a VA Hospital in Missouri. I was quite shocked at how the patients were treated. My first clue as a newly hired nurse there was the absence of call lights going off. The patients had to fend for themselves quite a bit. They would get up and get their own towels and bed linens. One fellow told me he did not use his light because nobody would answer it anyway. I was used to going out of my way to do everything I could do for my patients and that facility seem to have the opposite philosophy. It may have just been as simple as a military type of facility versus a civilian one.