In the USA our VA Health Care System is a government funded support agency to provide health care to veterans of the armed forces.

The quality of the services they provide has recently been sub-par with the civilian counterparts.

There are facilities strewn across all 50 states.

Personally I have utilized 6 different facilities in different locations.

Of the six, only one was quality on par with basic civilian care.

For a government supported entity you would think that with today's technology all the different facilities would be standardized and able to communicate with each other. A patients records would transfer from facility to facility like they do when one is serving in active duty status and transferring duty stations. They Don't.

You might think that quality of care would reflect the same attention to detail and high standards as the military's strict standards. After all, The facility is there to support military trained people. They Don't.

You might expect basic routines from your primary care physician like an physical examination. Listen to your heart beat, check your lungs and abdomen with a stethoscope, look at your tongue, ears, check your neck glands and so on.

What happens is the Dr you are given gets on his/her computer, looks at your test results and tells you what they see. They prescribe you drugs and tell you how to use them. They talk with you a bit and then spend the rest of the hour typing on the computer while you sit in the chair. At or near the end of the hour you are ushered out and told to make a new appointment in six months.

When you return in six months you need to reintroduce yourself to the Dr because there is no familiarity in their eyes when you look at them. The pull up your record and it all repeats.

When they do issue you new medicine and it is mailed to you it is two weeks before you get that medicine.

If you have an on-going condition or a occurrence of a condition all past treatments and medicines at other facilities are unavailable without a special allowance and a significant period of time. The Dr cannot just click into your medical history within the VA as a whole.

Often times this leads to a number of tests that you must submit to again and again. When those retest results come back, the treatments reflect what the doctor decides not what worked well for you in the past from the same tests. Many Doctors assign medication on what they assume is the problem without acknowledging what you know worked in the past.

I have been incorrectly diagnosed with 8 different aliments by 8 different doctors and not one has effectively treated my complaint.
I don't even know what it is that needs to be treated because they have called it so many different things.

It has been years since I held normal medical insurance. Being disabled restricts my ability to afford civilian health care due to living costs. Support for veterans is low cost and I consider it a benefit that I earned when I signed my life to my country. I do appreciate the offer. I just think that if the country I served honorably is going to offer something this important they should at least have their **** together?
[/rant]

I ask my fellow veterans, Have you been satisfied with your experiences with the VA Heath Care Network?

Do you use MyHealtheVet website?

Do you have any ideas on how it could be fixed?
Do you even think it is broken?

How would your experience there measure up to your experience of your time in the service?
How does it compare with your experience with civilian health care?

Thank you for your service!
Remember the Fallen...

If it's any consolation, I think in a lot of states the quality of services from the civilian counterparts are racing to catch down with the VA.

IME lately patients are seen as, and treated more like, sheep or cattle, an exploitable resource.

Doctors are the cowboys and ranchers, patients are the livestock, insurance companies and government "insurance" or "healthcare" programs are the auction yards.

It's been my experience that the VA provides health care on par with any other health care organization in the U.S.. In other words, ya get what ya pay for.

I recently had an upper and lower GI that the VA farmed out to the local hospital. The quality of the facility, the quality of the care and the feeling they gave me in prep and after care was like comparing a beat up old farm truck with a Rolls Royce.

Most people in the health care profession are there because it is a sure way to make lots of money. It has become a quantity over quality thing.

Thank You for Your Service

I don't see it that way. People on medicaid receive better health care than the veterans that served our country. I see this happen all the time.

Plus, I do pay for it. I pay co-pays and taxes.

Thank You For Your Service.

My experience with the VA was due to a loved one. And it did not go well.

I found them to be inept and for the most part they had a cavalier attitude about their patients and their job.

I do not think it is a reflection of the American people, but it is certainly a reflection of the Government.

Our VETS deserve a hell of a lot more then they are getting... A LOT MORE

I was not impressed. I was more ashamed that this is what we offer those who served and serve.

There are people who care in the VA system and those that don't. You can tell which facilities care and which do not.

I had one facility that was staffed in all areas by people that truly appreciated our service. You could tell by the quality of the care given.

VA's that are staffed by people that 'claim' to care but are working there for another reason (just a job) seem to be the worst. They process you like you are a burger going on a bun to go in a bag.

Then there is the in-betweeners. Mostly staffed by people that did care but are so run down by the red tape and difficulty of life that they just want to get done and go home. These are the most common and care varies from visit to visit.

Personally I think that anyone that commits their lives and freedom in the service of our nation deserves to be held in high regard. Not just Vets, but any public service like police, firefighters and emergency respondents.

Thanx to your loved one for their service!

I agree, I have 2 brothers who serve the public in life threatening type occupations and both have great heath care programs from the city they work for. And their families as well.

But In my experience, when it was upped to the federal government level (VA) the service was nothing compared to the "outside"

And in the case of my loved one, it was a injury.. a bad one..during military service and getting them to get him back to the level he was at was a nightmare. To the point where (out of desperation) I called my state Senator.

Then things changed, then my son was important....

But is that what it takes?.. that in itself is inexcusable.

I am sure others have different experiences.. maybe good ones. this is just mine.

Well if you don't like it then buy some insurance and go see a regular doctor. Just because someone is in the service it doesn't mean they should get free heath care the rest of their life. Its the people that use the VA for their day to day medical needs that takes away for those who have actual military related needs. If your medical condition is directly related to something that happened in the military that's fine, other wise pay for what you need. Its like people who claim workman's comp for things that are caused by things on their own time.

I don't know who you are directing this to?.. hope not me.. my son was hurt during battle.

If it is me, lets not go there.. o.k.

a veterant should also consern how many doctor remains their soul on the battlefield.....so whats your point on it? if there no more support then who will.......ride some time and learn some thing......a soldier should never notice me but we......and happy chinese year old one.

My main medical condition is due to something that happened to me in Lebanon back in 83. The military misdiagnosed it. When I got out and went to the VA they misdiagnosed it and the 25 years I had civilian insurance every doc I had for it misdiagnosed it. It is related to why I became disabled but since the military misdiagnosed it the VA won't make it a service connected condition. I came into light contact with agent orange on the equipment that I was tasked to service. The VA has strict coverage criteria on periods of time and locations where agent orange related conditions are covered.
When a person is disabled and not allowed to work, there isn't a whole lot of money after living expenses to pay insurance premiums and those high co-pays. Essentially what you are telling all Vets that use the VA is to go buy insurance and if they can't afford it just die.
I appreciate what little care I do get because the alternative is none at all. My issue is that if my nation is going to offer something to their veterans they should at least have the same standards for it as they expect from those who served.
May you never experience what it is like to choose between eating and medicine.

I'm sorry nailcap, I didn't understand what you wrote at all? I'm sure you said something meaningful but the translation is garbled.

...and happy chinese year to you as well

I did not request nor expect this while I was serving. It is something that my nation did for its veterans. I never really used it till I lost my income. I am glad it was available but it is not what I thought it was. It is merely a hollow glass apple.


Not really, I have talked with many vets at the facilities and it seems the incompetence encompasses all aspects.


I do. Co-pays are based on three tiers of coverage, I fall into the middle tier. I have my service-connected condition in deliberation but a technicality is keeping it from going thru. Covering me or even admitting to my condition will set a precedent concerning agent orange exposure.


I have to disagree. Personally I am not claiming VA heath care at all. I was disabled first, then during a routine visit was told to start using my benefits by my advocate. Plus my medicare from my disability coverage pays to the VA.

Next thing you will try to say is that the money I get from disability is a hand out - heard that before too. My SSI pay comes directly from the money I paid over a 30 year career, so my disability money is my own. I pay taxes on only the money I earn over that amount. I don't WANT any of this. I want to go back to making 4 times what I get now. I WANT to afford good health care.

Thank You For Your Service

If people read what I wrote careful they would see that I said if its military related that's fine. And if the VA was only used for military related conditions it would give the VA more time and money for those who need it. There are many veterans that use the VA for their day to day medical needs. Disability is based on the percent someone is disabled similar to social security. Once again I'm fine with those who need it, but the ones that abuse it make things harder for everyone else. Once a person is retired Medicare can allow them to see regular doctors instead of the VA for some of their regular medical needs. And remember the VA is run by the government and they have ways to screw a lot of things up while they waste a lot of money doing it. I wish you good luck dealing with the VA, I know you will need it!

Well, I'm glad you are o.k. with it...to some extent. But clearly you have not put on that uniform...or been shot at.. people really trying to kill you. or been in combat. so you really don't know..do you? how could you?.. when your world can go " black" at any moment.. you earned it. Do you really know what that is like?.

they earned there benefits

I mean the VA healthy care not only comes from the news whom join the army and the moneys but also the volunteers of veterants, there are words like this in the military from the ancinet....... " if no one can't take up that responsibility......I will." then that's the aim.......the militants always burden more then civilians isn't it?

Thank you for clarifying.