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It is possible to get some services from both. There is even some sharing of some services between active duty and retires and VA Services.
okay - I'd think that if you had Prime, you'd select that first. But I guess if you have a service related disability and were given VA benefits, you'd use them.......
I was a nursing student decades ago, I did rotations in VA hospitals and it was an eye-opener to see all the patients they had in there with very little military service (months, sometimes) - and they never saw any combat operations, never even left the country. But the VA still took them in.
You'd think the VA would do a better job in filtering who should receive care, imo.
It is possible to get some services from both. There is even some sharing of some services between active duty and retires and VA Services.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BucFan
okay - I'd think that if you had Prime, you'd select that first.
No, not necessarily. Not a big issue, but I had been getting my flu shots at the VA for over five years. Faster. More convenient. Cheaper (Free)... Also some military hospitals share services with local VA. My wife got X-Rays at the local VA. Some active duty military get blood work at the local VA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poncho_NM
But I guess if you have a service related disability and were given VA benefits, you'd use them.......
Had nothing to do with a service related disability
Quote:
Originally Posted by Poncho_NM
and they never saw any combat operations, never even left the country. But the VA still took them in. You'd think the VA would do a better job in filtering who should receive care, imo.
They do filter. If you are entitled then you can get in line to get the VA benift. Has nothing to do with "never saw any combat operations, never even left the country."
No one here has obviously needed specialty care offered only by the VA. Tri Care does not have blind rehabilitation, unique to the VA for blind veterans. Or comprehensive spinal care rehabilitation, or traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
Those services make a difference for the veterans who need them.
No one here has obviously needed specialty care offered only by the VA. Tri Care does not have blind rehabilitation, unique to the VA for blind veterans. Or comprehensive spinal care rehabilitation, or traumatic brain injury rehabilitation.
Those services make a difference for the veterans who need them.
If you have, and wouldn't mind, please send me a DM about this please....
It is possible to get some services from both. There is even some sharing of some services between active duty and retires and VA Services.
As a retiree, I know that I can go to either a civilian medical facility [using Tricare], or the VA hospital. I choose to use the civilian Health Care option.
I know a lot of local vets who rely on the VA. From them I hear their stories of dealing with the VA. I prefer to not place my burden on the VA. The VA often appears to be over-burdened.
We have surplus Medical Facilities in this area, with a wide selection of doctors. Anytime that I or my wife find that we do not like a doctor, it is very easy for us to change to different doctors.
The problem with the VA is they treat people that served in the military but are asking for medical treatment for non-service related medical problems. That should change and the VA should only treat people that served and have service related medical problems.
Years ago the VA accepted just about everybody. But the latest 12 year war has a flood of new people coming into the system so the VA has ALREADY limited who can access their health care -- and for what it can be accessed.
From the VA website:
Question #2:
Do You Qualify For VA Health Care?
2. Are any of these statements true?
You were discharged or separated for medical reasons, early out, or hardship
You served in theater of combat operations within the past 5 years
You were discharged from the military because of a disability (not preexisting)
You are a former Prisoner of War
You received a Purple Heart Medal
You receive VA pension or disability benefits
You receive state Medicaid benefits
Yes No Answer no and you get this: Do You Qualify For VA Health Care?
Based on the information you provided, your eligibility for VA health care benefits may be based on special factors such as service in Vietnam, other military history factors or even household income. We encourage you to a apply now for VA health care benefits.
Submitting an application is the best way to find out if you qualify. Plus, if in the future new regulations take effect, VA will automatically reassess your application to determine if you qualify. If we have your application on file, we will be able to notify you if new rules make you qualified for health benefits in the future.
Have questions? Call 1-877-222-VETS (8387)
Government website, no copyright.
Not everyone who served in the armed forces is necessarily eligible.
Overall the VA is about the best health care in America
Quote:
How does the VA measure up against other U.S. health care providers? To address this question, RAND researchers compared the medical records of VA patients with a national sample and evaluated how effectively health care is delivered to each group. Their findings:
VA patients received about two-thirds of the care recommended by national standards, compared with about half in the national sample.
Among chronic care patients, VA patients received about 70 percent of recommended care, compared with about 60 percent in the national sample.
For preventive care, the difference was greater: VA patients received about 65 percent of recommended care, while patients in the national sample received 20 percent less.
VA patients received consistently better care across the board, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.
Quality of care for acute conditions — a performance area the VA did not measure — was similar for the two populations.
The greatest differences between the VA and the national sample were for indicators where the VA was actively measuring performance and for indicators related to those on which performance was measured.
Some other health systems also provide excellent patient care, and every place has it weaknesses, but the VA generally stands out on quality, said Elizabeth McGlynn, associate director of Rand Health, a division of the Rand Corp., in Santa Monica, Calif.
"You're much better off in the VA than in a lot of the rest of the U.S. health-care system," she said. "You've got a fighting chance there's going to be some organized, thoughtful, evidence-based response to dealing effectively with the health problem that somebody brings to them."
The combination of its information system and support tools, routine performance reporting and financial incentives for managers who hit quality targets gives it an edge, said McGlynn, who co-authored a comparative study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2004 that found the VA outperformed its community health-care counterparts by 20 percentage points in preventive care. It also performed significantly better on chronic disease care and in overall quality.
And finally this. What other hospital organization in the entire United States reports its results to the public? The answer is---NONE. Only the VA does. Which is another reason their health care results overall are superior to any private operation.
Quote:
The 2012 report includes quality and safety data and information related to the care provided in outpatient and inpatient settings, the staffing of each VA health care facility, the quality of inpatient and outpatient health care provided to all Veterans and to certain patient populations, the health care center accreditation status, patient satisfaction and selected patient outcomes for Fiscal Year (FY) 2011. The data tables included with the report are referenced below. The data tables are updated annually and reference information from FY 2011 only.
^ and that's if you even get in! My husband has been trying for years but they make you just though so many hoops that a man working a full time job cannot make all the appointments required JUST to get in the system before you even see a care provider. VA hospital system is a JOKE!
^ and that's if you even get in! My husband has been trying for years but they make you just though so many hoops that a man working a full time job cannot make all the appointments required JUST to get in the system before you even see a care provider. VA hospital system is a JOKE!
Since it turned good, EVERYBODY wants in. But funding has been limited by Congress even though it is patient by patient, the least expensive health care in America.
I have found the VA medical services in Oregon to be outstanding, I've been treated by the VA healthcare system since 1997 and have no complaints. Granted it does take awhile to get an appointment, unless your condition is life threating then you'll be seen right away. The small clinic that my PP is at sees on the average of 3000 veterans a day, on the other hand the VA hospital in Portland sees on the average 300,000 veterans a year. That's one hell of a work load for any hospital. You can see why it takes awhile to get into the VA medical system.
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From the VA website
