Community Forums

lpkirby · 01-26-2013, 02:16 PM

Hi everyone, I have a question....
I am a 100% service connected veteran with several injuries but decided to hit the road while I am still young enough (38) to enjoy it before possible getting worse. I require a special injection every month and I was told when I left Houston that all I had to do was to check into the local VA as I travel and they will order it and give it to me. That was false and for the last 6 months it has been a royal pain to get my injection. The rest of my meds come from Houston without any issues.
So my question is what do you other vets do while traveling to get treatment at the VA. I have to register at every VA and then go to the ER. I cannot see a PC because I am not assigned one and will not be in the area long enough to have one assigned.
I have a L5 - S1 Herniated Disk from the explosion as well and today I slipped in the shower and re injured it. Normally in Houston I would call them up and I would be scheduled for an epidural injection within a week or two and would be good to go. However I am in Florida right now and I know there is no way they they will schedule me for one. I imagine that they are going to want to do their own MRI etc... which could take months in the VA system.
Any advice from anyone who has had to deal with this yet? What did you do?
Thanks for any advice, and I have pain medications with me.
Leon

P.S I guess this is where I should have taking the Medicare Part B Coverage...

flaggship1 · 01-26-2013, 06:57 PM

I cannot offer advice - but plan to go full time next year and will have some similar prescription issues - won't be on Medicare for some time - but will have TriCare and retirement coverage from Aetna. The issue - as you have stated is multifaceted. My physician (private practice) won't give me an antibiotic without seeing me and getting his copay + payment. Same goes for BP and other meds. I'm sure it will work out but as you've stated - I have a feeling it will be a hassle.

Hope your pain eases and you find your solution quickly. Perhaps others will ring in with advice for you. I've seen related threads but can't locate them. The admins are working on a way to group "disability" related threads. Hopefully that will be accomplished soon and give threads like this greater visibility across the platform.

Gary RVRoamer · 01-26-2013, 08:18 PM

My wife needs chemotherapy by infusion every three weeks and probably will for the rest of her life. We share your difficulties - wherever we go, it is essentially starting over from scratch, even though we bring medical records, CD of scans, and a prescribed course of treatment from one of the top cancer centers in the USA. In one instance, the local specialists insisted that we had to have a referral from our family doctor, but it had to be a local doctor! Duh! We finally resolved that one by getting an appointment to see a Nurse Practitioner (didn't need a referral for that) and she then referred us to the big wheel doctor whose office was just donw the hall from hers.

We have pretty much relegated ourselves to traveling the same route each year so that we can visit treatment centers where she is already known to the doctors and already in their medical records. Adding a new stop to our itinerary is just too much work.

But we aren't giving up traveling - we still spend about 5 months a year in the coach.

Just another example of how hosed up the medical system is in this country. People with serious medical problems that require already-established courses of treatment have to jump through hoops to get them if they have the audacity not to lay still in the hospital!

lpkirby · 01-26-2013, 08:32 PM

Thanks and yes I agree this is very frustrating!!! But I like your plan and at the rate that I am going I will be registered with every VA in the South East. I will deal with the hassle since I really do like RV'ing full time. I just cannot believe that the VA system is not linked together in this day and age. But I refuse to sit on the couch and watch TV all day!!! Thanks for sharing your plan.

papaw.1 · 01-26-2013, 09:10 PM

As one Vet to another I really appreciate your service.I Have had about 35 epidurals in the last 8 years.Mine is not service related but,I am going to semi retire Feb.1st so I have Found health insurance for what I think is reasonable.I think all of the Medical Fields are screwed up.I hope you get some kind of relief.I hope you have Many Safe and Happy Travels

ArmyMPFromMO · 01-26-2013, 09:48 PM

Wish I could report that I've had better luck Unfortunately, getting the VA to catch up with the medical technologies would take an act of Congress, a 10 year study and another 10 years for implementation. SMH

PyrateSilly · 01-26-2013, 10:06 PM

The VA system is way better today than it was 10 or even 20 yrs ago. I can vouch for that completely since I have been part of it for over 20 yrs and I am only 46. That being said we try very hard not to have to do anything while away. I can reorder what I need or talk to my doctor at anytime to get what I need sent to where we are at. I didn't even get my flu shot at the VA here since it would have required me to 'register' here. Stupid stuff now but it's still WAY better than just a few yrs ago.

ArmyMPFromMO · 01-26-2013, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PyrateSilly

The VA system is way better today than it was 10 or even 20 yrs ago. I can vouch for that completely since I have been part of it for over 20 yrs and I am only 46. That being said we try very hard not to have to do anything while away. I can reorder what I need or talk to my doctor at anytime to get what I need sent to where we are at. I didn't even get my flu shot at the VA here since it would have required me to 'register' here. Stupid stuff now but it's still WAY better than just a few yrs ago.

No doubt, just takes the system too long to do what it should when civilian systems make it happen almost immediately.

Wayne M · 01-26-2013, 10:48 PM

LPKirby,
I'm PM'ing you a name and phone number of a local honcho near me that has 38 years in the VA business. The last time I visited he stood in the waiting area and explained all kinds of things to the veterans sitting there waiting to be treated. Please give him a call and report your plight. He is associated with the Houston VA system.

Semper Fi!

99-Am.Star · 01-27-2013, 03:47 PM

First, to my brother Veterans, let me thank youu for your service.

Second, try goin to the Military / Veteran RVing thread in the RV Lifestyle Forum toward the bottom of the home Page an post your Question there. You may get more responces there. Best of luck to all of you.
John

Shellback1 · 01-27-2013, 04:05 PM

I have the same problem be it that I live in NH during the spring - fall and travel in an RV for the winter. I don't stay in one place too long so I have to have my pills shipped to me from my house when I am at a base for 2 weeks. In CA I went to the VA and had to do what you did. Register like you are a new vet and go to the ER. You would think with GOV network you could go to any VA to get pills, treatment or whatever. The can call up your records. Come on! But I sould know better I worked for the FAA for 36 years.

Wayne M · 01-28-2013, 09:16 AM

We went on a 4 month excursion this past Spring/Summer. My prescriptions are for 90 days. I called the VA and stated I needed a Maintenance prescription to accommodate the time we would be gone. It was necessary to physically visit the VA facility in Houston (only 40 miles for me) and talk to a pharmacy person. I had a list of my medications, how many pills each I had, and how many more I would need to see me through my trip. They were extremely accommodating and mailed my additional medications to me. There were plenty left over on the return and I went back on order schedule.

That is only for medicines. I'm not sure but I believe you can get a 6 month maintenance supply.

My other option, which i have used, is mail forwarding. Most of you on full time have a mail service address. For those of us in a stick house we need a mail forwarding service on a temporary basis. We, personally, have had great service with the USPS. For a fee they will save all of the mail, and once a week send it to an address you specify. In our case we send it to my brother's place, or my son's place or change from one to the other at any post office by just filling out the forms. Talk to your postmaster. Many different scenarios that work for us.

Another option is for a neighbor, or family member, pickup you mail, box it and forward it to wherever you are at the time.

lpkirby, give a call to the PM number I sent you. I really hope he can help. Let me know please. Thanks.

Wayne M · 01-28-2013, 09:53 AM

Leon,
I had to call and ask for myself what the procedure was.

First, one must register at the VA hospital they are seeking treatment at. Once registered that VA hospital can do a computer pull-down of your records from any VA hospital. They can base their treatment on that if their procedures allow them to, or you may have to see a doctor. The records will save him and you some time. So the records are available at any VA hospital, but you do have to go through the paper work to register.

If you are in extreme pain you can go to triage and they should be able to take care of you, but again someone may have to fill in the registration paper work. As you know that as a walk-in you could be sitting there for a long time - that is typical at any hospital except in extreme emergency cases.

For medication - the same applies with one exception. The regular medicines can be obtained by registering at any VA hospital and they can pull the records. The exception is narcotics. Houston will not recognize narcotic prescriptions from another VA hospital, and it is most likely the other VA hospitals will not honor a narcotic prescription. That is to prevent those with intent of misuse from going to VA after VA hospital filling the prescription for whatever use they want.

If a veteran knows where they will be they can call the primary VA hospital and request a prescription refill be sent to a temporary address. According to my call Houston will do that. I use the maintenance refill procedure I talked about earlier.

Good luck.