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Old 09-20-2012, 10:37 AM   #1
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VA medical care & RV fulltime

I'm new to using VA for medical care since recently awarded disability. My claim was started while we were in Phoenix AZ and was seen by VA there. We fulltime and still travel the USA. How do you handle getting medical care along the road? One VA told me I had to enroll and then transfer to next VA each time I needed medical care. Do I have to keep returning to one VA? I do get Rx from the Phoenix VA & they do mail refills to my current address. But that was because we'll be returning to Phoenix after 6 months travel. Not sure what will happen when we leave Phoenix in spring & travel again & not return to Phoenix. Any suggestions or examples would be appreciated.
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Old 09-20-2012, 11:47 AM   #2
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Old 10-12-2012, 12:15 AM   #3
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It is my understanding that for service connected disabilities you can go to any VA facility. I do not know about routine health care. Make sure you have your VA card with you.
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Old 10-19-2012, 12:07 AM   #4
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We traveled to MN last January on a "quick" trip. As we were making the one day drive, my husband became sick fast with a bad URI. I stopped at the VA facility in Minneapolis with him, they took him right in to the ER and a wonderful doctor checked him out and put him on antibotics and REFILLED ALL of his meds because she did not want us "stuck" in Minnesota in storm and missing our return to Colorado. As long as my husband has his VA card, he can go into any VA ER and get medical care.
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Old 01-27-2013, 07:55 AM   #5
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When my our son was alive he had mixed results with how well he was served by the VA. Same with my wife's uncle who is a retired Colonel.

I am sure you already have checked the Va. locator on the web Veterans Affairs National Facilities Locator - Locations

What they bill as a easy system is often anything but.

It took 2 years and our congressman's involvement to get burial benefits paid for our son who retired after 20 years of service.

I have no respect for the VA.
A service member is sold a bill of goods when the signup.

I do understand you back issues, as I was recently told that the MRI showed my pain comes from 5 compressed disks. They want micro surgery and remove vertebrae bone to make the opening for the nerves bigger. I don't know about that one. I do know people that have had very successful back surgery to include a lady that had flexible rod from neck to tail bone and she was up an doing all actives within a year. She said she was pain free 99% of the time.

I do want to thank you for your service to our country and your sacrifice.
Thank you.
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Old 01-27-2013, 10:52 AM   #6
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Consider that the VA "information specialists" when you talk to them are like any customer service center. Sometimes you get someone who really knows the inside and outside of the system, and at other times you get the new person that just thinks they know the answer.

If you don't like the answer, call again and talk to a different contact. I have heard nightmare stories regarding the possibility of getting care at another VA facility, then I hear stories of "no problem." I don't know what the answer is.

Since you full time you probably have a mailing address. All you meds can be sent to that address and then forwarded to you by your mail service. Also, for periods of travel that exceed the 90 day prescription length, I get a maintenance supply of meds that last for 6 months. Works for me.

Also, I use My Health VA portal for many of my uses including ordering meds. You do not have to wait until your meds get low to order new ones. As soon as I get mine in the mail I go to the portal and re-order. Receiving them in the mail is my reminder trigger to re-order.

There are many veterans in the same situation. I'll be watching to see how medical services are handled, not just meds. Thanks.

Happy trails.

Semper Fi!
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Old 01-27-2013, 03:06 PM   #7
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Go to the site in my sig for every answer to every question you didnt know to ask...
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Old 01-30-2013, 06:49 AM   #8
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VA Healthcare on the Road

With a service connected disability I'm eligible for full VA care with no copay but prefer Medicare/TFL due to distance to VA. Just had cause to use the Pensacola VA Clinic while down here. They had quite a bit of my info in the system (from South Dakota) but it took a while to get "checked in" to this Clinic. Two weeks later I called for an eye check here (diabetes) and was told I'm not in the system here. So today I get to storm the place.

We'll see...
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Old 01-31-2013, 02:56 AM   #9
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My husband is VA also, and the VA system differs from *Region to Region*

It's crazy because if he's never been to that Region... it's a LONG info update period.

I told the last Region that they NEED to have a new system where ALL VETS healthcare can be accessed by all VA MEDICAL CENTERS then I grinned and said *SORT OF LIKE OBAMACARE MAKING ALL MEDICAL RECORDS ON A NATIONAL DATA BASE, so now it will be much harder for us HUMANS to get a true honest second opinion!

The worst of the VA system I have found is that a lot of the people are Civilians (especially Minneapolis) and they are often RUDE to the Veterans. My husband and I were waiting in the Pharmacy waiting room there once and walked in behind another veteran, the woman through the glass window was so damn rude that it pissed me off. So when she finished with the gentleman and he took a seat in the rear row. I stood beside my husband and kept my mouth shut for four minutes when she started talking to my husband in rudeness and as politely as I could.... I asked *ma'am are you a veteran?" and she snapped NO at me, and I smiled and said "great, please call your supervisor to this window, we will wait.

10 minutes later the Supervisor came to the window, and I asked "are you a veteran" and he said no.... Wonderful, well I want to file a complaint right now and I will assure you I will follow up to make sure my complaint reaches the desk it needs to. I then complained how the clerk was rude and yelling at the first veteran, and then started to do the same to my husband... and then I said... You all should be respecting these Veterans, they are the reason you have this job! Now, please start over. And I stood there quiet the whole time, using my iPhone to write out my complaint and yes, I turned it in, and I did get three calls on it.

I would like to see more Veteran's offered jobs at the VA Centers FIRST because they know how to treat fellow Veterans.

Going back to my shell now...
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Old 01-31-2013, 08:04 PM   #10
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Each VA hosp has a 'patient advocate'. If you are having problems ask how to contact the advocate. Sometimes that helps, if not then actually contact the advocate with your problems. We've been fulltimming for 12 yrs and have used the VA system around the country and have had to use the advocate on a couple of occassions.

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Old 01-31-2013, 10:20 PM   #11
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At my local VA the Administrative Officer has been in the VA system for 38 years. As I was sitting in the waiting room with about 50 other veterans he came out, muted the television and gave a very good orientation to those waiting. He knew his stuff and was very good.

Recently I called him on behalf of a poster on this forum. He said that every VA facility can pull down your records but the very first thing that is a must do is register at that hospital. Without registering there will be no record pull down. You can get your meds, except narcotics. Those have to be handled by your parent VA office (that is what he stated.) Now I'm sure that if you get in to see a doctor and the doctor is assured you are not abusing, he can write a prescription for any meds at that facility.

Just saying.

And I use the VA MyHealth portal. As soon as I get a prescription in the mail, I go to the portal and order the next set of meds. When they come in I go to the portal again and order the next set, and so on. One does not have to wait until 10 days prior to prescription run out to order a new set of meds. They will send them before the expiration of the ones on hand.

Now, with that said, I would not stand for any rudeness from anyone. I'm to outspoken for that. However, take for example the VA hospital in Houston. They see thousands of patients per day throughout that hospital. I can imagine the abuse (rudeness) that many of the workers have to put up with from belligerent veterans. Day after day after day. I imagine it could give someone an attitude, but I don't like that as an excuse. I have been going to the same VA hospital for over 30 years and I have seen it both ways. I always approach a desk with a smile and politeness and in return I have received the same. If I notice a veteran in front of me being a little rude, I apologize and tell the person that not all veterans are like that. I get a smile and sometimes a thank you in return.

Sometimes life is what you make of it.

Just saying.
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Old 01-31-2013, 11:19 PM   #12
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I am facing making a decision of going to the va for care or sticking out tri care for life and medicare. I am in tricare prime now and will be 65 in may. I am 100% disable due to agent orange heart disease. I have been notified that tri care prime goes away 1 oct 13 for my region. My DW is not 65 until 4 more yrs. She will be moved to tri care standard, which has a 25% co pay and a standing deductable each year. She could go on champva if we can find a provider. I would have to change to va docs and not sure how the heart stuff would go. I have been using the same cardio guy since 95 and he knows me inside out. I think I understand how the va thing goes when we are traveling, just not sure what to do at this point. I will buy part b medicare and switch to tricare for life no matter if I select va or not. Just don't want to give that up, even if I don't use it. Any experience with these issues???? I am open for thoughts. Thanks in advance. Jim
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Old 02-01-2013, 08:14 AM   #13
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Jim, if I were you I would go to the VA in El Paso. If for no other reason than to get into the system. That way if you decide to go the VA in the future or you are on the road in the rv somewhere and need it you are in the system and they can bring up your records quicker.

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Old 02-01-2013, 08:28 AM   #14
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Jim,
I may have missed something in "changes" but it is my understanding that when you reach 65 medicare becomes your primary and TFL is the secondary.

I am USFHP which is a contracted TFL organization. Me and my wife (I'm retired military) pay no out of pocket expenses when we visit the doctor or go to the hospital. Now, with that being said, Medicare will cost you about $100 per person per month, and in many cases that is more on a yearly basis then the TFL before you were 65.

I hope I'm not mistaken on this.

I would go with both programs. You earned them both.
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