VA Regional Office - Closed

Initial request for an exam over two months ago - goes through a 3rd party called Optum Serve.

Receive appointment, and FedEx packet with a large note stating no children allowed.

Contact Optum Serve in order to obtain the appointment office phone number, while relaying to them my small request of having a child present.

Office says there's a strict no children policy.

Followed up with Optum Serve and they suggest I call VA regional so I do just that.

Second request for an exam over a month ago - goes through Optum Serve yet again.

Receive appointment, and I call Optum Serve and they apologize for the issue as they don't receive the details of my request, but to ask the VA to specifically use a different 3rd party as each one has their own network for such appointments.

Speak to VA regional, expressing that I've gone through this whole thing already (and she acknowledges it, seeing the notes), and apologizes. States that it was overlooked for some reason and that in fact, the appointment can be made through the VA hospital itself so the request was submitted.

Called today seeing as how there's been radio silence since April 10th - the news I received was that a FedEx packet is on its way to me, and that an appointment was indeed scheduled.

Great! I asked for the details and she says it's through Optum Serve, at where? The same location going two months back.

Before she can continue, she's now baffled cause she sees the multiple requests and even the note stating I need to go through the VA hospital

Holy fucking hell - for those wondering, I watch our 1 year old full-time as my wife works. Circumstances make it difficult for her to take a day off in her line of work, and my mom lives 3 hours away (doesn't drive) so that's a no go. MIL is rarely available as well especially when I shared the details of my last appointment.

Not looking for any help here, just venting.

Figured y'all might have had similar experiences dealing with the VA as well.

 

Any time I’ve had to deal with the VA it’s been a disaster. Months and months to get anything done. I had an optum appointment scheduled also, got to the parking lot about 40 minutes ahead of the scheduled time. I received a phone 20 minutes before my scheduled appointment saying they had to reschedule my appointment. If you last minute cancel or need a reschedule it’s held against you. They’re also extremely slow and don’t like to put everything you say in your claim. I had to email them to ensure what I needed to be in my claim was in, it wasn’t.

The VA system is broken unfortunately. I truly feel it’s not there to serve veterans but to make people feel good because they say the VA is there to help.

Not saying the employees of the VA don’t care or aren’t doing their best, the system is broke and not efficient at all.

 

I'm 100% P&T, I get ALL of my medical care through the VA. I'm very thankful to be in Tennessee vs Washington, as the TVHA who runs the VA hospitals here is pretty decent as far as the VA goes. It wasn't so good in WA. I know some regions are stacked with way to much incompetence to provide effective care. I like to point out the massive levels of incompetence that has occurred, any time someone says they want to pass socialized health care. The VA is a socialized health care system. I ask them if they have heard the horror stories of vets dying while waiting for care and if they would like to get their health care though the VA? I can usually hear crickets while waiting for a response.

 

Yeah, I'm category 1 as well being a PH recipient (and 70%) but just to be safe I'm also on my wife's insurance as she has amazing coverage.

This is just to schedule a C&P exam as I've only ever made a single claim just some 6 years ago or so.

Only recently decided to submit one for my back as it's gotten worse and I've pretty much just "sucked it up" the whole 15 years I've been out of the military.

Was diagnosed with sciatica over 4+ years ago and the VA has covered my chiropractor any and every time I've needed it.

 

Unfortunately I’m in Washington state, it’s still horrible!

I injured my back while on deployment in 2010, I recently retired and submitted a second claim…first was from active duty this is a reserve claim. The sad thing is, the first claim in 2005 went way smoother than this claim and the VA states things have gotten better.

Side note @Kwikvette, I just had a Laminectomy at the L4L5 to get rid of the sciatica and man alive I wish I’d have done it sooner! 5 weeks out from surgery and I’ve not felt this good in 14 years plus. It may not be the right option for you but after all the research I did it is one of the top 2 back surgeries that are successful. I still have back issues due to degenerate discs but the leg pain is 90% better.

 

Man, back surgeries freak me out.

I have degeneration, and my L5 was all out of wack along with my T1.

I'm also not sure I submitted for the right items but I only made 3 claims in my 1 claim - sciatic nerve/pain, numbness of the foot (which occurs often, and is more apparent with my back pain), as well as some other thing associated with my sciatica.

They already have X-rays that they took at the VA before sending me off to a chiropractor, as well as X-rays taken at the chiropractor office itself. I say this because when I called regional about my scheduling they actually said "well, it seems like there's plenty of evidence in their hands already. You can submit with the information already in our hands" but I said no, and prefer to continue with scheduling an exam. Kind of weird that she suggested that.

 

So....Army vet, was on the M1A2 tank for five years and got out. Went to the local VA and got coverage. Went back to school, became a Registered Nurse. I am no longer eligible due to means testing, the VA says I make too much money. Fine, whatever. Eventuallly got a job working at the Tucson VA in their Step Down Unit. Loved the patients, some of those guys had some amazing stories. Hated the administration, extremely slow moving and basically all they did was protect their jobs. Left after a year because I just couldn't take it anymore. This was back in 2016 or so. However, my dad gets great care there, so go figure.

 

Yep I have family who currently works at the VA and friends who do and some that have left. The workers are usually amazing it’s just all the red tape they have to put up with. It’s a shame, I love chatting with other vets when I go there. I tried to get a program going where us airmen would go after work and talk to some of the old timers that were living in the hospital or stuck there as a volunteering things…Covid showed up right as it was starting to gain some traction.

 

Most 90+% of the medical staff are great and do their best to provide the best care they can. As you indicated most of the issues revolve around anything to do with the admin processes, it is a bureaucracy.

 

Oh trust me I was freaked out too. I’d sweat my ass off every appointment talking about what they were gonna do and what was wrong. In the pre op room I was so freaked out…once they pumped the drugs in the IV, I woke up feeling like a million bucks 5 hours later even though the surgery was about an hour and a half…well 5 hours from when I realized I woke up.

 

Yep.

Any and all staff I've ever encountered have always been very courteous and respectful.

Hell, even the people I talk to on the phone.

It's just the way things are handled up above that's a real shit show. All the staff I've talked to read back exactly all the information that was entered based on previous conversations, so they're stumped (and embarrassed even) as to how it keeps getting overlooked.

 

We'll see what the most current exam suggests.

Most items relating to my back are on record seeing as how I was shot in the back (SAPI saved me), and they've sent me out for back treatment. So I'd expect everything to go smoothly...but yeah if surgery is suggested I'll have to revisit these posts.

 

Yeah then the contractors they use don’t get all the information. When I went for my claim eval, the records didn’t make it to the contractor and she said the VA system is so dated things get lost sometimes in the transfer. I wish we could cut through some of the red tape for the vets who are really in emergency situations but it seems the resources aren’t given to the VA.

If you ask for a mental health referral at the moment, they’re told to give the vet a 1-800 number to call, not the crisis line. Not many people will ask for help twice and that’s the real shame of their system. The doctor said they can give you the number or commit you for 72 hours, that was her options given to her by the VA. She said the VFW is actually faster to get mental health help than the VA.

It’s one of the biggest reasons I tell every veteran I know to call me any time…gotta be there for each other and bridge that gap!

 

Oh man, thankfully for that SAPI. My injury was me taking a fall while working on a C17 on deployment. Hopefully they get you taken care of brother! If I can give any information or support just let me know!

 

Was putting my gear on when we were taking fire in a makeshift OP, only to be hit by a SVBIED after taking fire











Humvees were burning for hours; we were combat INEFFECT for over a week before we got new vehicles and everything

 

How high was that fall; just thinking about it sent a pain up my back

 

Was only a couple feet thankfully not off the wing or the T tail. I landed on the side of my hip and just the way I landed was enough.
I did know a guy who slid off the wing of the C17 and it broke his back paralyzing him unfortunately, so I’m very grateful to have the limited injury I have.

 

They praise the military as "heroes" but veterans get treated like "zeroes".

The one thing I really hate is all the vets who show off how much percentage they get from the VA. I know someone who gets VA disability, yet he's in the gym every day lifting weights. I know few other guys that park in the handicap spaces at work because of their VA disability. But spend the day walking around the facility climbing ladders and stairs all day long. And the bad thing is they dont care.

 

No shit dude

My dad's all fucked up and 100%, can't work and is deaf (wears hearing aids)

His neighbor? A marine of all things...and he says he sees him at the VA limping around every time he goes

Yet when I went to visit my dad, the dude was outside with his push mower, tending to his lawn, and lifting heavy sacks of potting soil and more

Some people really work the system hard

 

Veterans’ experiences with the VA vary widely and it seems that the smaller clinics in more rural areas generally function much better. I’m very lucky to get my disability-related health care through one of these. My only complaint is that if I ever had to seek immediate treatment for something acute, I’d have to go to a regional facility two hours away. Pointless. Luckily I have fantastic insurance through work.