Many vets out there don’t have another option so they are forced to use VA.
Medicare with TFL as a supplement is awesome. No need for PCM, you can go straight to any specialist that you want.
Wow, I' sorry your experience has been so poor. My experience with the VA has been mostly satisfactory.
I agree with all the above, except a few things:
1) Per many a life-long US DVA employee, in their vast experience 50% vets entering US DVA System have no issues while the other 50% have nothing but endless issues.....
ChaplainCharlie must simply fall into the former not the latter category, and why should any veteran have endless issues with the US DVA?????? Just a question.....????
2)
GSFowler, perhaps not aware, but know vets that thought MEDICARE-SSDI was the answer to all their US DVA issues/woes, however, if simply having to see doctors all the time, and say VA Compensation garnished- any reason legitimately or not, basically end up spending most of SSDI income on co-pays and medications...... You are correct, with the addition of Tricare for Life (TFL) adds new dimension, but know veterans LA (lower Alabama), for instance, being told need consults to see any specialist doctor even with TFL ... and one can only get TFL if one retries and/or is Medically retired....which many have to go back and fight a long hard and drawn out battle for..... believe site founder and other Legal Firms out there specialize in this???????
3) Agree
Tony292, too many veterans, especially those with constant and beyond persistent issues problems , i.e. the
other 50% from above, have no recourse but to
attempt to utilize the US DVA.... was this what the US DVA was established for to begin with, is it not.....??????? Furthermore, would one place a large wager if the odds were simply 50%-50%, think the odds of a favorable outcome with the US DVA by any US veteran should be much better than that......perhaps??????
4) Something not mentioned here as well, exactly how many US Military Field Grade Officers (say 0-5 and higher) and or very senior NCO's (CSM's per say) actually utilize US DVA services on a routine and regular basis.... I mean we all have eyes and ears, from what many veterans report they have only encountered a very few........something I think should be addressed at some level, as the input on issues and connections-networks say an O-6 or E8/9 have are vastly superior to say an E1-E7 or and O1-04..... and might actually help improve US DVA Services to some extent....perhaps???????? Furthermore, many these type folks go on to advisory or other positions within the US Government-VSO's-Civilian Firms where there input is highly regarded, but if not seeing or experiencing first hand then what exactly is the true value of that input......say on something like the US DVA and other issues "veteran" related????? [What is the old saying "
Leadership by Example".....????]
Call me crazy(?), would not be fisrt or last time, ...but...
.50-50 is
not acceptable odds, for any veteran trying get
quality care at US DVA, especially those combat wounded or those injured as in "training for war" or whatever correct terminology is on that..... could be simply wrong on all of that....??????? Welcome any feedback........
PS: There are those whom have been asked by many their personal assessment of the US DVA--- well will probably offend some, but kind of concur with those that have observed over long time - "the US DVA has become by and large, among other things, an organization predominated at all levels by, for lack of a better term, by and large "the NCO mafia", that those having not served considerable time US Military may not be familiar with, but those who have should be much more than familiar with....and this can be both an endearing as well as not so endearing term.....situation dependent.....as with many things US Military related "
