VA Doctors?

[RandyL]

Years ago, I was in the Marine Corps and I have decided to use my military medical benefits. I'm 55 and have always used benefits from my employer, and have presently been using Cobra at the tune of $952/month and have decided to use my free benefits now that I am pretty much out of the woods so to speak. My new valve is leaking pretty good but it might be yeas before I have to replace it.

Anyways, enough of the small talk, does anybody here use military Docs and how has the service been? Is there a ton of red tape? I know active duty is a little different and not nearly as much hassle. Just trying to get some feedback.
Thanks

 

[Phyllis]

Randy,
Dick uses the VA doctor at the Coast Guard Academy in New London. He also sees a local cardiologist for back-up and in case of emergency and he chose to have his valve replacement at Brigham, but it was his VA doctor, a cardiologist that formerly worked at Cleveland Clinic, who first discovered his murmur at a routine physical and ordered the first echo. He actually likes the VA doctor better than his local cardio and of course the $7/mo meds help a lot! It's kind of funny, but for a man who refused to see a doctor for years, he now sees the VA doc twice a year and the cardiologist once.

 

[lynn]

Randy....I don't know alot about the VA except that I just moved my Dad up here from Leesburg. He now sees the VA in Daytona instead of Orlando (or maybe they had one in Leesburg?). I have talked to his PCP and she told me the big VA is up by Shands in Gainesville. Her dad goes there for some cancer screenings, they put him up for the night, etc. I know this isn't much help but if you needed surgery or something I would go to Gainesville

 

[PJmomrunner]

Randy, for what it's worth, my mother-in-law recently mentioned an article she had read in Newsweek (or maybe it was Time) about how, during the Clinton administration, the VA system was completely overhauled so that all their systems were computerized and integrated and it is now considered the most state-of-the-art health care system available in the world. I didn't read the article, but it might be worth tracking down.

 

[RandyL]

I guess we don't have too many Vets in here or at least Vets that are using veterans medical benefits.

 

[swim mom]

My brother uses VA doctors in Oregon and has not had a problem. I also have several friends who have been nurses at that particular VA hospital for many years. They all like it. However I will say I have had to use military medicine for most of my adult life with periodic scatterings of civilian medicine. I have had both bad and good care with both civilian and military medicine. I have even lived in other countries and used a variety of their private and national health systems and US military medicine. I think anywhere you go for medical care you have to be your own advocate. I am currrently using civilian doctors and I think I really liked and trusted my miliary doctors more. I am sorry I am rambling I just think I have received both good and bad care everywhere. Wherever I go I ask questions and question when I don't understand or agree and ask for second opinions.

 

[hensylee]

My dear Joe had an excellent surgeon for prostate removal - in Biloxi.

I have two cousins who use VA for their treatment. It's always a long day for them - the drive plus the waiting, but they are very satisfied.

If you plan on the one at Tampa, it's a great hospital, has been there for eons, is huge and from all I could gather from working adjacent to Veterans Office in County Courthouse, everyone seemed to like it (the vets who came in the office).

 

[KAJ]

Randy,

I will put in my two cents worth. I am retired Navy. My surgery was performed about eight years after my retirment from the Navy in 1997. To be honest, I never even considered the military performing my surgery. My RN wife would have probably strongly objected to it. Because I am retired, my benefits are a little different so I had other options.

I in 1982, a Navy surgeon performed major surgery to correct a birth defect in my chest. I did not have any problems other than extreme pain while being on the ventilator for three days. My wife (whom I did know not at the time), was not around. She thinks my pain was not managed well. I also had a cyst removed from my sinuses by a Navy ENT doctor and did not have any problems with that surgery.

The bottom line is if you do find a VA hositial that performs the surgery, you will want to make certain that the surgeon performs that type of surgery on a regular basis. You should also check out the mortality rates for that doctor and hospital. Of course everyone should investigates these issues before they select any surgeon and hospital.

Karl

 

[kodi]

I'm a vet but have never used the system. Of course, I've only been in the hospital two times in my life. From all the other posts it looks like the best answer is like any other hospital...research the hospital, research the doc.

BTW, looks as if you're into fishing quite a bit. My nephew runs fishing charters on the other side of the US from you (out of San Diego). Here is his URL. He usually has pictures there for viewing. Just thought you might enjoy the sights. www.oldno7sportfishing.com