DOCTOR VS ADMINISTRATION -What's Really the Problem With VA Services?

Hello Everyone.  I pray you are having the best day of your life today.  Mine is going pretty darn good, I must say.


Today I would like to talk about whether the problems with VA and the service that we receive stems from the doctors or from the administration.  I'm middle of the road and think it's both.  However, another group that I belong to, Atlanta VA Medical Center Improvement Group, the moderator (Bob Teets) seems to think that it's more the Administration.  I must say though that he has helped me quite a bit in navigating the administrative side of the Atlanta VA.  If you are in this area I suggest you join this group.  It is focused on improving the care we receive at the Atlanta VA.


As always, I digress from my topic but I'm back now.  The reason I believe it is a combination of both is because I have had bad service from both.  Yesterday I had an appointment with my new doctor, Dr. Phelps.  He is a breath of fresh air after my last doctor, Dr. Ghanta.  She was so mean to me and I'm one of those people who are very active in my health care.  You are not just going to tell me anything and try to blow me off (doctor).  She didn't like that and it showed in the way she treated me. 


So I got a new doctor.  Mind you this was not easy.  As I said above Mr. Teets was very helpful in getting my doctor changed.  I had tried to do it on my own but I kept getting the runaround (admin) and it seemed as if it was going to either not happen or take forever to happen.  My point is that if you have a doctor that is not treating you the way you deserve to  be treated, get another one, and if that one doesn't work, continue until you get one that does.  Do NOT take no for an answer.  You can change your primary care doctor.


Now what I'm about to share with you may blow your mind, but then again it may not.  You all have probably had similar experiences or know someone who has.  During my exam, it was recommended that I get an MRI to see why my right thigh hurts all the time and stays swollen.  The doctor gave me the number to call Radiology to set up an appointment.  So, I give them a call and almost said some words that I haven't said in quite a while.  They look like this ^%$*%&)$#&@#.  I did say almost. :-)


When I told him I needed to schedule an appointment he looked up my information and told me that the appointment had not been approved yet by the Radiologist. Huh?  They have to approve me getting an MRI?  Yes they do.  They have to make sure that it is within the guidelines out of Washington (whatever that is), as well as determine if you really need one.  Really?  How is someone who has never examined me going to tell me what I do or do not need. This one is a combination of doctor and admin.


Of course, I ask him how long should it take to hear something.  He said it could take up to 30-days.  It may be only a week or so but don't hold him to that. WHAT?  I'm in pain.  My doggone leg hurts and I'm tired of being in pain.  Why do I have to wait this long?  This was all in my head, I didn't say it out loud.  Normally I would have taken it out on the poor person on the phone, but I've long ago realized that they are only doing their jobs and giving me the information as they are told to. 


I don't know if I've proved my point about it being both doctors and admin or not but my main point for this post is that you take charge of your healthcare.  Don't allow anyone to treat you less than what you deserve. 


As always, thank you for your support.


TTYL - Be blessed!!

PROTECTING YOUR GI BILL - Research Your School Choice

Hello and I pray you all had a great weekend.  I certainly did.  I am refreshed and ready to start a new week.

Today, even though I am not eligible, I want to stress to all of you the importance of ensuring that you use your GI Bill wisely.  There are so many schools out there that will do whatever it takes to get approved to receive the funds from VA, but when you actually attend they prove to be substandard in the education that they are providing you.

Now this isn't all on the school.  The VA has to do better about vetting the schools that they approve.  I know of one school, in Atlanta, that was approved to provide training under the Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VRAP).  This school was supposed to be training veterans in Apartment Maintenance and Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC).  The sad part about it is they were approved to train, but they hadn't even set-up the lab or anything.  There was curriculum or instructors in place and they had no verifiable history of training these programs.

I share this information because one of the only ways that the VA finds out about these schools in because of veteran complaints.  These are usually proprietary and privately owned schools.  My suggestion, if you are able, would be to attend a college or university, where you are more likely to get a better education, even though some of those can be suspect.  Either way, please do your research before you give away your money and your benefits.

I'm sharing a story with you below to show how important it is to report these types of schools.  These individuals were able to make millions of dollars before someone finally reported them.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL - Be blessed!!

"

Colleagues and Fellow Veterans,

Over the past few years you may have heard us using phrases like, “safeguarding the integrity of GI Bill benefits” and “protecting our beneficiaries from bad actors,” – but what does this really mean? Unfortunately, not every school/institution out there has Veterans’ best interests in mind, so we have been working diligently to ensure that our GI Bill beneficiaries don’t fall victim to schools that employ fraudulent, misleading, or deceptive practices.

Just recently, we had a major “win” that we hope will set a precedent for the future:

As a result of a student complaint in our GI Bill Feedback System, the owners of the College of Beauty and Barber Culture in Chesapeake, Va., were sentenced to jail time and required to pay $4.5 million in restitution. The school, which enrolled hundreds of Veterans since 2011, only had a handful pass their licensing exam. The investigation also revealed that many students did not receive the required hours of instruction, which contradicted information submitted to VA. More information about the case can be found here.

We take our Veterans’ education benefits very seriously, which is why we encourage them to conduct thorough research before choosing a school. To assist them, VA is constantly updating the GI Bill Comparison Tool with the number of complaints a school receives, and we add caution flags highlighting important information such as investigations, settlements, accreditation issues, or financial issues.

GI Bill beneficiaries, family, and friends can play a part in helping keep schools honest. Reporting Principles of Excellence violations and fraudulent schools through the GI Bill Feedback System can help other Veterans and dependents to avoid bad actors and protect the integrity of the GI Bill education programs. Students can also call the VA Office of the Inspector General hotline at 1-800-488-8244. In both cases, it’s up to you if you want to provide contact information or remain anonymous.

We will continue to work hard to provide the most accurate and timely information to our beneficiaries. As we navigate these sometimes turbulent waters, we will remain dedicated to providing the best GI Bill experience possible for those who fought for us.

V/R,

Curtis L. Coy
Deputy Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity
Veterans Benefits Administration
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Washington, DC 20420"

WAS THE CHOICE REALLY MINE? - Utilizing the VA Choice Program

Hello Everyone.  I pray that you are having the greatest day possible.  When I started writing this blog I knew that I was going to have to be transparent in some things, but I really didn't realize how much.  As I've progressed, I've found that the best way to tell you about a subject is to share my own experience.  I've probably told you all more than some of my closest friends but that's what this blog is all about.


So today, I would like to share my experience with you about the Choice program.  When I was initially approved it was for a mammogram, because the wait to get one at the VA clinic was too long.  Many of you may think that the only way to get approved to use Choice is because of the distance you may live from a facility, but both of the times I have used it, it was because of the long appointment wait times.  Anyway, as usual I digress. :-) 


When I first used the Choice program for the mammogram, everything went pretty smooth.  The only hiccup was that the facility where I received my mammogram had double-billed the VA for my services.  This resulted in me getting a bill, even after Choice had paid.  Now this wasn't their fault but of course my first assumption was that it was, but we all know what they say about assuming.


The second time I used Choice was because of the length of time it would take me to get an appointment in podiatry.  I had hurt my ankle back in January 2016, and to this day it still hurts.  I was seen in podiatry initially and given a cane and a brace but this didn't fix my problem.  So in December 2016, I was given a Choice appointment for January 2, 2017.  I went to the appointment and the podiatrist told me that the reason my ankle couldn't heal properly was because of my flat feet.  He told me that we should first try custom inserts before trying to surgically repair the damage.  His office did the molds of my feet and ordered the inserts that day.


GUESS WHAT EVERYBODY!!!  Yep, you guessed it, I still don't have the inserts.  Why you ask?  Well that's a good question.  I don't have them because the VA has not paid for them.  You see when you get any kind of devices, other than those that are surgically implanted into your body, Choice won't pay for them.  These have to be paid for directly by the VA.  So even though I was given a timely appointment, the devices needed to assist in my healing are still M.I.A.  I call the podiatrist's office at least once a week to see if they've received payment and they haven't.


I'm sharing this so you can make an informed decision on whether to use Choice or not, if you are eligible.  If I had waited on a VA podiatry appointment it would have been in February, and if I had needed the inserts they probably would have already been done by now.


Anyway, I hope this helps someone with their "CHOICE".


As always, thank you for your support.


TTYL - Be blessed.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare - Studying For Your C&P Exam

Hello Everyone.  I pray that all has been well with you since I have been gone.  I started a new job recently and I've been consumed with learning what it is that I'm supposed to do so that I can do a good job.  I recently found that this same type of studying needs to take place before you go for your Claims & Pension (C&P) Exam.  While this information is in no way intended to help anyone cheat the system, it is very necessary for anyone who has a scheduled exam or who may want to apply for VA disability some time in the future.

One of the ways many people study is to check the CFR38 online at http://www.benefits.va.gov/warms/bookc.asp.  Unfortunately, for me I was adding Fibromyalgia to my already approved lower back pain and I could not locate anything regarding Fibromyalgia in the CFR38 manual, so I had to do my studying by Googling it and just remembering all the things I've learned about Fibromyalgia from my doctor.

So anyway, I had my C&P exam on Friday and I truly believe that the doctor who examined me thought I was stupid or ill-informed or maybe even both.  One thing that anyone who has been diagnosed with Fibro knows is that the doctor will touch specific areas of your body known as "pain points".  If you experience pain when you are touched in these areas it's a pretty good indicator that you are suffering from Fibro.

Two of these points are on your wrist and your ankle.  When I told her that it hurt when she touched me there she said that she was only checking my pulse.  Another area is across your upper chest and neck.  When I told her it hurt when she touched there she said she is just checking my clavicle.  You also have these pain points on your upper back and buttocks, so when she tapped her way up my entire backside I again let her know that it hurt when she touched me in these spots, and as a matter of fact it hurts when someone applies even light pressure to any part of my body. 

What really cracked me up is when she asked me what pain medication I take.  When I told her I use Ibruprofen and Tylenol, she asked me did I take it as needed.  Yes I take it as needed, which is everyday.  That's why the doctor told me to alternate the pain meds so the Ibruprofen doesn't cause damage to any of my other organs.  Although I haven't seen what she has written up I'm sure it will be interesting. 

So being the writer that I am, I immediately wrote a letter regarding my C&P experience and uploaded it to eBenefits.  I advise any of you that have any type of experience in your exam that you do not agree with to do this.  I really feel as if she was trying to find a way to say that I didn't have Fibro based on the exam.  In addition to the CFR38, study up on your condition.  Know what makes it worse and know how it hasn't worsened since you were first diagnosed with it.  Don't give them any room to attempt to pull the wool over your eyes.  You deserve your compensation - don't let them cheat you.

As always, thank you for your support.

TTYL - Be blessed!!