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Some more medical Grrrrs!
I am just about at the end of my rope with the medical profession.
The first grip actually dates back to 9/16/09 when I had my knee surgery. The night of the surgery I was in extreme pain and call the VA and they told me to go to an ER for the pain. This is what I did and the doctor gave me a shot for the pain and sent me home. For those that don't know me the VA hospital is at least 2 hours from my home and my pain was at least a 10 level so there was no way I could have made it to the actual VA hospital ER). Anyway when at the ER I told them that the VA needed to be billed for the services.
A little over 2 weeks ago I got a bill from the hospital as they had billed Medicare instead of the VA. So on the 17th I went and talked to the hospital and explained all of this to them and they said they would bill the VA and refund Medicare for what they had paid. That should have been the end of it as I have no co-pay or deductible through the VA.
Well Friday I got another letter from the hospital ( Final Notice type) saying that I had never contacted them or paid the bill. And that they were going to send the bill to a collection agency. When I talked to the hospital yet again ( after driving there) they informed me that they didn't bill the VA until the 26th of August and that letter was sent on the 27th of August. Make you kind of wonder if there billing department is trying to give patients heart attack or stokes in order to get more business with they way they are handling things. What were they doing for the 10 days between when I talked to them and they sent out that final notice letter.
The second Item deals with the VA and my bowel problems of late. I called today to see if I could find out when the GI consult was going to happen and it turns out the ER doctor stated in my records that he was going to put in a consult request, but he didn't actually do it. Well the scheduling person then had to transfer me to the Tele-care Nurse as he couldn't just give me the appointment based just on my records. So after being on hold for a while I have to explain everything all over again to that woman and she said she would send a note to my PCP to have her issue the consult request and that I should call again in a few days to see if the consult was issued yet.
Oh BTW my friend Dave checked himself out of the VA hospital a few days ago after one of the nurses broke his nose trying to insert one of those tubes down his nose. He said 3 other Vets also checked themselves out that day because of the lousy care they were getting. Less than 24 hours latter Dave was back in an ER due to vomiting and they discovered his potassium was very low and that was the reason for the vomiting, the vomiting was why the VA had not released him.
Dennis
The first grip actually dates back to 9/16/09 when I had my knee surgery. The night of the surgery I was in extreme pain and call the VA and they told me to go to an ER for the pain. This is what I did and the doctor gave me a shot for the pain and sent me home. For those that don't know me the VA hospital is at least 2 hours from my home and my pain was at least a 10 level so there was no way I could have made it to the actual VA hospital ER). Anyway when at the ER I told them that the VA needed to be billed for the services.
A little over 2 weeks ago I got a bill from the hospital as they had billed Medicare instead of the VA. So on the 17th I went and talked to the hospital and explained all of this to them and they said they would bill the VA and refund Medicare for what they had paid. That should have been the end of it as I have no co-pay or deductible through the VA.
Well Friday I got another letter from the hospital ( Final Notice type) saying that I had never contacted them or paid the bill. And that they were going to send the bill to a collection agency. When I talked to the hospital yet again ( after driving there) they informed me that they didn't bill the VA until the 26th of August and that letter was sent on the 27th of August. Make you kind of wonder if there billing department is trying to give patients heart attack or stokes in order to get more business with they way they are handling things. What were they doing for the 10 days between when I talked to them and they sent out that final notice letter.
The second Item deals with the VA and my bowel problems of late. I called today to see if I could find out when the GI consult was going to happen and it turns out the ER doctor stated in my records that he was going to put in a consult request, but he didn't actually do it. Well the scheduling person then had to transfer me to the Tele-care Nurse as he couldn't just give me the appointment based just on my records. So after being on hold for a while I have to explain everything all over again to that woman and she said she would send a note to my PCP to have her issue the consult request and that I should call again in a few days to see if the consult was issued yet.
Oh BTW my friend Dave checked himself out of the VA hospital a few days ago after one of the nurses broke his nose trying to insert one of those tubes down his nose. He said 3 other Vets also checked themselves out that day because of the lousy care they were getting. Less than 24 hours latter Dave was back in an ER due to vomiting and they discovered his potassium was very low and that was the reason for the vomiting, the vomiting was why the VA had not released him.
Dennis
You're in good company - more and more of us are getting fed up with the U.S. healthcare system which seems to be increasingly just a bungling, sloppy, uncaring, money-focused system. That's why many Americans are going abroad for healthcare now- it can be much cheaper (even including travel costs) and they often find they get better, more compassionate care with better results. I first became aware of this when reading letters in the AARP magazine from readers who had gone abroad for medical interventions and were thrilled with their care there.
Still, you need to proceed carefully - since you could get bad care abroad too. You can find books on Amazon.com that will help you with this - just enter "medical tourism."
Good luck with this!!
WAF.
Still, you need to proceed carefully - since you could get bad care abroad too. You can find books on Amazon.com that will help you with this - just enter "medical tourism."
Good luck with this!!
WAF.
Yes there are lots of problems at the VA. Many of them would be fairly easy to fix, while others would require a whole new system. But I think the ones that bother me the most is the outright waste that I have seen in the two years I have been going to the VA for my health care.
An example of this waste is when I started going to the VA they were doing a remodel of the courtyards in the hospital. They finished the remodel about 6 months after I started going there. Then when the additional funding for the VA came through they started to remodel all of the courtyards again and just finished this recently. With the money they spent remodeling those courtyards they could have hired a number of doctors and nurses for several years or improved the equipment the hospital has. Especially when you consider that in all of my trips to the VA over the last 2 years I have only seen a total of 3 people in any of the many courtyards. What a waste!
I am thinking of writing up a full report on the care for vets at the VA and posting it here to see what you all think about it before I send it off to my representatives and maybe even the President.
Dennis
An example of this waste is when I started going to the VA they were doing a remodel of the courtyards in the hospital. They finished the remodel about 6 months after I started going there. Then when the additional funding for the VA came through they started to remodel all of the courtyards again and just finished this recently. With the money they spent remodeling those courtyards they could have hired a number of doctors and nurses for several years or improved the equipment the hospital has. Especially when you consider that in all of my trips to the VA over the last 2 years I have only seen a total of 3 people in any of the many courtyards. What a waste!
I am thinking of writing up a full report on the care for vets at the VA and posting it here to see what you all think about it before I send it off to my representatives and maybe even the President.
Dennis
While I'm not quite at the end of my rope with the medical professional, I'm feeling overwhelmed and frustrated right now, so I can empathize with you.
Saw the neuro on Friday and she said I have two issues that need to be addressed. First, my cognitive problems and numerous brain lesions could possibly be related to prior lead poisoning. Called Yale New Haven Hospital and was able to get an appointment in less than a week. Initial thought was great. Today's thought is not so great...too little time to get ready for the appts.
Intake person on the phone could not get my name right, nor my cell phone number. Got the forms from them in the mail today, with appt. 2 days away and am in a mad scramble to put everything together. Aptts are for both me and my son, so it's not just 1, but 2 medical hx to pull together.
Another very important reason to request copies of EVERYTHING so you have them at immediate disposal. I have all the test results, but not all of the relevant doctors transcripts/reports.
Other important thing that came up in the neuro visit was a lump I noticed in my mouth 3 weeks ago. Called my PCP's office and spoke to someone about it, with the request that PCP call me back. She's usually good about this, but I haven't heard anything back, so I had to fax tonight. Something got fouled up somewhere. I realize that I do have memory problems, but I know that I spoke to a live person on Friday!
Am in no way ready to give up, just wonder if the medical profession realizes how much pressure they put on us as patients. We have to do so much leg work both on the paper trail and researching differential diagnoses.
No wonder I'm tired.
Dennis, I wish the system would operate more efficiently and not add to the stress and strain we already feel. Hope you get your situation straightened out sooner rather than later.
Audrey
Saw the neuro on Friday and she said I have two issues that need to be addressed. First, my cognitive problems and numerous brain lesions could possibly be related to prior lead poisoning. Called Yale New Haven Hospital and was able to get an appointment in less than a week. Initial thought was great. Today's thought is not so great...too little time to get ready for the appts.
Intake person on the phone could not get my name right, nor my cell phone number. Got the forms from them in the mail today, with appt. 2 days away and am in a mad scramble to put everything together. Aptts are for both me and my son, so it's not just 1, but 2 medical hx to pull together.
Another very important reason to request copies of EVERYTHING so you have them at immediate disposal. I have all the test results, but not all of the relevant doctors transcripts/reports.
Other important thing that came up in the neuro visit was a lump I noticed in my mouth 3 weeks ago. Called my PCP's office and spoke to someone about it, with the request that PCP call me back. She's usually good about this, but I haven't heard anything back, so I had to fax tonight. Something got fouled up somewhere. I realize that I do have memory problems, but I know that I spoke to a live person on Friday!
Am in no way ready to give up, just wonder if the medical profession realizes how much pressure they put on us as patients. We have to do so much leg work both on the paper trail and researching differential diagnoses.
No wonder I'm tired.
Dennis, I wish the system would operate more efficiently and not add to the stress and strain we already feel. Hope you get your situation straightened out sooner rather than later.
Audrey
They still call it "practicing" medicine, we've all heard, but you'd think they'd at least improve a bit with so much practice. Really, billing and insurance, with today's computer systems, shouldn't be this hard. It really shouldn't. It's just that everyone who thinks they know how to fix the system has made it worse.
Dennis, I am praying for all the vets, with their health care among the top reasons. May God see to it that you get everything you need and deserve.
Dennis, I am praying for all the vets, with their health care among the top reasons. May God see to it that you get everything you need and deserve.
Here's what I think: I think that the way veteran's are treated in our society is deplorable. Here we have men and women who are brave and defend us and then we repay them with shoddy treatment in filthy hospitals.
I'm so sorry this is happening to you----there isn't an excuse for it.
I know you don't have the energy but what I would probably do is call them every half an hour. Contact people at your PCP office and the GI. You can become a huge pain in their side. Focus your anger energy at them and drive them crazy. They will eventually understand that you aren't going to give up.
The financial situation is a mess, I don't blame you to be ticked off about it. I hope you get some kind of resolution before it goes to collection.
I'm sorry you are going through all of this
Hugs, Red
I'm so sorry this is happening to you----there isn't an excuse for it.
I know you don't have the energy but what I would probably do is call them every half an hour. Contact people at your PCP office and the GI. You can become a huge pain in their side. Focus your anger energy at them and drive them crazy. They will eventually understand that you aren't going to give up.
The financial situation is a mess, I don't blame you to be ticked off about it. I hope you get some kind of resolution before it goes to collection.
I'm sorry you are going through all of this
Hugs, Red
Seems like health care is always a big hassle. Finding a PCP that will stay in the same office, getting your prescriptions from the pharmacy that your insurance wants you to use, getting the updated prescriptions - I think they would be happier if we would just drop dead so they wouldn't have to deal with us. Sorry if I sound a little bitter - I just got off the phone with Aetna, and my birth control pills won't be here until who-knows-when.
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