My Ongoing VA Journey (part Duex)
Part 1: http://www.democraticunderground.com/11795417
I joined the VA system in September, 2013 with the express intention of getting hearing aids due to large BOOMS, shithooks and Caribous in Nam.
Admissions takes your DD-214 and asks you questions about your health. rasputin1952 pointed out that the best time to get all the things that bother you on your VA record is when you sign up with them. During my initial intake I mentioned my hearing sucks (Nam), my eyesight sucks (old age) , my left knee hurts from a skiing accident in Austria in 1972 (Germany), I hurt my back in 1964 while I was stationed in Turkey, etc. etc.
I had a hearing test in March and a cataract exam on May 8 and surgery on my left eye on May 14.
I have been getting billed by the VA:
$15 per visit to the doctor, and
$50 per visit to a Special Clinic
Yesterday I went down to the Jamaica Plain VA and explained my HMO co-pay is $15. Period. That's $15 for a colonoscopy or $15 to fix a hangnail. Stopped at Admissions, explained my perceived problem, and they said my best bet was to talk to Eligibility. The delightful young lady in Eligibility looked up my record and suggested I call the 866 numbah on my VA bill.
Yesterday I called the 866 and talked to another lady and I explained why I think it's unfair that I'm being charged more than $15 a visit. She looked up my VA info and started asking me questions, one of them about disability. As it sometime happens (rarely to me) , I received a letter from the VA this Monday telling my I was granted a 10% disability for hearing loss.
She looked up that award and said: Since I have been awarded a disability rating from the VA, all my VA care with the exception of non-service related meds will be covered for no charge. The VA will refund all payments I previously made to them. I asked her about the $224 bill I just got from them; the upshot is it will take the VA 8 ~ 12 weeks to get my disability status the the billing unit.
Rather than play tag with VA bill collectors, I'm sending them a check for $224; it will be refunded.
I must digress here: One of the things that prevents progress in the VA is their computer systems. The VA has never successfully gotten away from the old systems (my guess: mid-80s upgrade to 70s software). Really old systems and new system demands is an opportunity to make a change across the entire VA system for the better. But it will be difficult and cost money.
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I'm really sorry to see Shinseki go. 
= new reply since forum marked as read
I had my one month post-op checkup yesterday. My left eye is good to go. 
They sent me down to the lady who schedules the Cataract OR. The delightful Miss Sally (not her real name) looked at her schedule and said 7.21.2014 was the first open date that came up but it looked like there may be an opening on 7.3.2014. She was unable to book the 7.3.2014 date but said she would keep trying and would call me back. No phone call yet but I have my fingers crossed.
If I do get a 7.3 op date I'll need to go to the West Roxbury clinic for my day after checkup as the Jamaica Plain facility is closed on 7.4.
If I don't get the 7.3 date I'll need to go thru pre-op testing again as that test is good for only 60 days.
THANK YOU VA!!1!
I received another disability (award) letter (from the VA) yesterday.
Remember 'I hurt my back in 1964 while I was stationed in Turkey' in the OP? I was awarded a 30% disability rating because of my back.
Back in 1973.
At the moment I have 20/15 vision, still can't hear for shit but I'm now in the 30% club.
Congratulations!
I watched a lot of friends get nickel-and-dimed on VA claims. Those who weren't initially denied were given 5% `or 10% on the first go-round. Those who continued to fight eventually were raised to 30%, 50%--even 100%. But only because they fought ridiculous evaluations and kept going back until they got a fair rating.
I didn't have to go through that because I got a 50% combat disability rating from the Army and was retired for disability. The VA automatically accepts that, and though I have the option of converting my disability compensation to the VA, I've elected to continue receiving it from the Army.
I could get a few hundred more dollars a month from the VA for PTSD if I applied--but after seeing what my friends went through, I figure I don't need the stress.