[telewinz]

FYI Vets have until 1/04 to sign-up with their local Vet-Center. After 1/04 only vets that served in actual war zones will be permitted to access Vet Hospitals with non-service connected injuries. Check with you Vet Rep for further information as their are exceptions. BTW, I've been going to a Vet Center for a year now and their quality of care (at least at my center) is the best I've had in my life! How about $15 for a health check-up with lab work and $7 per presciption! :what:

Meanwhile, how about a poll.....

[Thumper]

I've never used it...hadn't heard about this 1/04 thing either. Could be very important to a lot of people.

Are there any deadlines for war zone vets?

Guess I need to bounce over to va.org...

[telewinz]

As of right now War Zone Vets have no deadline but that could change as vet healthcare gets more expensive.

[Blackhawk]

Never used it, but I'm eligible as a war zone vet.

Several of my vet friends have used it, and I'm impressed with the care they've received.

[Tempest]

I've used it, and I've received a pretty good level of care. I just hate driving to Martinsburg each time.

[WT]

My local doctor and hospital is much closer than the nearest VA hospital. My company health care benefits are excellent.

Except for breaking a finger playing touch football at Vung Tau, I never got injured.

[Ryder]

The wait is long and the doctors are foreigners. I used it a couple times when I was a student for minor things. It is my understanding (articles and documentaries) that they kill larger numbers of patients through malpractice than public hospitals.

I don't consider it an option now that I can afford public services. They do have access to good drugs though. ;)

[hjrocket]

Since I have Service Connected Disabilities I pay nothing, for care or prescriptions, for the SCD. For medications not Service Connected I get those at Hill AFB since I am a Regular Army Retiree. The overall care is excellent, but it still is not what they promised us (lifetime medical and dental) back in 1944 when I enlisted in the Army Air Corps!!!:uhoh:

[Gillster]

As a vet I've never used VA health care but as a Veterans Health Care System employee I provide it. Thanks for the kind words and we'll try to keep improving.

Chris

[Lone_Gunman]

I am not a veteran, but in training I rotated through a very large VA hospital. My experience would have been in the early 90's. I certainly hope things have improved since then. If it were not for resident physicians, the hospital could not have operated, as the ancillary staff was extremely poor. I would not want a loved one treated in a VA hospital. I dont really understand how VA hospitals (or at least the one I was at) maintain accreditation.

Veterans and taxpayers would both be better off if the VA hospital system was replaced by a veterans insurance program that allowed vets to use private hospitals.

[DadOfThree]

I have a service connected disability. The health care at the indianapolis center is as good as any I have had in the civilian hospitals. Sure, sometimes I have to wait a long time or they screw up my appt time but not very often and the same thing happens in civilian offices. My doc always sits down and asks me how things are going, is there anything else he can do, etc. Better than many civilian docs.

[cdbeaver]

I've had great care and consideration every time I patronized the VA Hospital and its clinics. My medication bill alone would run into thousands of dollars a year without the VA prescription service.

I've only walked out on an appointment once in three years because the doctor was running late, but I never wait on doctors anywhere.

[manwithoutahome]

I have service connected disability so I don't pay anything. The VA hosp. here are okay but old (and they look their age and more). I don't like the travel to Portland for some of the major evals and I don't really like to travel to Roseburg for the minor. We have a "clinic" here in Eugene but they don't do any minor or major things except spend your time doing an eval to see if they need to send you to Portland or Roseburg :(.

M

[chaim]

The overall care is excellent, but it still is not what they promised us (lifetime medical and dental) back in 1944 when I enlisted in the Army Air Corps!!! hjrocket, wow, a WWII vet!? Thank you very much for everything! When in '44 did you join up? I assume you were in long enough to be part of the war effort for WWII. You are a retiree who started in '44...WWII, Korea, Cold War, Vietnam (if you only stayed 20 years that would be '64 which included the earliest stages of Vietnam). One more big THANK YOU for all you did for your county (for everyone else, even if he didn't see combat in all of those, serving in wartime is a big contribution as well even if it wasn't combat experience or even in those countries).

[Khornet]

VA care involves more inconvenience, longer waits, fewer frills. But my experience working in VA facilities is that the docs are competent (in fact, a lot of top research comes from VA) and the care is good. Just not as pretty, and it will always have that indefinable air of a govt. facility.

I would sign up. You earned it, and it can be a lifesaver if, God forbid, you ever have need of lots of costly medical care or meds.