Don't you just love the VA...not (Update 12-27)

I've been thinking about why the VA is so inefficient for a long time. Since my business is helping companies run more efficiently I see a few major issues that are common with government agencies that would never be tolerated in private companies. I also notice a significant difference in how government agencies, including Federal agencies like the forest service, run in Idaho vs how they are run in California. It's actually a pleasure to go to the DMV or the Tax agencies in Idaho, they go out of their way to help you. When I called to get a form to challenge my property assessment in Idaho the clerk said "why go through all that paper work, I'll connect you to the person who did your assessment and you guys can work it out" What would have taken 6 months in California took 5 minutes in Idaho. I was in the Ca DMV last year and the wait was about 90 minutes. They had about 40 people working, but only 2 stations were manned with the rest of the 38 people walking around and talking to each other. Having 200 people waiting wasn't even a concern to them. My Idaho DVM had 10 people and 8 stations were manned; it was a 3 minute wait and the clerk apologized for making me wait. Different standards, different culture.

This year I submitted a claim to the VA Loma Linda by registered mail addressed to a specific individual. I followed up two months later and she said it was never received so I sent it again by registered mail. Got a phone call the next day and was told they found my original in the mail room. I called a week later to follow up on my second letter and they said they never received it only to be called back to say they found it in the mail room. After a week of trying to get through to the Loma Linda Prosthetic Department I finally called the main hospital switchboard and told the operator. She said " I get a lot of calls about that, they never answer their phones or return calls".
So this begs the question, what private company would ever let a registered letter sit in the mail room for months or have a department that never answers or returns calls? The person responsible would be fired without question and everyone else would understand that there are consequences for not meeting standards. Someone will get punished for letting a form go through with an unimportant section not filled out, but it is totally acceptable for that form to sit on someones desk for months without action.
The standards used to measure personal performance are totally screwed up and individuals and supervisors are not held accountable for meeting performance standards, but are totally held accountable for their political incorrect actions. People are promoted for towing the line and conforming, not for ingenuity or efficiency. The culture rewards those who get along and don't make waves and punishes those who don't. Filling out the form correctly becomes far more important than getting the veteran his benefits. This is how bureaucracies work, the process and politics of self preservation become more important than the end services they are supposed to provide. In the private sector companies who act like this go out of business rather quickly or change to meet competition. Government agencies don't have this self correcting mechanism and the culture perpetuates itself. Until the correct standards are in place to deliver the services the agency is supposed to provide and people are held accountable for meeting those standards, the culture of self preservation, political correctness and conformity will continue. This is why the VA is like it is; it's not a matter of money or lack of resources it's a matter of culture, and culture is created by leadership. The only way to change culture is to change leadership. Until the entire VA hierarchy is changed we will continue to fight the same problems.

(Posts commented on have been removed, so also the comment - 142)

David

Post Edited By Moderator (142) : 12/25/2013 3:13:30 PM (GMT-7)

In fact, I'll lock it for now, and reopen it once edits are done.

Some edits, mostly deletes.

Reopened.

Post Edited (142) : 12/25/2013 3:14:52 PM (GMT-7)

Rob,

Thanks. Had enough problems in 2013. Can only hope 2014 is much better. Hoping once I get settled better with the va, it will add another source and dimensions to many of my perplexing medical problems.

David

wow, billy. that sucks. your accountant or tax adviser absolutely should have known about this, and how it would effect your personal finances. Get him to write you out a check for the 10,000 AUD. Someone owes you that.

I am more amazed, that despite the local va having this state of the art facilities, that their bureaucratic nonsense is no different that when I had to use their services some 40 years ago.

I still liked the "I am not allowed to answer that question" response I got. You would think a simple question asking how long it would take to get a response in the mail would be easy to answer, at least a rough, general answer, lol.

Or the "You can't get an appointment because you haven't been assigned a doctor, and you can't get a doctor assigned because you don't have an appointment" is more than a catch-22, simply bizarre and confusing.

my best to you, my friend,

david

Casper,

I hear you, and am sure that is quite true. They told me they have a priority ranking system in place to help control some of that abuse. If you are dealing with 100% service connected, you are put in the highest priority category for treatment. I believe there are 9 levels of priority.

I am not expecting perfection here, but did fine my early experience to be aggervating and annoying, just to get a simple ID card. Hope that doesn't translate to how appointments will be made, and how any future treatments will be conducted.

They already know, I have no intention of giving up my current oncologist, of whom Medicare has had no problems taking care of, including all the specialists I have been sent to see, expensive scans, etc. I have had zero problems under Medicare.

Again, I am not special, nor do I deserve any treatment different than the next vet in line, but there has to be ways they can improve the more ludicrious parts of their system.

Hope you are holding you own.

David

Sephie,

I have known for years, that the VA is very much, hit and miss. Really depends where you live in the US, and even then, can vary within a single state.

From where I live, the VA Hospital in Asheville, NC is about 50 miles closer than the VA Hospital in Columbia, SC. I was told I could use either one when needed. The one in NC has a good reputation while the one in SC has had consistently bad reports. Least I won't be forced to use it.

When I came back from Viet-Nam, spent time in several military hospitals, and overall, was well treated and cared for. I spent a little time in a VA hospital outside of Boston in a recovery mode, and it was just like shown in the old movie with Tom Cruise, "Born on the Forth of July". It was a terrible experience I remember well from over 40 years ago.

But between having both Medicare and the VA, I am confidence any of my medical needs, now and in the future, will at least be covered without me having to go broke. For that, I am thankful.

David

Jim,

You are right again. I know some older vets, were it not for the VA, would have no coverage. And yes, well remember the hurry up and wait mentality. It didn't pay to get all excited about the delays and waits back then, and doubt it will do any good to fuss about it now.

My real test, will be when I have my first scheduled appointment for the Initial Evaluation. Then I can see what I am really dealing with, and how serious they take my current medical and health condition.
Hopefully, with them marking me "urgent", it won't be all that long.

It's still a beautiful new, state of the art facility here in Greenville. Looks like the VA put a lot of money and thought into it. Sure beats some of the skank places I had to deal with in the past.

David

David,
What exactly do you expect for the VA to do for you that your current doctors aren't doing? I understand the vision and hearing benefits. This is not a criticism, it's mearly a question.

John, on the PC side, not expecting or wanting anything different, until it comes time to make a decision for any advanced treatments, then, I want their opinion of what path to do, in addition to that of my long term oncologist. I really need the dental, between 2 bouts of radiation, and being on opiates for over 3 years, I have a mouth full of crumbling teeth (very typical from both), really need to have teeth removed and have dentals (not that I really want that), and the VA will take care of 100%. Plus, I have other medical ailments that I don't talk about or share here, that might be better suited for the VA.

Tim, you are right, feel like I have the best of both worlds with the VA medical and Medicare. Feel I will be covered no matter what is found out, now, and in the future. Gives me some assurance that I didn't have before.

David

zampilot

I've removed my comment since the post it refers to has been deleted.
Jim

Based on a now-deleted post, it occurs to me that many people may not fully understand the mission of the VA health system of the full range of care it offers to eligible veterans. I think everyone knows that the VA offers treatment for a veteran's service-connected health problems. But it does far more than that. Once a veteran is enrolled in the VA health system, the VA offers and encourages the veteran to receive all of his or her health care from the VA. I assume that many--probably most--eligible veterans prefer to continue getting all or most of their health care outside of the VA through private medical insurance or Medicare or Tricare, but may also use the VA for some of their needs. But no VA patient is obstructing or taking care away from any other VA patient.

Within the VA there are 8 priority levels that a) determine if a veteran qualifies for VA medical care and b) help manage delivery of services if there are scheduling conflicts -- e.g. a priority group 8 patient might have to wait longer than a priority group 1 patient for a particular appointment. For example any veteran with a 50% or greater VA disability will qualify as Priority 1. But a veteran who served in-theater in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Gulf War, etc. even with no service-connected disability--also qualifies for VA care but at priority group 6. Here's a link to the VA's priority group table.

www.va.gov/healthbenefits/resources/priority_groups.asp