VA Healthcare fultiming - RV-Dreams Community Forum

gdhill · RV-Dreams Family Member

VA Healthcare fultiming

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

I know you have to be registered with the VA in the area you are going to be in. I had a 3 stents and balloon angioplasty done the end of March and used a regular hospital. VA picked up the hospital and inpatient doctor charges. The office visits come out of my pocket. Best to check---Go to VA hospitals on the web and then click on the city or area you are in.

GlendaLaine · RV-Dreams Community Member

My husband & I both use the VA medical system & have been fulltiming for over a year now. We've transferred from our original VA to where we've spent the summer workkamping, & feel this new current location will work better for us in our future travel/work. We plan to return to this area at least every year, if not each Spring/Fall. Transferring is fairly simple. . .it just takes 1-3 months to get all the changes & appts made.

In general, the VA will pay for any emergencies while out of your home area at the same 'level' as when you're home (like if you have a co-pay, that continues). But routine check-ups, med renewals, & such should be thru your home VA medical facility. The VA has a secure email system also at MyHealthyVet.com for communicating with your Primary Care doctor/team if you're away from the area. When you 'figure out' the system, it's somewhat easier to use since VA facilities are all over the country, fairly consistent, & tied together.

gdhill · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Glenda
The health center just got secure messaging and the level of healthcare is very good. We intend to come back for a couple of times each year for visiting family. I'll just have to schedule my visits on our returns and get my meds through the mail. Sounds doable to me and is quite a relief. Thankyou again for your response. Gary

3fortheroad · RV-Dreams Family Member

RE: VA Health Care fultiming

cdat · RV-Dreams Community Member

RE: VA Healthcare fultiming

gdhill · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks John
I have been going to my local VA in Columbus for a few years and I look forward to traveling but have to have access to the VA for some healthcare they are providing. Thanks again

Parrish · RV-Dreams Community Member

My wife is a disabled veteran at 70% with non-service connected MS. She recieved chemotherapy in Albuquerque last August. We have traveling and living in he RV. We visited Boulder City, NV to visit her daughter in Henderson. She needs a monthly blood draw as follow-up to the Chemotherapy to monitor her thryroid among other things. We had to see a VA doctor registered in NV to have the orders written for the blood draw. We are now headed back down to Texas where we keep our boat. I will have to register her with VA in the Texas to get her into the system and continue her care. We have also noticed that they won't prescribe the some of the drugs she had in Alburque system here in NV. They cannot do her follow-up on the chemotherapy drug here. We will see Texas can do.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Unfortunately your probably not keeping the same primary care doctor as you move around so your records and treatment is not readily available each time you change up.

I also have a long line of complications , I have found that I have to return to the same primary care doctor and Cardiologist or all hell breaks loose........meds get changed, messed up.....treatments missed and a whole new opinion really can set things off!!

Im fixing to pull back out on the road in another month after a year of Treatments and I figure its cheaper and less frustration to hop on a train , get off at the station across from the hospital and see the doctor than start complications and paperwork from someone at a desk who cares more about their check on friday than whether I live or die this week. Not to mention my doctors are like my best friends now and each one has taken a personal interest into my survival.

Lab work on the road should be no problem......as far as meds , I would contact the prescribing doctor and pharmacy and get it mailed

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

Exactly Mike; just what the Murfreesboro VA did. Went in trough their ER and after spending from 12:30 PM to 4:45 PM; I was told to go to the main desk to get an Appointment, went there then told to call. Did that the next AM.; was told that it would take 2-3 months to get a primary Dr. and another month or so to see cardiologist. Also called to get a copy of my health records and was told to come back in person.
I am planning on being up in Glasgow where my Cardiologist office is and get that echocardiogram. If it turns out well will go back to working and in August will have my early SS. May just work enough to earn my site and utilities in a warmer year around place to go; then set up a home area for health care with a dedicated VA hospital. Pieere

gdhill · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks Mike the infor is very helpful and I am very close to the doctors I deal with at my VA so I may have to wait until things stabilize and see what my options are. Dang Dang Dang I was hoping it would be a lot easier to visit VA facilities on the road. Thanks again Mike

Ckerr · RV-Dreams Family Member

We haven't run into any particular challenges with the VA on the road. As Mike said, it depends a bit on the facility. You would think as a national organization it would all the the same, but it seems to depend on the willingness of the person at the desk / answering the phone to WANT to help. It seems like those in "snowbird" areas are a bit more used to dealing with traveling vets and make things a bit easier.

We've done temporary changes of address to have meds mailed to our location when we are going to be in one place for a period of time. That's worked well.

Parrish -- we've had great experiences with the VA in Austin, TX. The hospital is in Temple and they have a relationship with the local hospital there for anything they can't cover. Great staff and very willing to work with you. Only had one problem with an ortho doctor in Temple, but were able to get that resolved. Private message me if you would like any help in the Austin area.

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

The VA hospital in DesMoines, Iowa treated me really well, registered me then set me up to do the blood work and the ECG, and seen a doctor all in the same day. The only thing was overlooked was my Cloresterol level. The Murfreesboro VA hospital has more of the "hurry up and wait" motto of doing things it seems. Maybe once a person is in their care it gets better; at least that is what other veterans who use the facility state. I just was in hope that the ER doctor could have explained the test results more clearer than saying; you can go home now; you seem to be okay. SEEM! I asked what he meant by seemed to be OK. That is when he told me to get the appointment, my fault for not following up. I will go down to inquire about my test results in the next week or so. Another Veteran is taking me down so I don't let my MOUTH over-rule my brain. Pieere

WAYGONE · RV-Dreams Community Member

Dear fellow Veteran,
Next time you visit the VA sign up in person for My healthevet.gov ... You will eventually be able to view your appointments online, order your meds online, e-mail your primary care team (Dr.) and download your records. all of these items are coming online if not already in your area. I have been using this access for at least 6 years. you must sign up in person but you can now go online and create an account. go to

https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/anonymous.portal?_nfpb=true&_nfto=false&_pageLabel=mhvHome

sorry new poster here, copy and paste to your browser if link does not come up for you, and I will re-read the instructions on how to do this again.

I have been a volunteer at the Dayton VA Medical Center for over 5 years with over 2500 hrs to date. Things do get messed up at all hospitals and none of the VA's are exempt from errors. I try to make every veterans visit I come in contact with a good experience for them and their familys, helping them find where they are suppose to be and getting them to the right place for their issue at hand. They sometimes don't know and can be difficult to decipher at times. Sometimes I end up in a different area than what is communicated at first...but I don't leave them till I am assured it is correct.

May your Sails be full and good travels!
David

-- Edited by WAYGONE on Friday 4th of January 2013 06:28:46 PM

-- Edited by WAYGONE on Friday 4th of January 2013 06:39:26 PM

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Keep pushing Ed......your almost there!!!!!

Life is good!!!.......theres always light at the end of the Tunnel......(Hopefully your not walking on the tracks!!)

gdhill · RV-Dreams Family Member

Waygone I appreciate your service as a volunteer and the Columbus outpatient clinic is the same way. the volunteers DO help alot with getting around the facility and to obscure appts in a very large building. I already order my scripts online with the exception of a strong pain killer which I have to call and order monthly. All my appts are on there as well. Hoping to get to where I can downgrade on the painkiller so I can make plans to travel some. But your efforts should be applauded.

WAYGONE · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thank-you Gary, It keeps me out of trouble and gives a place to be useful. I have heard about the new clinic in Columbus but not been there yet. We get a lot of Vets in from Columbus every day it seems.

gdhill · RV-Dreams Family Member

The clinic is a very nice facility and they are limited to what they can do so I imagine some of the more extensive ops are done in Dayton. Hope I never have to find out. Take care waygone and if I ever have to visit Dayton I'll drop you a line. Take care

PhotoDon · RV-Dreams Community Member

I have been fulltiming since 2007. I started out in Chicago (my hometown) and have registered at the Phoenix VA, Tucson VA and now am registered with the San Francisco VA. Once you are in the system it is easy to transfer from facility to facility. Here's a link to the VA's My HealtheVet Web site: https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/anonymous.portal?_nfpb=true&_nfto=false&_pageLabel=mhvHome&WT.ac=splash_MHVHome_EnterBox

Don Peterson

Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Sunday 6th of January 2013 08:05:16 PM

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Don,

Welcome to the RV Dreams forums. Since you've already been full-timing, we welcome any comments you have that will benefit all of us, and especially those early in the stage of preparing for this lifestyle. We look forward to any questions and comments that you may make in the future.

Glad to have you as part of the "family."

Terry

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Welcome Aboard Don!!!!......................always good to have another join in to share in the journey!!!

PIEERE · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the link Don! I bookmarked it. Ditto on the Welcome!

dm0553 · RV-Dreams Community Member

Definately sign up with MyHealthyVet, an added bonus is that you can now download/print your VA medical records from the site. Helpful if you need to get treatment at a non VA facility.