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Life of a veteran dealing with the VA for treatment.
This is a current example of one, and many like it.
Background: a veteran rated 100% disability P&T, treated for stage 3 colon cancer. The veteran has been referred to the Harold Simmons Cancer Center in Dallas. The veteran has undergone major surgery to remove the part of the colon with the tumor.
It was successful, but the veteran remains at high risk of the cancer returning. For this reason, the veteran is closely monitored.
One of the many procedures is routine colonoscopy. Here is how the routine procedure has gone so far following scheduling.
The cancer center wrote a normal precription for the prep medication. The medication was denied because the ordering doctor’s name was not authorized. The doctor who wrote the presciption is part of the cancer center treating the veteran.
Instead of contacting the cancer center, a letter was sent to the veteran by the VA pharmacy. Delaying the needed medication.
The veteran contacted his primary care physician to make him aware of the situation. The procedure was scheduled for the 30th, and the current date was the 11th. Time was short but manageable. The system canceled the primary physician's prescription on the 11th.
The veteran did not receive the medication in the week before the procedure, so the veteran attempted to contact the primary care office by phone (calls were answered by a call center and not returned) and by direct messages. So the veteran went to the doctor's clinic on Thursday the 24th. Only then did the veteran learn the medication had been canceled.
Primary care placed a new order that day. To be safe, the veteran asked the pharmacy to send it priority overnight. Sadly, they said the overnight cut-off time had passed, and Friday overnight would not be received until the following Monday.
The veteran called the pharmacy and was given a supervisor. The veteran explained the urgency, and the supervisor contacted the primary care doctor, who told her Monday the 28th would be fine because the veteran would start the medication on Tuesday the 29th, one day before the procedure.
No room for another error. The medication arrived, and the veteran opened the medication to begin the prep. Of course, it was not the medication ordered by the cancer center, but what the primary doctor felt would be OK.
The cancer center was adamant that I take the medication they ordered, and they would rewrite the prescription. Because the veteran was scheduled to take the prep that same day, the VA pharmacy couldn't fill it in time, so a local pharmacy had to.
The veteran called the VA pharmacy to ask how to get it from a local pharmacy, but the VA pharmacy would not/ could not authorize payment for the medication.
The veteran then located a pharmacy that had the medication and then called the cancer center so they could send the new precription to the local pharmacy.
The pharmacy called to say they would fill the precription, but the prescription was not covered by the VA. The veteran told the pharmacy he was aware and would pay out of pocket.
Adding to the comedy of errors, the veteran would not have had the life-threatening stage 3 colon cancer if the VA had not quit giving colonoscopies at age 75. It could have been detected early and never advanced to stage 3. Especially for a veteran who had been exposed to Agent Orange, a known cancer-causing chemical.
So goes the life of a veteran who hopes his story will help other veterans avoid the same treatment. The veterans now have a Secretary of the VA appointed by President Trump who cares about veterans and cuts through the red tape. For example, in his latest policy.
Veterans referred by the VA to community care for eligible standardized types of care will receive 12 full months of uninterrupted treatment at VA expense before needing a VA reauthorization.
“No Veteran should have their health care disrupted by red tape,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins. “This change means better continuity of care, which leads to better health outcomes. It also improves convenience for Veterans and cuts administrative work for VA staff and community care partners.”
This veteran sees positive changes happening locally and nationally because of President Trump and Secretary Doug Collins's support.
Yours in Service
