“VA is one of the unsung heroes,” said David Cohen, a Navy Veteran who receives care at the Manhattan VA Medical Center in New York City. Since filing his first medical claim with VA, Cohen has found a community of advocates—from fellow Veterans at the Virginia Department of Veteran Services where he was last stationed to his VA care team in New York City.
“I am very, very grateful… from the day I separated, I went to the New York VA, got my VA ID, and they were willing to see me right away,” said Cohen. “I didn’t have my disability rated yet, but I was still able to receive all of the care that any Veteran can receive regardless of their disability rating… overall, my experience at VA has been relatively easy.”
Care teams get Veterans
At VA, care teams get Veterans. They understand your medical history, your service and your life experiences. Many VA staff are Veterans themselves, and providers are specially trained to deliver care that’s tailored to your needs. VA’s health care team looks at the full picture of how your military experience and transition back to civilian life impacts your whole health. They work hard to make every VA facility a place where you feel seen, heard and respected.
“One of the first things that I got from VA were my hearing aids, and that was relatively immediate,” said Cohen, who brought his dad along to the appointment. Receiving his hearing aids so quickly was one of the best parts of his early VA experience. “I trust my VA providers,” he continued, recounting his experience with his VA audiologist who went above and beyond to not only attend to him, but even took time to answer questions from his dad.
“I was a weapons division officer when I was in the military, so [there were] a lot of loud bangs and a lot of machinery noises…” he added. “I looked it up, and my hearing aids are the same as the normal commercial market, which can cost north of $4,000.”
VA’s mission is clear: To serve and honor America’s Veterans by providing them timely, high-quality care. Through VA facilities, the Veterans Community Care Program and other methods, like virtual care, VA delivers the care you have earned whenever and wherever you need it.
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Seems to me whoever wrote this article is looking for vets with good experiences only. I’ve had good & bad experiences; a lot of bad & nefarious things have happened since 2003. Never seen an article that told the truth about the good AND bad. They love to pat themselves on the back while leaving out the difficulties veterans have obtaining proper care & disability ratings. Plus, always some white guy they’re seeking out, who have better experiences than BIPOC veterans; just like it happens with civilians. How insulting. I’m in a part of the country whose VA has the worse reputation in the region, yet they’re always looking to pat themselves on the back for nonsense little things. Just sit in the ER and listen to veterans talk. I invited all my providers to do so without their work clothes on, and they always made excuses not to. Too many inefficiencies, too. Just stop it, VA News.
I had an experience to that of Stephen Cline. Shortly after I returned from Viet Nam, I went to the VA Hospital in Denver for treatment of a service related foot injury. The doctor seemed to be drunk(?) or something. After a cursory examination, he told me, “The veterans administration can do nothing for you,” and showed me to the door out. Twenty years later I still needed help with my foot; I went back to the VA hospital In Grand Junction, Colorado and found people who really cared.
Well Stated Veteran Experiences. The Shadow Veterans Healthcare Service Systems, Unfortunately, Are Washington D.C.’s Political Pawn Games For Bureaucratic Hypocrites Hidden Agendas At The Expense Of The Physical And Mental Health Of United States Veterans At The Currently Occupying Political Party Which They So Whimsically Dictate To All Of Our Veterans Across America To Their Detriment. Benefiting Only Their Own Pocketbooks. Fool Me Once, Shame On You. Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me. Governmental Hypocrisies Pro Quo As Usual.
That’s good for you, your one of the few that got service. However the VA has turned its back on people like me as part of the LGBTQ community. We don’t exist on there eyes.
This story is bs v a don’t care it’s about the rule BOOK so they don’t get fired. They make it hard for the rest to get anything done. Why do you think there’s so many vets is committing suicide
My VA care at the Syracuse Medical Center and the Oswego CPOC has been excellent, overall, I would give them an A. But it was a long road to getting the ratings I had thought I had earned through 35 years of service in the Marine Corps and the Army. The VA consists of a two-step process, you need to get past one to utilize the second and that is VA medical care. The first phase is a bureauctic quaqmire of the VA disaility rating system, something that can be extremly difficult to manuever. The VA does not make it easy, they, in fact make it extremly difficult. Though you can muddle through on your own, my advise is that you use a an acredited service organization like the VFW, American Legion or the DAV. You can also find assitance through County and State Veterans Serive Officers, they are the people in the know. The real secrect is never take NO for and answer, to many veterans are denied benefits because they simply backed down when the VA said “denied”. You are not entitled to benefits, you “earned” them through your service to your County.
PS: I think I would have used a better example than the young man above, sounds like taking his Dad along is a crutch.
Well, you can certainly tell from your story that you aren’t in Dallas, TX.
Since moving here from Central FL and going to James A. Haley, I’m shocked at the lack of specialty Doctors they have at the N Dallas VA.
If I can ever convince my GP to send a consultant to Community Care, then it will take months to find a Doctor to work with VA.
I now have a whole team outside of VA to take care of my medical needs. And Medicare and my insurance from my union pick up the tab.
It is sad to think that I, as a veteran, have to go outside for care.
I Agree with a lot of the comments on getting healthcare @ our VA Clinics & Urgent Care, we have some of the best Doctors and Nurses in the country & not to forget our Excellent Pharmacy Staff , & like one comment I read…they can relate to our Physical Condition & Situations that we all have been through…Thanks VA for all of the support and Professional Staff that we have
Not much help for me, denied claim in 1995. Pact Act finally enacted and now 70% disabled but no retroactive pay. If fact they can’t even find my first claim because of water leak! But I have a copy, but that’s not good enough. Gone through 6 PCP and 4 Psychologist and 2 Psychiatrists. At least audiology and dermatology function reasonably effective.
I appreciate that the VA is sharing positive stories like this, and I truly hope more veterans experience care this smooth and immediate. But I also want to speak up for those of us having a very different experience.
As the mother of a veteran who’s been trying to access mental health care through the VA, I’ve watched him do everything asked of him—intakes, appointments, follow-ups—only to face delays, contradictory information, and missing coordination. We were promised integrated care, only to find out no appointments had been scheduled. We were told a referral would be no problem, then told it was highly unlikely.
At this point, I’m having to pay out of pocket for care we were told would be covered—because waiting for the system to figure it out isn’t sustainable. We’re still fighting for care through the VA while simultaneously seeking external help, because the stakes are too high to keep waiting.
I hope the VA will take a closer look at the gap between these positive headlines and what many veterans (and their families) are actually facing on the ground. Every veteran deserves timely, consistent, coordinated care—no matter where they live or who they happen to be assigned to.
The first time I went to the my local VAMC in 1978 over a service related injury, I received a letter essentially telling me not to come back and I didn’t until 2002 when I went for mental health services that was a waste of time. Over the next 23 years I ran into one road block after another called policies that were always changing to deny care. For three years I was denied all care when I needed it the most. During those three years all I was allowed was a phone call from my PCP who they kept changing on me. No matter who or how I contacted the VA all I would get is lip service if I got a reply at all. You changed how we login to MyHealth.vet.gov. Out of two choices we were given I chose login.gov, I get my one time use code and I still after months I still can not log in. Why because every single time I try you want something different. Not one of my concerns are ever addressed all I get is a canned response. Now I find out I have to pay a co-pay on a medication I have never had to co-pay before. Forbid I ever have to spend any amount of time a VA hospital. The co-pay on that are outrageous. You’ve also added three new priority groups. I’ve read the details on them, they are not only confusing but contradictory. From my 20 plus years of experience as a patient every change you make is to benefit the VA not the veteran.
Well Stated Veteran Experiences. The Shadow Veterans Healthcare Service Systems, Unfortunately, Are Washington D.C.’s Political Pawn Games For Bureaucratic Hypocrites Hidden Agendas At The Expense Of The Physical And Mental Health Of United States Veterans Of The Currently Occupying Political Party, Which They So Whimsically Dictate Their Wonderfully Improved Veteran Affairs Services To All Of Our Veterans Across America To Their Detriments And Disillusionments. Thus, Benefiting Only Their Own Pocketbooks.
Fool Me Once, Shame On You. Fool Me Twice, Shame On Me.
Governmental Hypocrisies Pro Quo As Usual.
It’s One Thing To Be A Fool.
It’s Totally Another Thing Entirely To Be A Fool’s Fool.
Go Figure??
38CFR1724 punishes Veterans overseas by limiting medical care to only service connected conditions. It needs to be changed to return their full benefits just as if they were in the US.
Medication never heals you or cures you of anything.
My VA’s (Bronx , NY , NYC and Brooklyn , NY ) , All working individually because of each offering Individually Specialty’s Clinics ,that has been assisting me on my Health issues and I appreciate it and want to say To Everyone , Thank you !
Wow things have changed since the Viet-Nam War. We couldn’t even talk to anyone when we came back. Everyone turned their backs on us. Fifty something decades later we still feel betrayed nothing has changed for us That’s why we are called the Forgotten Generation. Rodney Babin.Combat Viet-Nam Veteran 1967-68-69. 11-Bravo Grunt.
I, too, appreciate the VA. I was initially seen at the West Los Angeles VA after almost 2 years in Vietnam. However, while I appreciate it, it had many problems so I returned to UCLA for my care. A few years ago, I let my wife talk me into moving to Hesperia CA. All healthcare here is a nightmare so, since I had already been at the VA, I made an appointment at the Victorville Clinic. That was okay, but it was next to impossible to get other appointments. On three occasions, I was getting, or supposed to be, Telehealth for PTSD. The phone would ring 4 times and if I didn’t answer, they hung up, got paid with me as a no show. On a couple occasions, I called back within a few seconds and was told they were on there next appointment. This was a couple seconds after they hung up after 4 rings. The other problem is getting an appointment with my new Primary Provider and the wait to be seen by any physician. It’s unbelievable. I’m 76 now so I guess they assume it’s okay for me to be uncomfortable. I have had positive experiences but it’s little things. One nurse told me the prevailing attitude was do just enough but no more than JUST because they can’t be fired given the shortage. The healthcare in Hesperia is very bad and I am making plans to return to Pacific Palisades or somewhere near. The rents are very high but the healthcare is great- even at the West LA VA.
I live 0.3 mile from a Kaiser hospital and medical office facility in which I am enrolled but travel 16 miles to the VA facilities because the care is superior and proactive. I am appreciative of VA quality care.