I happen to read a few threads today in VH of mud, and much of it was about the disgraceful treatment of vets from the VA healthcare system.
I tend to only post in Tech section, hardly every even look at any other section of mud. But thought I'd share some good news to boost moral of those fighting the fight.
I'll be getting reimbursement from the VA healthCare System, for outside (fee base) medical services. This was no small thing to get approved.
Short version:
In 2008 the Denver CO VA ENT department diagnosed me with vocal cord cancer. Due to what the VA Doctors called difficult anatomy. No surgeon in the VA was willing to give me surgery for the removal of a tumor. So the VA in essence did not have the medical procedure in house that would normally be given with vocal cord cancer of my nature.
The VA instead offered me Radiation & Chemo. The VA sent me to the Anschutz Medical faculty Head & Neck radiation center, which is outside of the VA Healthcare system. Which means it is a fee-base treatment!
Radiation in head & neck area is nasty stuff, just to much going on with glands and such. Which at best case would permanently disable me.
Well I was blessed to find a laryngologist in Boston MA, Dr Steven Zeitels that specializes in difficult anatomy surgery such as mine. For which the Den VA tumor board promptly turned down my request for a fee-base to him. You've got to ask why!
So I packed-up a 1/2 dozen or so of my best credit cards, and headed to Boston. I was so blessed at the time having unbelievable good credit. So I charged it, the American way right.
Surgery in Boston went unbelievable well, I couldn't be happier.
After which I started down A long road with the VA for reimbursement of my cost for medical treatment of cancer.
I never could get a lawyer believe me I tried, it was just to spectlized. But I did keep fighting. In my 7th year I won a judgement against the VA in final appeal before a Washington DC Federal judge. Judge ordered the VA to reimburse me for medical expenses, for just two days around my 2008 cancer treatment.
Now after two years of trying to collect on the judgement, in my 9th year of the fight. I feel I'm very close to getting some funds. The amount won't even pay my interest expenses for the outside treatment I charged to credit cards. But it's a moral victory for what is right if nothing else.
Man I learned a ton going through this!
I tend to only post in Tech section, hardly every even look at any other section of mud. But thought I'd share some good news to boost moral of those fighting the fight.
I'll be getting reimbursement from the VA healthCare System, for outside (fee base) medical services. This was no small thing to get approved.
Short version:
In 2008 the Denver CO VA ENT department diagnosed me with vocal cord cancer. Due to what the VA Doctors called difficult anatomy. No surgeon in the VA was willing to give me surgery for the removal of a tumor. So the VA in essence did not have the medical procedure in house that would normally be given with vocal cord cancer of my nature.
The VA instead offered me Radiation & Chemo. The VA sent me to the Anschutz Medical faculty Head & Neck radiation center, which is outside of the VA Healthcare system. Which means it is a fee-base treatment!
Radiation in head & neck area is nasty stuff, just to much going on with glands and such. Which at best case would permanently disable me.
Well I was blessed to find a laryngologist in Boston MA, Dr Steven Zeitels that specializes in difficult anatomy surgery such as mine. For which the Den VA tumor board promptly turned down my request for a fee-base to him. You've got to ask why!
So I packed-up a 1/2 dozen or so of my best credit cards, and headed to Boston. I was so blessed at the time having unbelievable good credit. So I charged it, the American way right.
Surgery in Boston went unbelievable well, I couldn't be happier.
After which I started down A long road with the VA for reimbursement of my cost for medical treatment of cancer.
I never could get a lawyer believe me I tried, it was just to spectlized. But I did keep fighting. In my 7th year I won a judgement against the VA in final appeal before a Washington DC Federal judge. Judge ordered the VA to reimburse me for medical expenses, for just two days around my 2008 cancer treatment.
Now after two years of trying to collect on the judgement, in my 9th year of the fight. I feel I'm very close to getting some funds. The amount won't even pay my interest expenses for the outside treatment I charged to credit cards. But it's a moral victory for what is right if nothing else.
Man I learned a ton going through this!