Vet can't get a referral to major cancer hospital from the VA

[Th1onein]

A friend of mine, a Vietnam vet, has leukemia. He is currently being treated at the VA Hospital in Houston. I don't think that they are doing as good a job as can be done at the premier cancer hospital, M.D. Anderson, also located in Houston. My friend doesn't either.

He has asked his doctors at the VA for a referral to M.D. Anderson, but they will not give it to him. I think it is because of cost, because the VA will have to pay for his treatment there. Can anyone direct me to some organizations, someone, anyone, to help this man?

[babylonsister]

1. Wow, I wish you luck. The VA will more than likely consider your friend

lucky to be getting treatment at all. Being a Tricare recipient, I can't go to many local facilities around here as they don't accept Tricare (military insurance). I imagine I'd have similar problems trying to get into MD Anderson.
I hope I'm wrong and will be watching this thread to see if someone has any answers.

[pdxmom]

2. I'm having a similar problem with regards to my next door

neighbor. He's an 87 year old vet, who refuses to just sit back and wait to die. He needs an electric scooter to get around his property and the VA refuses to authorize it. He got a walker with wheels instead. This gentleman has served his country in multiple wars and still wants to be productive, but the VA seems to have decided that it's just fine for him to have a poorer quality of life instead of shelling out some money.

[fed-up]

5. I know medicare rules state something like only being to take 5-10 steps, if that

to qualify for an electric scooter. Getting around property is not something they are concerned with.

One almost has to be completely immobile to qualify. My sis has MS and I helped her fill out the paperwork years ago. We filled it out and the doc had to verify it.

The scooters run $7k and above and that DOES NOT include a lift to get it in or out of a vehicle.

You may get lucky and find a used one, even an older model would work. Try your independent living center if the disabled vets can't help.

good luck

[Rosemary2205]

6. He should qualify under medicare.

I could be mistaken but I believe medicare is considered the primary insurer and VA is considered secondary. My father is convered under medicare and also gets some services through the VA (mostly medication). He also has an AARP supplemental. Medicare is his primary.

If you friend has not signed up for medicare he should. He'll be able to have a regular primary care doctor PLUS a VA primary care doctor. His medicare primary care should be his first contact and when the medical services needed are better obtained at VA the 2 doctors can coordinate. This actually can work quite well one a patient is established.

If your friend already has medicare, all he has to do is contact the electric scooter companies directly. THEY will get medicare approval for him, deliver the scooter and set it all up for him.

[Lasher]

3. Contact the Disabled American Veterans

They specialize in helping vets in cases like this.

http://www.dav.org/

It might be tough to get this approved, however. Normally the VA will approve treatment outside their network only if it is not available nearby - and sometimes not even then.

[Bitwit1234]

4. First he should call his senator and representative and remind

them of the VA screw up in DC. Tell them he needs help and his next recourse if the congress person can't help him is to the media. They'll move fast on that one.

I have only contacted my congressmen once for help. When I lived in Maryland I called Representative Steny Hoyer's office. I asked for them to straighten out my social security registration mess.

When I was about to turn 70 in December, I received a letter from the SS telling me if I registered in my own name (I was registered under my dead husbands) that I would receive more money. I called the SS and was told I could register over the phone I did, but then I was told to show up at the office and sign the form. I did and signed the form. Then when I received my first payment the clerk had screwed up, back dated the form to May. I called the SS number and was insulted by the clerk answering the phone who told me I was like all old people I probably went to the office in May and forgot about it, before I could protest he cut he off.


I then called Steny HOyer's office asked for assistance to get it straighten out he called the local SS office where the clerk screwed up and within two days I had a letter of apology, the corrections were made and I received the next check with the correct amount. Now I know
Steny Hoyer did not make the calls him self, but he authorized someone in the office to take care of it. And it was over a year to re-election time. So I know it will work. Call the congress person in his district and remind him that if the papers print the story, that he failed to help a veteran, then that congress person might not be around in the next congress.

[Rosemary2205]

7. Is he over 62?

if he is old enough to be in Social security he will also be eligible for medicare. MD Anderson does accept medicare and all medicare supplements licensed in Texas. MD Anderson does not cover VA/Tricare/Champus at all.

MD Anderson does have an indigent program that is not widely publicized. You'll want to contact the Leukemia dept directly and ask for a social worker or a patient care coordinator.