u/Bailey201320

My PCP’s nurse said I’d need to be referred by their PT or chiropractor if I wanted community care for massage therapy, but they would have to determine that I needed it. Same for me wanting to see a DO for OMM, which our VA doesn’t offer (I don’t understand how they can have a chiropractor there and not a DO🤷‍♀️). I’m not trying to get both services but am hoping to get community care for someone who can help so I stop paying out of pocket.

I have very little contact with my PCP and it’s frustrating that they seem to want to deny me with this request. I’ve tried their chiropractor and PT’s and they do not do the technique (myofascial release) that others providers have success with.

I’ve heard you can get referrals if you’re in Whole Health, which I am not very familiar with.

Who’s gotten referrals for massage or OMM and what was the process ? Did VA staff make it difficult for you?

Received what looks like a credit card with my name on it. I never requested it and plan to cut it up since we have no need for another card.
Do they send these out hoping people will activate them?

Rather disappointed with this at only 93K miles. 2.5 engine. We bought the car new and take good care of it. Had both rear wheel bearings replaced today ($1500) and they said the head gaskets are leaking and need replacing (about $4000 to do both sides—a local place wanted even more than the dealer).

Other than these issues it’s been a great car but I fear it’s going to become a money pit now. It’s my third Subaru and I never had these issues before even though we had many more miles on those cars.

Are the gaskets likely to need replacing again before 200K miles? What other things are likely to need replacing soon?

CarMax offered us $8400 for trade in which of course is tempting. But I dislike getting new cars and am hoping if we put the $4000 into this one that it’ll be good for several more years. Anyone been in this situation, and what did you decide?

With previous cars we get to this place of “do we put a thousand dollars into it every year or trade it in?” but that’s not until we’re over 200K miles. Feels way too early to be considering trading it in.

I am mostly satisfied with the care I receive at the VA (eye clinic and ER are wonderful), but I’m wondering why there are no listings of the providers. Every hospital and clinic have pictures and info on their providers, and with this not available at the VA, it adds to the feeling that “knowledge is power” and they don’t want us to have that. In my experience there isn’t a huge turnover rate so I don’t believe that’s the reason they can’t create and maintain this on their website.

Our VA eye clinic is awesome—there is actually a direct phone number, and when I had cataract surgery (prior to this, I was never going to let the VA do anything invasive on me), they gave me the info sheet for the surgeon so I could see when and where he went to medical school, google his name, etc. It just added to the confidence I’d already felt after meeting him, like they weren’t trying to hide anything. When I called his nurse with a question, the doctor himself called me back. It’s like our eye clinic is its own little island of transparency and efficiency.

But the other clinics at our VA are different. For primary care there are colored teams but no explanation of what that even means. I suppose it is a doctor and some PA’s and nurses that all work together, and someone decided to call them teams. But again, no where is there a listing of who the doctors and PA’s are.

I know there are jokes about no direct phone numbers, but really, what is the reason? Do they not believe we’re capable of calling the correct place? It’s possibly not so bad now because of online messaging, but it still feels so archaic compared to civilian places.

I’m more comfortable using the VA now than 25 years ago, but parts of it still feel like a mystery. Civilian clinics all have photos of their providers on the walls, like they’re proud of them, and not having that at the VA makes it feel very different.

Even the Vet Center has no listings of their therapists. The one I was set up with was not a good match for me and I do not want to go back and get another random one. Especially with therapy, I think it’s important to be able to read up about someone before meeting face to face. When I stepped into the Vet Center it was the same feeling I have at the VA: “Who are you and why don’t you want me to know who works here?”

I love my VA benefits and I’m not criticizing the care—these are just differences I’ve noticed between the VA and civilian clinics and I haven’t seen it discussed.