Sorry to hear of your situation. As others have stated above, contact the offices of your state’s two Senators, your Representative in DC, the ombudsman service at the VA, the President. Send emails to people within the RNC; use this election year to your advantage.
I was a VA primary care physician. Started at a big, new and beautiful OPC in The Villages, FL. It was gratifying to work with our country’s veterans. Unfortunately, two big problems quickly became evident. I could provide top notch primary care, but far too often I’d hit a brick wall when I tried to get my patients the clinically indicated speciality medical care. Dermatology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, Psychiatry, Audiology, Optometry and others I could get as long as I proved that the medical attention was warranted, which any competent doc could do. But Orthopedic Surgery and Pain Management, among others, were not to be had (this was before opioid abuse became epidemic). I experienced Catch-22 each and every time I pursued these paths. The second problem was the “deadwood” primary care docs who were doctors by title only. It was a crapshoot for the Vets; you could end up with a compassionate physician or one who was there for the benefits. Unlike the civilian world, there was no standard of care to be met. And our Vets can’t (at least then) do anything about it. Your buddy could be receiving excellent care while you, being seen in the office right next door, wouldn’t get crap (actually, you would get crapcare). I couldn’t stomach it. 10 months later I was back practicing civilian medicine; I haven’t looked back.
Please excuse my departure from audiophilia; reading of this situation really hit a nerve.
