Medical expense claims

I see the pain specialist in October, but I'm already on Gabapentin and Cymbalta, as well as Naproxen, and there are still days the pain is so bad that I can barely take a step without feeling like someone just shoved a sword in the small of my back, and kicking me in the groin at the same time. but i do hear that they've had success with a surgically implanted stint that removes most if not all pain from chronic conditions.

Thanks teentitan - some good advice!

Bigrex and Zipperhead have you guys looked to Pain Clinics? For my back I was going thru 100 10mg's of Valium, Percocet and Immovane (a sleeping pill) every 3 months.

My doctor sent me to a pain clinic for assessment and I started getting Naropine shots into muscle mass to basically keep that area frozen/stoned so they don't flex and cause pain. The doctor at the pain clinic also put me on nerve blockers Apo-Gabapentin, Cymbalta and Amitripoline for pain but no fog/haze feeling and anti-inflammatories Co-Meloxicam.

Since I have been on this regiment all the Valium, Percocet has cut in half and I refill them every 4/5 months. Got some life back and I'm not so stoned anymore.

Another thing you can look into is an infrared sauna. It's a dry heat and after an hour sitting in 140 degrees gives great relief. And here's a tip on how you can claim it on your taxes under medical expense. Ask your doctor would Infrared heat treatments help me? If the doc says yes then ask for prescription. Go buy one (Lowes, Home Depot, Rona or independents) then when you file your income tax, I assume you both do it online, under medical expense just put infrared heat treatment and the cost of the sauna. If you are audited your covered because you have a doctor's prescription. I did for mine 4 years ago.

You sweat your cahones off but when you step into the shower it's like a washing sensation of relief. I have sweated off 5/6 lbs at a time.

That’s where my weight gain came from, the drugs the doctor had me on caused me to bounce up over 85 lbs in a very short period, which does not help my back or knees. If the Doctor had told me ahead of time that one of the side effects of the drugs was weight gain, I would have told him to stuff them up where the sun doesn’t shine. As it was the drugs had me walking through life in a fog, completely zoned out. I finally just dropped taking the med’s, but the damage was already done!

As for VA, some staff want to help, others just mark time and there are those that have no idea what they are doing.

Zipperhead. to answer your question. I am on VIP, and the rehab program. I am approved for the ELB (zero sum) and PIA and supplement (as of today). I have been declared TPI, and have B's across the board, and they still are refusing to pay for the program. The reason given was that it cannot be paid for under the rehab program because they only pay for programs that are directly associated with the conditions that they awarded the rehab program for. So when I go for the eventual surgeries for my knees and back, they will be covered, but not the weight loss program that could delay my requirement for those surgeries. It just makes no sense to anyone outside the bureaucracy of VAC, and even some within.

Guys I totally agree and understand the boat you guys are in because I'm a passenger too. The meds to fight my disease caused me to gain 110lbs in 1 month! The meds I take for my chronic back pain, tailbone to neck I have herniated discs, micro fractures and my left psyatica can take a long walk on a short pier it drives me nuts at times. The meds I took to fight my disease caused loss of bone density. I go to a pain clinic every 2/3 weeks for 10-16 needles from my neck to lumbar and psyatica. I also am on a regiment of nerve blockers and pain control and yep they are all water bearing drugs. Right now I'm at 310 lbs.

I asked about a weight loss program and was told NO. I've talked to VAC about this situation how it is absolutely insane that the side effects of drugs that cause rapid weight gain. But VAC does nothing to help once the condition you are pensioned for is in remission. I told them the cure for my disease is worse then the disease for what it has done to the quality of my life.

Still will not help. You know what is weird they look at me, agree with me, show compassion for the quality of life I have but they do SFA to help me loose weight!?!?!?!!? Another weird thing not one of them can tell me "why" they do not help a client lose weight.

I really embarresed them once when I said you will do nothing to help me lose weight but if I get diabetes you will pay for the insulin, the needles, an artificial leg if I lose one to diabetes or a wheelchair if I lose both legs. On top of that VAC will pay to put chair lifts, car assistance driving, a nurse or caretakers allowance. A situation that could come to hundreds of thousands of dollars but you will not help me with a couple thousand dollars now?

I am slowly chipping away at this insane policy and way of thinking. If VAC wants to give me the best quality of life the first step is if the cure caused the weight gain then help me lose the weight. Why so stubborn?

Bigrex – I had a similar situation and applied for the same consequential claim for obesity, but one of the case workers investigated the requirement for such since I was already at 102% and I am designated as part of the Veterans Independence Program (VIP). She mentioned that she had a discussion with one of the senior staff and he pointed out that because I am under the VIP, I have all “B”s below the line of “A”s on my DVA card. She explained that if I was looking for whatever I felt was needed to manage or control my weight gain, I could phone my VA caseworker and discuss it with them and likely get approval, which could possibly include operations (if necessary).
So the question is – Are you designated as a VIP recipient?

Titan, I feel for the writer. Far too often the treatment centre denies benefits arbitrarily. Who knows why? Maybe they ran out of the VAC staffers favorite coffee flavour, so deny a travel claim to vent. got stuck in traffic, refuse to pay for a person's meds.

Due to my mobility issues, I have slowly gained a lot of weight over the last several years, which only aggravates my various conditions (severe OA both knees, Degenerative disk disease and spinal Stenosis, Myofacial Pain syndrome and Lymphodema) . I have tried several diets, and cut down on my portions the few times I do eat and have even seen a dietician, who told me to eat more. Slowly my weight has kept gaining until I have reached closer to 400lbs than anyone should ever admit to. My doctor has written several letters, filled out form after form telling VAC I need help, and then I met my new Case worker, who personally submitted a prescription from my Dr. for a specialized weight loss program. The program staff consists of Doctors, dieticians, physiotherapists, personal trainers, psychologists, and a host of other professionals who guide you through a year long program to lose weight (think Extreme Makeover :Weight Loss). This program is my only hope right now and for my future because if the weight doesn't kill me, I will also not be eligible for the surgeries to repair my back and knees that I desperately need. But VAC denied it. It costs $2000 for the year, but VAC doesn't pay for weight loss programs. Under the Rehab program , they will pay for me to see each of the individual specialists separately, but not under a weight loss program. I am now waiting the 12 weeks for them to make a decision on my appeal. My Case worker was so upset when it was denied, she filled out paperwork for a consequential disability for Obesity, and said that if that gets approved, then they have no choice but to pay for the program

It really pisses me off because I've seen the accounting reports where they've paid more than that for a staff luncheon. So why deny treatment for a severely disabled Veteran just because it may fall outside the norm of what they pay for.

I recieved this letter this morning via email...

I am writing this letter because it is apparent that "you" as in VAC are either unaware
or simple don't care about the strong negative mental impact your conduct produces
on Veterans, let alone ones with PTSD who are prescribed medications characterized
as chemical restraints.
On top of the history of brutally fumbled paperwork and many other issues, I am now
done dealing with your claims departments repeated speed bumps and walls and
harassment over 100% legitimate travel claims and will have to pay for my own travel
to my "entitled benefit" to the OSI clinic in Vancouver. I have received three phone calls
on 100% legitimate travel claims to the mental health OSI clinic in Vancouver. I have to
deal with two different ferry departure places and times, ferry closures for weather,
construction zones, wrong turns, missed bridges, blocked tunnels, getting lost and you
have the nerve to harass me three times in a row for what is suppose to be a
"chartered entitlement of benefits". On the third call the harassment continues about
kilometres and the conversation revealed that my Km one way was 107 I believe, and
the allotted amount was around 119, so for 12 Km less travel I get a third harassing
phone call about my chartered "entitled benefit" travel to my mental health clinic?
Obviously it doesn't matter what number is put down, you still call and harass. Your
repeated calls demonstrates clearly your willingness to deter, put up speed bumps
and road blocks for no reason on legitimate claims, thanks a bunch "Cheryl" which I
believe is the name of the last person I spoke with. Now that your claims department
has created a mentally volatile situation I have no choice but to pay for my own mental
health visits or simply not go to rightly avoid conflict. Hope you celebrated your victory!
The conduct and practices of the claims department is disgusting and if its not
already guilty of blocking benefits from veterans who "deserve, need and are entitled
to" then a closer look is needed to free and easy access to benefits without
harassment and perhaps on dealing with veterans with PTSD. Your lack of
comprehension of the sacrifices veterans make levees a huge insult when you block
us from deserved benefits. Perhaps its because unlike soldiers you have no real
accountability or consequences for your actions, or some sort of oversight committee
to keep you on the correct path, whatever it is the end result is I can only get benefits
when I have the mental energy and tolerance to deal with a system that picks a fight
with you around every corner. You can add my name to the list of people who can't
stand the call centre process with playing the annoying twenty question BS under the
guise of security and what not every time you have to call for a trivial matter. A very
good first level deterrent to receive benefits.
A simple code word solves the problem, for example, Hi my name is "so and so" my
codeword is "such and such" may I please speak to "so and so" the operator verifies
codeword and patches you through. This will reduce the wait times and the annoying
twenty questions from ten to twenty minutes to twenty seconds, benefitting both sides
of the ever growing distance between veteran and VA.