Does V.A. pay for vacuum pumps or do they provide them directly

[Lost Sheep]

My doctor and I are planning to take me through a pre-operational (inflatable penile implant) protocol of vacuum therapy to condition my penile tissues. Toward that end, he prescribed a vacuum erection device. His office send a prescription to a pharmacy that supplies those.

Being a veteran, I know enough to follow up. When I did, the pharmacy told me the VA does not usually pay for those. I called my VA pharmacy and they said that it sounds like a prosthetic device. I didn't get to talk to anybody in Prosthetics.

Does anyone know anything that can help me shepherd this prescription through to wherever it is supposed to go?

Thanks in advance

Lost Sheep

Edit:
My VA Doctor and local VA Office authorized treatment by a civilian Urologist. I live in Alaska, so non-VA providers are not uncommon.

[BigJoe8]

Lost Sheep,
I have a question. Why should the VA provide you with a VED? Is your ED caused by a service connected condition?

Just asking, not sure how all of that works.

Joe

[Lost Sheep]

Lost Sheep,
I have a question. Why should the VA provide you with a VED? Is your ED caused by a service connected condition?

Just asking, not sure how all of that works.

Joe

I am not entirely sure how it works, either. That is why I posed the question here.

I am a service-connected (for other conditions than the E.D.) disabled vet from the Viet-Nam era. But the V.A. does pay for some things not directly service-connected. Treatments for the E.D. are among them. Don't ask me why, they do, at present. They did not always.

My Doctor prescribed the V.E.D. The Doctor's office seems to think it will appear in my mailbox from the pharmacy and have no idea who will pay the pharmacy. The pharmacy tells me that if the V.A. does not pay (and that it usually does not) and I will be stuck with a $500 bill. The V.A. has not gotten back to me yet.

At present I am using some plastic plumbing parts and a vacuum cleaner. It is primitive, but works for tissue stretching, which is the primary purpose of the prescription, not for sex. The sex shop units I could afford do not inspire me with the confidence they would provide the necessary vacuum, so appear to be money 100% wasted. I would prefer a genuine medical-grade unit.

The ultimate answer I get from this question will also serve as an indication of the cooperation I can expect for any future prescriptions/treatments as well.

I hope this extra information fill in the background for my original question, here re-stated:

Any advice for navigating the V.A. system for E.D. prescriptions/treatments...in this particular instance, a Vacuum Erection Device?

Lost Sheep

[ocitgo]

You need a VA doctor. An urologist will be able to prescribe pumps and medications. I have not done that yet because I received a pump from medicare just before the prude republican congress removed them as a medicare covered device. The VA will also cover Trimix.

Please let us know how you do.

[Lost Sheep]

You need a VA doctor. An urologist will be able to prescribe pumps and medications. I have not done that yet because I received a pump from medicare just before the prude republican congress removed them as a medicare covered device. The VA will also cover Trimix.

Please let us know how you do.

My VA Doctor and local VA Office authorized treatment by a civilian Urologist. I live in Alaska, so non-VA providers are not uncommon.

I will append this line as an edit to my original post.
Lost Sheep

[ocitgo]

This maybe helpful

http://www.mirecc.va.gov/cih-visn2/Docu ... sion_3.pdf

[REM1947]

Hi Lost Sheep:
Working with my VA urologist, I have received pills, injections, vacuum pump, and now just had an implant put in at the Pittsburgh VA Hospital. Except for the implant, I received everything through the mail, which was ordered by my urologist which is at the Erie VA. I am serviced connected but not for the ED. I did use my vacuum pump for three weeks before the surgery. While down in Pittsburgh to have the implant (a AMS 700 LGX Penile Prosthesis), they kept me overnight. Hope this helps, if you have other questions, please let me know.
Bob
Sorry just read your edit:
Edit: "My VA Doctor and local VA Office authorized treatment by a civilian Urologist. I live in Alaska, so non-VA providers are not uncommon."
I have no idea on this, contact you VA Office to see how this is handled. The surgeon that did the implant for me was from UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. My urologist resident surgeon at the VA Hospital in Pittsburgh is my main contact. She was the one that interviewed me to see if I qualified to have an implant put in. In fact I never met my surgeon. The resident did come in and talk with me along with the anesthesiologist before the surgery The important part is that they all took care of me. If I had to do it over again, no problem, I would do it!

[dtwarren1942]

Since Medicare stopped covering Vacuum Erection Devices, Agusta Medical Supply has reduced the cost of its systems to about $125. I recently ordered a replacement pump for my AMS system for $79. I will ask my Endo to write a back dated prescription and submit it to my Medicare Supplemental insurance carrier and see what happens.

[jn1421]

The VA does provide VED for patients. You must first see your Urologist, then he will prescribe, then they will make another apt, with a group of guys wanting the same, where an instructor will show how to use properly. At the end of the instruction class, you will be given your own VED. When I got mine (6 years ago), they were manufactured by OSBON. Osbon has a few different medical grade pumps, however you get what the VA provides. Nice, but not automatic or battery operated...all manual.

Call your VA medical clinic, explain your need and make an appointment with your Uro. As you know, the VA operates like a machine, slow and on their own schedule; time may be the enemy. So, be patient.

[Lost Sheep]

The VA does provide VED for patients. You must first see your Urologist, then he will prescribe, then they will make another apt, with a group of guys wanting the same, where an instructor will show how to use properly. At the end of the instruction class, you will be given your own VED. When I got mine (6 years ago), they were manufactured by OSBON. Osbon has a few different medical grade pumps, however you get what the VA provides. Nice, but not automatic or battery operated...all manual.

Call your VA medical clinic, explain your need and make an appointment with your Uro. As you know, the VA operates like a machine, slow and on their own schedule; time may be the enemy. So, be patient.

Thank you for the outline' that helps, as it seems to ratify the experience I am having. I am at the point of sending the prescription to the V.A. Time will tell the resto f the story.

My outside urologist originally scheduled a Sept 19, 2016 implant surgery, but my research indicated that Vacuum Therapy might yield better results with a 6 week protocol. Also, selection of surgeons is somewhat limited (in Alaska). and the Doctor I have selected is not amenable to long discussions of options (pity).

Still, he is the more experienced (20 implants vs 6 in the past 12 months) and states that he is willing to consider my input. On top of that, I don't want ot compromise the VA's willingness to authorize the implant by switching surgeons).

So, I am intending to follow the VED pre-surgical protocol for 6 weeks and hope that will yield the benefits of easier implant, easier recovery and length retention.

We only get one attempt at a first implant and I want to maximize my likelihood of success . We only get one shot.

Your words are encouraging.

Lost Sheep