Question for the veterans out there in the VA system

[SRQ447]

Hi guys, wondering if anyone has had success getting the VA to pay for a name-brand surgeon through community care? Not interested in being part of the learning process for a VA doc... Any hints or tips appreciated.

[SWorks17]

They might give you a referral, if you ask for one. I'm in a large area for military veterans in San Antonio, Texas and outlying areas, with Audie Murphy VA Hospital and satellite VA centers. I didn't go the VA route because of the reason you give, that the doctor will not have enough experience.

But I did go to the Brooke Army Medical Center here in San Antonio, it is the largest Army/Air Force Hospital in south Texas and probably Texas overall. They are know for treating and putting back together vets that have come back from Afghanistan and other war areas.

I'm retired Air Force, so I had a choice of the VA or Army/Air Force Hospital using TriCare Prime for insurance.

I decided to go with Major Shane Barney Urology Doctor at Brooke Army Medical Center because I felt comfortable with him and his experience, they were doing around 60 implants a year at this hospital.

I probably could have asked for a referral to one of the top urologist downtown San Antonio but I would have had some out of pocket cost because I wasn't 65 when I had the implant surgery.

The VA does do a lot of outsourcing, so definitely go see the Urology department at your closest VA Hospital to see if they will grant a referral. You never know until you ask.

Good Luck

[GoodWood]

If your VA is near a big teaching/University Hospital and you like a surgeon from there, they occasionally have contracts with the VA. That surgeon from the University or Teaching Medical Center may be able to do your surgery at the VA.

[Gt1956]

For what little good this might be to you guys. The Salt Lake City VA hospital in Utah has a Dr Brant. He flies under the radar a bit but has been on some top docs lists in the past. He claims around 150 implants a year. A few less during the peak Covid years. His practice is split between the VA & a private practice. He told me almost 3 years ago that a little less than 50% of his implants are done thru the VA.
Initial private visits are booked out several months. I do not know how his VA practice it done.
If you are within a reasonable commuting distance you might want to consider a visit.

[EricDraven]

Hi guys, wondering if anyone has had success getting the VA to pay for a name-brand surgeon through community care? Not interested in being part of the learning process for a VA doc... Any hints or tips appreciated.

I was just implanted almost 3 weeks ago through the VA. I fought for about 8 years. I was denied because they considered it cosmetic and deemed not necessary. I tried community care and was also told it was cosmetic. I bitched and complained to a patient advocate and was finally approved in 2020. Had to wait 3 more years because they stopped operations because of Covid.

In my area, South Carolina, they will not approve community care. However if you wish a sex change operation, they will approve 100%. Go figure

[SWorks17]

Hi guys, wondering if anyone has had success getting the VA to pay for a name-brand surgeon through community care? Not interested in being part of the learning process for a VA doc... Any hints or tips appreciated.

I was just implanted almost 3 weeks ago through the VA. I fought for about 8 years. I was denied because they considered it cosmetic and deemed not necessary. I tried community care and was also told it was cosmetic. I bitched and complained to a patient advocate and was finally approved in 2020. Had to wait 3 more years because they stopped operations because of Covid.

In my area, South Carolina, they will not approve community care. However if you wish a sex change operation, they will approve 100%. G
o figure

EricDraven, sorry about your long journey to get the implant. I'm glad that you kept fighting to get the implant approved. I'm not sure what you could have done different to get it approved faster.
How long were you in the military? Was the VA the only route that you could go with military medicine?

I'm retired Air Force and I could have went with the VA but I didn't, I had already been going to see the urologist at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio about problems with my prostrate, so as I was filling out questionnaires about the problems I was experiencing with my prostrate, this included problems with Erectile Dysfunction, so they started asking me questions about the problems I was having with ED. So they did the Rezum prostrate procedure first on me because of my enlarged benign prostrate, which helped my prostrate but made my ED worse; after I healed from the prostrate surgery they did the implant. This was in the middle of COVID, so I had to have all the test done to make sure I was clear.
I'm so glad that I was able to get it done, it has given me a new lease on life. I'm thankful that I only had full blown ED for a few months before I got the implant. I can't imagine having to wait 10 years.

I hope all goes well with you new implant and that they did a good job.

Good Luck,
Again, I'm sorry about the long journey you went through to get to this point.

Sworks17