# Veterans: Are you happy with VA medical benefits? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 8, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733 "2009-08-08T12:56:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/1 "2009-08-08T12:56:53Z")
Title says it all. Mr. K is a Vietnam combat vet. He’s got a bum shoulder and the pain is overwhelming. He went to the VA and they made an appointment for him…4 weeks out!!! Is this normal? We couldn’t wait that long. He can’t even dress himself because of the pain. He’s insured under my plan so we used that to get an appointment that same week. Just wondering if you’ve experienced the same lag in seeing a doctor. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/2 "2009-08-08T13:03:47Z")
I’ve been happy with VA treatment, but I haven’t had any emergencies. Perhaps you need to convince them that this is one. If you have been assigned to a specific doc, try contacting that one personally. My main complaint is their facilities are few and far apart if you don’t live in The Big City and it’s hard to schedule appointments for different departments on the same day to save a trip. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/3 "2009-08-08T13:19:27Z")
I haven’t had any problems with them. I filed a claim and it was taken care of fairly quickly (I got denied disability. Damn). But yeah, I haven’t had any emergencies. Actually, I’ve never had to see them on my own accord before. I am an Iraqi vet so I get free health care for the next five years, which is nice. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/4 "2009-08-08T15:46:51Z")
It’s very inconvenient to get to the Great Lakes hospital from where we live. We’ve pretty much decided that unless he has a catastrophic illness, we’re going to leave him on my insurance until Medicare kicks in next year. I thought I heard some talk about a voucher program for veteran medical care. Anything in the works on that? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/5 "2009-08-08T18:02:34Z")
As far as I know, I’m not eligible for any medical benefits. I served 4 years, got out with all my parts in working order. Think I’d need to have some injury or illness somehow related to my time in service to qualify, right? ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/6 "2009-08-08T18:43:30Z")
As long as you were honorably discharged, you’re eligible for VA benefits, although you’d probably have to pay for them, because those benefits are means-tested. If you’re below the income threshold, you’re fine. Otherwise, you have to pay a set amount for each service. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/7 "2009-08-08T19:59:41Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > It’s very inconvenient to get to the Great Lakes hospital from where we live. I volunteer at on Thursdays at an organization for disabled veterans, in Chicago and this seems to be the complaint. As a whole the vets are very satisfied with the service, WHEN they can get to it. It’s not the treatment but the locations that seem to be the sticking point ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/8 "2009-08-08T20:19:49Z")
Very satisfied. Though as noted above it can be hard to get an appointment sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/9 "2009-08-09T04:44:44Z")
I’m very satisfied. 'Course, I work there, too. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/veterans-are-you-happy-with-va-medical-benefits/505733/10 "2009-08-09T05:01:13Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > As long as you were honorably discharged, you’re eligible for VA benefits, although you’d probably have to pay for them, because those benefits are means-tested. If you’re below the income threshold, you’re fine. Otherwise, you have to pay a set amount for each service. One must serve a certain minimum number of days on active duty before one is entitled to VA benefits.