Dear Editor,
For those of us who utilize our Veteran’s benefits for health care via the VA Community Care Program, this may not be breaking news. For others who have commercial insurance, Medicare, or private pay, the program is good and comprehensive; the Community Care allows our local health care providers under the VA umbrella. That said, it is also a labyrinth of bureaucracy that rivals the IRS or a health care giants like Humana or Blue Cross, etc. The necessary forms, timeline requirements, and “wait time” requirements are a serious problem which slows down the process of examination, referral to a specialist, and execution of the desired actual medical procedure itself.
I made a conscious decision last year to switch from Medicare & a supplement for my personal health care and to switch to VA Community Care in order to economize. The change saved money but the system itself is a maze to figure out, time seems irrelevant to the VA.
Thankfully, real emergency needs permit ER visits and coverage, and prescriptions are very affordable.
The “good fortune” I entitled this letter represents the exceptional professional, hands-on care afforded Freestone Medical Center to veterans as well as non-vets. Patients who are medically indigent or financially well off receive the highest level of care and personal attention. The management and staff we enjoy exceed the norm for medical services usually provided to a given community. We are indeed blessed to have them for our health care.
This above-the-call patient care is the direct result of superior executive management and excellent staff, both in the clinic and in the hospital. Thank you, John Yeary and the entire staff at FMC.
El Sellers
Fairfield, Texas
