Why does VetsFirst focus on your health? Lots of reasons. Our veteran members all have disabilities, which often involve ongoing health issues. And, VetsFirst also serves the spouses, dependents and survivors of our veteran members, too.

We try to help spouses, dependents and survivors as much as VA law and regulations allow, but the VA does not provide many direct health care services to these family members. VetsFirst, as a program of United Spinal Association, was right in the middle of the battle in support of the enactment of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act last March, more commonly known as “health care reform.” Although the health care reform law does not directly impact VA’s health care system, we understood then and now how many of its provisions could be helpful to all Americans, including veterans’ spouses, dependents and survivors.

Many veterans with disabilities require specialized equipment and/or enhanced in-home medical care just to survive out in the world. I am a veteran with a disability, so let me tell you about a few recent situations I’ve experienced in order to obtain the proper equipment for myself.

Last August, I asked my primary physician to request a new cushion for my wheelchair because the one I had been using for nearly 10 years was pretty much worn out. This is not a luxury for me, it is a necessity. Three months went by and no new cushion arrived at my residence. So, during a November visit to my local VA Medical Center, I stopped by the Prosthetics office to learn that the cushion had not been ordered yet. I muzzled my anger, and then the cushion arrived at my house six days later.

This month, I spent a full day at the local VA, undergoing my annual physical examination, a routine process for veterans like myself living with a spinal cord injury. One of the required stops is Physical Therapy, where I am interviewed and re-evaluated for any needed treatment or specialized equipment.

Since I have had a spinal cord injury for 44 years, I no longer sit quite straight and have been using fixed lateral supports on my wheelchair for about five years to improve my sitting posture. Being back at the Physical Therapy Clinic reminded me that, again in August 2010, my therapist told me that newer, improved lateral supports would be ordered for my wheelchair. My therapist was frustrated because three separate orders had been placed for these supports, not directly to the company but through…you guessed it, the Prosthetics office!

It’s not my desire to harp on any particular VA Prosthetics office, but rather to encourage veterans to contact us through the “Ask VetsFirst” feature on this website if you are not getting the equipment you need.

We would hope that you would also use “Ask VetsFirst” if you are not receiving the home health care services that you need. Recently, one of our longtime members contacted us because he was denied home health services that he must have to continue to live in the community with his spouse. The VA’s answer to his request was something like, it’s cheaper for us to uproot you from your spouse and your home, and better for you to enter our nursing home.

VetsFirst does not accept this for many reasons. While we are trying to fix this situation for this veteran, we want to encourage all veterans to contact us via “Ask VetsFirst” if you are not receiving the home care services and equipment that you need to live healthy in your community.

Terry Moakley
Chair of the VetsFirst Committee