Leander veteran voices frustrations with the VA
Central Texas veteran voices frustrations with VA
A Central Texas veteran is voicing his frustration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying he's not getting the quality of care he deserves.
LEANDER, Texas - A Central Texas veteran is voicing his frustration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
He said he's not getting the quality of care he deserves.
Leander veteran voices his concerns with the VA
Local perspective:
"If it's happening to me, it's definitely happening to other veterans," said Matt Erickson of Leander.
Erickson served in the Marines from 2000-04, including a tour in Iraq. He's been getting healthcare from the VA for the past two decades.
"I've been a part of several VAs in my life, moving around this country," said Erickson.
He says his real issues began when he moved to Central Texas a few years ago.
"Nightmarish," said Erickson.
At the top of the list, he says, canceled appointments at the VA clinics in both Southeast Austin and Cedar Park.
Erickson said he's had several cancelations that have happened to him.
"Five, I'm going to guess, in two and a half years. Five at least," said Erickson.
Matt Erickson
He says one time this past February, he didn't know until he got to the doctor's office.
"I went to show up for that appointment and was told that my appointment was canceled," said Erickson. "And then they said there should be a notice in your mail. So lo and behold, I got the mail and there was the notice."
Erickson says the cancelations are especially frustrating because it's often hard to get an appointment in the first place.
"Appointments with the primary care physician are almost always at least 90 days out, 90% of the time," said Erickson.
Aside from canceled appointments, Erickson says getting prescriptions filled has sometimes been a struggle, citing an issue with getting his longtime arthritis medication after changing VA primary care doctors.
"Because I was a new patient, he was going to require a referral to orthopedics before he would authorize the release of my medication," said Erickson. "If I don't get those within 30 days, within 35 days, the pain starts."
Erickson says communication in general has been an issue.
"Finally after maybe five or 10 phone calls, you get to the bottom of what the problem is," said Erickson.
Dig deeper:
Charlie Catoe, Division Director for Program Operations with the Texas Veterans Commission, a state agency, says it's issues like these that they can help with.
"Right now, we have 24 healthcare advocates. Those are people that are spread out across the state. Most of them actually have offices in VA facilities," said Catoe.
Catoe says appointments are a major issue, noting he himself had an appointment canceled two weeks before his visit.
"It is a problem, but we can work to get those rescheduled as best we can," said Catoe. "And we're usually pretty successful."
He encourages VA patients in distress to reach out.
"Don't beat your head against the wall. Let us beat our heads against the wall for you," said Catoe.
What they're saying:
After 7 On Your Side contacted the VA, Erickson says he received calls from the VA's regional heads of primary care and pharmacy. He says they were able to resolve the issue with his arthritis prescription.
"It's not just about me, it's about improving it for everybody," said Erickson.
In a statement, the VA said: "VA is committed to ensuring veterans receive timely, high-quality healthcare."
The VA sent a statement on the issues:
"While VA makes all efforts to minimize rescheduled or canceled appointments, sometimes it is necessary. When there are schedule changes, either by Veterans or the facility, we work closely with Veterans to accommodate them as quickly as possible...Mr. Erickson’s recent appointment history shows that when his primary care appointments had to be rescheduled for any reason – including when Mr. Erickson canceled his own appointments – the wait was only a few days. Most recently, on January 6, VA called Mr. Erickson to reschedule his February 12, 2025, appointment, which afforded him more than a month's notice. When VA was unable to reach him by phone on the same day, VA mailed a notification letter about the canceled appointment."
Regarding this issue of getting prescriptions filled, the VA said in a statement:
"It is the provider’s discretion (whether a VA or community provider) to determine if they need to see a patient regarding a prescription."
What you can do:
If you're looking for help from the Texas Veterans Commission, click here.
To reach a healthcare advocate, click here.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's John Krinjak