Options For Veterans: Finding The Right Place For Treatment
- If you’re a veteran who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, getting a second opinion can confirm the diagnosis and offer new treatment options.
- Second opinions provide benefits like ensuring diagnosis accuracy, revealing more effective treatments, and giving peace of mind in healthcare decisions.
- For a second opinion through the VA, request authorization from your VA doctor, wait for approval, then schedule with the approved provider.
- Veterans can seek second opinions outside the VA for access to more specialists and treatments, but VA approval is necessary for coverage.
Getting a second medical opinion has a lot of benefits. It helps confirm your diagnosis, ensuring accuracy. Another doctor may recommend additional treatment options, potentially uncovering more effective alternatives, or treatments with fewer side effects. Furthermore, a second opinion offers you peace of mind by increasing the confidence you have in your healthcare decisions.
Read MoreGetting a second opinion
Getting a second opinion at the VA can be challenging and can take some time. Here are the steps you need to follow:- Ask your VA doctor to make a request for authorization for a second opinion. Your doctor will have to include the reason for the request and, if you have, the name of the specific provider you want to see.
- You’ll wait for the approval from the VA to come through, which can take up to 14 days. Once approved, the VA will send you an authorization letter that approves the second opinion and specifies the details of the provider, the care, and the duration of the approval.
- Next, you’ll schedule an appointment with the provider, either by yourself or with the help of your VA health care team. Either way, you need to let your VA health care team know about the appointment within 14 days.
- Bring your authorization letter and any medical records or images that the provider offering the second opinion asks you for to your appointment.
- Keep track of your ongoing appointments and referrals. Request a new referral if you need more care. The VA will not cover any services that are not included in the authorization letter.
Where you can get a second opinion
As a veteran, you have many options for where you get your care – and for finding second opinions. Check with the VA website to see what services are available in your area.Chief of Hematology-Oncology at the VA Medical Center in Greater Los Angeles, Dr. Matthew Rettig points out that your second opinion does not have to be with a doctor inside the VA. You can make a request for a community referral; that is, you can ask to see a doctor who is not associated with the VA but does see veterans.
One reason for going outside the VA is that you can see specialists or get treatments not found in the VA. This helps you get the best care for your specific health needs. It also lets you make better health choices with advice from more doctors.
“The VA contracts with many different doctors that have different specialties and any veteran can request a community referral for any indication at any time, even if your individual VA has the subspecialist that would care for your individual condition such as prostate cancer.” Rettig says. “…you may have a little bit less freedom as to which individual community doctor that you can choose as opposed to say private practice or Medicare where your options are more broad.”
However, whether you are getting a second opinion from inside or outside the VA, you will need approval from the VA. The steps to follow, as outlined above, are the same either way. Keep in mind there is no guarantee your request will be approved.
RELATED: A Step-by-Step Guide for Veterans: Seeking Care for Prostate Cancer Through the VA Health System
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