No doubt you’ve been following the news about scandal at the Veteran’s Administration, particularly in several western states, where there have been reports of deaths attributable to malfeasance in the agency.

I don’t know if this is just a local problem, or if it endemic throughout the agency. But I do have direct experience with the VA, perhaps I’m the only Zoner who does, so here is my report.

I signed up with the VA shortly before my retirement at age 62 because I knew there would be a gap in my medical coverage between the time I left my job’s health plan and before I was eligible for Medicare. When I turned 65 I signed up for Medicare through the Humana network, although I still get yearly bloodwork and checkup done at the VA, and get my glasses replaced there, just to make sure my records in the system are up to date and I am properly enrolled. In the event I should lose my Medicare coverage, The VA is my backup. I am allowed to mix and match benefits between my VA and any other insurance I may have.

Although I recognize my involvement with VA is rather limited, I must report I am thoroughly satisfied with the service and care I have received there. My cousin in St Petersburg has all his medical insurance with the VA, and he has just had hip replacement surgery, and is satisfied with the result.

Enrollment took me a few weeks, and was relatively painless, and I can get an appointment to see my primary care physician, for a checkup, or a referral to a specialist, with less paperwork and administrative hassle than through Humana. Prescriptions can be easily refilled through a relatively straightforward automated telephone system. Unlike Humana, I pay for my prescriptions and consultations, but it is affordable, considerably less than the “free market” value of those services.

The local VA has a new clinic and Veteran’s Center near where I live, and it is modern, clean, well-staffed and appears to be competently run. In the event of major surgery, I would be referred to the VA Hospital in Miami, about 30 miles away, so I have chosen Humana as my provider where I would have access to local hospitals. Humana/Medicare premiums for myself and my wife are subtracted from our Social Security benefits. They are roughly $100/mo for each of us.

I chose to go with Humana because I felt it would give me more choices than with the VA, especially since the VA and Humana/Medicare can be used interchangeably. The nominal amount I pay Humana is affordable for me, and I feel I am not taking away any benefits from some other veteran that way. When I first enrolled at the VA, I was repeatedly quizzed if I was suffering from service related complications, such as Agent Orange or PTSD. Although this did not reflect my own military service, I got the impression the VA was very serious about following up with these problems.

To sum up, I am satisfied with the VA, although I recognize my involvement with it has been limited, and did not involve any major health crises, and I have little knowledge of the system outside my own Center’s jurisdiction. Still, I’m glad we have it.