What you can do
A problem at your VA?
Here’s how to push back.
Plain steps, the right people to contact, and a letter you can send today. Pick the problem.
- Phones not answered or calls not returnedA written record of unanswered calls is what gets a clinic’s phone coverage fixed.
- Hard to get or keep an appointmentThe VA measures your wait from the date you asked, so getting that date on record matters.
- Referral or consult delaysReferrals stall quietly. Asking for the consult date and status puts a clock on it.
- Community care problemsMost community care problems are approvals or payments stuck between offices; a named contact unsticks them.
- Pharmacy or prescription problemsMissed medication is a safety issue, and clinics take written reports of it seriously.
- Lost paperwork or recordsHaving your own copy of your records protects your care and your claims.
- Claim or appeal stuck with no updateA free accredited representative can see inside your claim and push it; you never need to pay for claim help.
- Billing or copay errorsCopay bills can be corrected, waived or paid over time, but only if you ask.
- Long wait after arrivingClinics track check-in to visit times; reported patterns lead to schedule changes.
- Parking or getting to the buildingFacilities can add shuttles, accessible spaces and travel help when they hear about the problem.
- CleanlinessCleanliness is an infection-control issue; specific reports get acted on.
Not sure where to start?
Most problems start with the Patient Advocate at your VA location (the number is on its page here). If that doesn’t work, your member of Congress’s caseworkers help Veterans for free, and the White House VA Hotline is open 24 hours a day at 855-948-2311.
Waiting too long for an appointment? See if you can get care outside the VA.