VA soliciting
Eric Eisenberg
Description
Collection
Title:
VA soliciting
Creator:
Eric Eisenberg
Date:
5/14/2012
Text:
Dear List,
Our company referred a patient to the VA amputee clinic. This patient had never before been to the VA. The clinic prescribed an above knee prosthesis including an x2 knee. As per protocol we then had to submit Lcodes for approval through the VA. The CPO who works for the VA two hours away saw the codes come across his desk and called my patient and told him he had to come to that VA to get the prosthesis. I found out, and spoke to the person in charge of our VISN prosthetics who told me that is incorrect patients have the right to choose and since we have been providing this patients care for eleven years he could continue with us. The CPO for the VA then put pressure on the patient telling him if he wanted the X2 he would still need to come two hours away to the VA. Told the patient he could get it now from the VA or he could wait months to get it from our company as the approval process would have to start all over again. This is the readers digest version of the story, this went on and on. Ultimately we lost our patient to the VA as the CPO at the VA made our patient feel it was easy and quick to get the technology from the VA and would be difficult and lengthy to obtain the technology from us. (the VA then duplicated our socket). My question is: isn't this solicitation of a veteran? My understanding is you are not suppose to solicit veterans. What can I do about this? Everyone who works with the VA might want to pay attention as our VA has recently hired two CPO's and rumor has it the VA wants to bring all prosthetics in house.
Eric S. Eisenberg M.S.;C.P.O.
BioTech Limb and Brace LLC
Birmingham, AL.
Our company referred a patient to the VA amputee clinic. This patient had never before been to the VA. The clinic prescribed an above knee prosthesis including an x2 knee. As per protocol we then had to submit Lcodes for approval through the VA. The CPO who works for the VA two hours away saw the codes come across his desk and called my patient and told him he had to come to that VA to get the prosthesis. I found out, and spoke to the person in charge of our VISN prosthetics who told me that is incorrect patients have the right to choose and since we have been providing this patients care for eleven years he could continue with us. The CPO for the VA then put pressure on the patient telling him if he wanted the X2 he would still need to come two hours away to the VA. Told the patient he could get it now from the VA or he could wait months to get it from our company as the approval process would have to start all over again. This is the readers digest version of the story, this went on and on. Ultimately we lost our patient to the VA as the CPO at the VA made our patient feel it was easy and quick to get the technology from the VA and would be difficult and lengthy to obtain the technology from us. (the VA then duplicated our socket). My question is: isn't this solicitation of a veteran? My understanding is you are not suppose to solicit veterans. What can I do about this? Everyone who works with the VA might want to pay attention as our VA has recently hired two CPO's and rumor has it the VA wants to bring all prosthetics in house.
Eric S. Eisenberg M.S.;C.P.O.
BioTech Limb and Brace LLC
Birmingham, AL.
Citation
Eric Eisenberg, “VA soliciting,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 2, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/233695.
