i have to wonder too. 2 years ago if i wanted to see my va doc id send her an email and id be in the next day or at least that week if it wasnt a pressing problem. last time i called they said there scheduling two months out and if id do a video conference two weeks. dont know how to do it and it might be silly but i dont want anyone to see me through this computer and i even have a piece of tape over the camera. when i switched to that office 7 years ago they had one doc and twp pa's. doc moved on about a year later. left 2 pa's. about 6 months ago one of the pa,s quit and theres only one left to do it all. i asked her if it was money or the fact they couldnt get one. she said she makes decent money for a pa so getting one shouldnt be the hold up. she said they wont tell her anymore than theyll tell her. i asked her if it effected her and she says just a little because she doesnt get time between paitents but shes contracted for 4 days a week 7 hours a day and thats what she works.. your only other choice is the va hospital but thats a 240 miles round trip vs a 100 miles round trip. they will pay me milage but thats a bit much for me to drive and it about means the wife has to take a sick day. same thing with my va rep. he got a promotion to oversee all the service reps in the northern half of michigan. they didnt replace his job either. now ive got to shop for a new one that lives twice as far away.
VA service seems to vary greatly from area to area. My 2 brothers now deceased, who lived in East Texas, finally were furnished a small clinic at Port Arthur. Prior to that, they had to travel to houston..about 100 miles each way.
I have seen changes inn the VA medical services since I signed with them in the late 1990s..
1) Obama came in and bumped up the cost to veteran for visits and prescriptions..
2) Then Trump came in and fixed it so if a veteran lives far from a VA hospital, he/she can get surgeries etc., with a hospital near the veteran.
3) Now with Biden... From what I see, doctors seem to be in short supply. Many leaving, going somewhere..to be replaced by PAs.
If youn live that far from a VA hospital, you should, under Trump's plan, be able to visit a civilian hospital, to be covered by the VA..
I am not beholden to the VA, since I have retained my civilian hospital plan too..so i am not "over a barrel", and consult often with my civilian
medical care providers also.