Things I Just Don't Get: Drive 4+ hours to Dover for a PHA...when I live 30 mins away from Langley??

2015-12-07T14:31:00-05:00

I'm living in Southeastern Virginia, and I've recently decided to pursue an active Reserve slot (I've been IRR since separating active duty at the top of 2014).

At my initial consultation with the Reserve recruiter today, I learned that I would need to get a new Preventive Health Assessment (PHA) since I've been out for the past 2 years. No sweat; I was a bit surprised, however, to learn that since this recruiting office reports to Dover, I would need to drive over 4 hours to the Dover clinic to be examined--when there's a medical facility 30 minutes from my house, at Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

Can anyone provide any insight regarding why this might be? It seems like it would be more efficient, cost/time-effective to let members coordinate locally...

Is it a budgetary thing--i.e., "AMC (under which Dover falls) and ACC (Langley) have separate pots of money...and ACC shouldn't have to expend time or resources to cover _____ for AMC?"

PS. Apparently, it isn't for a lack of trying or asking, either--the recruiter told me that he's sent people to Langley in the past, but caught flack for not sending them up to Dover. "So, that's just the way it is..." (not his words--just the gist of what it all boils down to.)

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2015 2:37 PM

2015-12-07T14:37:29-05:00

You might want to call the patient advocate at Dover [login to see] or your AFRC/CC

Response by SGT David T. made Dec 7 at 2015 2:47 PM

2015-12-07T14:47:34-05:00

Shouldn't be different pots of money on the macro level. If it's an organizational budget there is nothing from stopping them from doing a MIPR request.

Response by CSM David Heidke made Dec 7 at 2015 3:07 PM

2015-12-07T15:07:22-05:00

Welcome to the government...

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2015 3:32 PM

2015-12-07T15:32:18-05:00

Or AP Hill, or Ft Lee, or Ft Belvoir, or Andrews AFB, or Pax River, or Quantico, or Norfolk NS...
Got to love the Army

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 7 at 2015 8:29 PM

2015-12-07T20:29:00-05:00

Here is your truth. Medical coding. The clinic in Dover is covering the recruiting station in your area. So they get paid to see you.

Response by 1stSgt Eugene Harless made Dec 7 at 2015 9:44 PM

2015-12-07T21:44:21-05:00

Enjoy the scenery. practice coughing and turning your head to the right. If you are a certain age you might want to take a cigarette for you and the Doc who does your prostate exam so you wont have to break that awkward silence after. Just hope he isnt a West Point Grad who forgets tio take his ring off.

Response by Col Rebecca Lorraine made Dec 8 at 2015 12:53 PM

2015-12-08T12:53:23-05:00

In some great mind at the top of the food chain this makes sense! I drove 10 hours to Eglin for a follow up with a neurologist from Augusta. Ft Gordon is 39 minutes away
With a large medical center. Having epilepsy, my husband took three days off from work for me to wait 2 hours for a 15 minute appointment with Someone who knew nothing about me and frankly didn't care! It can be so frustrating!

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2015 5:50 PM

2015-12-08T17:50:57-05:00

I just did an SRP back in November. All went right as rain. Spoke with a provider, all was well. THEN I get a call a week later saying I need to make an LHI appointment because it appears that the Army wants me to do an EKG in order for my PHA to be complete (even though the provider at the SRP NEVER said anything about an EKG). Right down the street (maybe 500ft away) is the VA Clinic. I also have (about 2 miles away) a medical imaging office that performs EKG's. BUT, LHI has not any contracts with them so I am not able to get them done here in town but instead will have to drive over an hour (1 way) just to spend 15 minutes in an office. Makes no damn sense to me.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2015 8:47 PM

2015-12-08T20:47:35-05:00

Is this going though LHI, sir? My experience has been that I can contact LHI and get the provider changed to one that is closer. I recently had a provider assigned to me 40 miles away, when there was another authorized one 5 minute walk from my home of record.

Response by SrA David Steyer made Dec 9 at 2015 12:17 AM

2015-12-09T00:17:08-05:00

I have experience with this.

I was stationed in DC from 2008 to 2012. I forgot what year, maybe 2009 that I answered a call from a ANG recruiter in Virginia. He had two people (prior service AF) that he was pushing through and they came to Bolling AFB for the PHA and 422. Well I thought it was odd they were getting seen here, and I politely asked why and I found out they were seen here because they lived in the DC area, not near Langley which is a few hours away.

Unless something changed, you should have been able to use Langley.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 9 at 2015 4:21 PM

2015-12-09T16:21:14-05:00

It's based on where your servicing unit is. But you can call the MTF and ask if you can get it done at a closer facility. Also they should be paying you travel pay and per diem........least when I had to travel for my PHA they did...

Response by Col Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 9 at 2015 10:42 PM

2015-12-09T22:42:06-05:00

This is a laziness issue. We can establish MOUs, MOAs, etc or make some phone calls to take care of this. It's not a budget issue. It's a leadership issue that can be fixed pretty easily through some basic coordination between the medical facilities and the Reserve unit.

Response by CCMSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 11 at 2015 11:17 PM

2015-12-11T23:17:28-05:00

As an IMA Reservist, I can go to any AF base for PHA/Dental. Some active duties bases don't know what to with us. It takes a little motivation some times. More often than not, it seems that they don't want to put us in the system...

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 14 at 2015 8:10 PM

2015-12-14T20:10:14-05:00

Does seem very odd. My IMA reserve station is at Barksdale AFB LA. Since I moved to California last year I have utilized local bases to complete my annual requirements(PHA, PT test, Immunizations). I called the Med clinics at both bases to explain my situation and had no problems.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 15 at 2015 10:24 PM

2015-12-15T22:24:27-05:00

I wouldn't trust whoever told you that. If you show up to Langley with reserve orders, they will see you. I had that problem initially in DC with the various bases but I found just showing up the way to go.

Response by MAJ Rene De La Rosa made Dec 20 at 2015 1:43 AM

2015-12-20T01:43:42-05:00

Will never understand the lunacy of the federal government. Catching flack for sending someone to the local office--sign me up. It flat out makes sense.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2016 10:44 AM

2016-01-19T10:44:11-05:00

I've had PHAs near my home every time I've needed to, in the numerous instances where I wasn't that close to my Reserve base. Lived in Raleigh, drilled at Shaw AFB: had my PHA at Seymour-Johnson AFB. Lived in Omaha, drilled at Shaw AFB: had my PHA at Offutt AFB. Lived in Navarre, FL, drilled at Offutt AFB: had my PHA at Hurlburt Field. Lived in Colorado Springs, drilled at Offutt AFB: had my PHA at the AF Academy.

(Full disclosure: I usually had about a 12-18 month lag finding new AFR work while trying to follow my AD husband around)

In fact, every time I've called to ask the question, the person at the other end seemed to know exactly what to do. PHA was done, records were updated in a (usually) timely manner. Maybe it was luck?

I've had a few hiccups with some of the follow-up work that was required from the PHA, such as female-specific work that I didn't want to start from scratch at a military treatment facility when my civilian doctor was already familiar with my care. That's for another discussion...

When I needed a PHA to maintain readiness, my nearest MTF has consistently come through for me. I now drill in Colorado Springs (near home) so it's even easier.

I don't think anyone should be telling you "no". In my examples above, you can even see that I was crossing MAJCOMs.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2016 1:00 PM

2016-01-19T13:00:16-05:00

It makes no sense. I am a reservist and every year I have to get medical/vision/hearing etc screenings. I work in Huntsville AL. There are over 500 dentists in HSV (and a full dental office at Fox Army medical on Red Stone Arsenal) yet I had to drive 2.5 hours to some hole in the wall clinic in the middle of nowhere for a dental exam. There are 5 of the top heart clinics in the state in HSV, yet I had to drive an hour and a half to Birmingham for my annual over 50 EKG. The excuse I was given is that none of the local providers are on the military's list of "approved providers".