David's Blog

I recieved a call today from a blocked number, of course this was interupting my afternoon nap and I was only a little less than annoyed. Of course the ringtone set on my iPhone sounds like a the alarm you would hear inside a nuclear powerplant durring a catastrophic meltdown, there was no way to avoid it.

I rolled over on the couch and grabbed the phone:
Tap.
“David Brown” This is my default answer for unknown calls (or if Im busy)

There is a guy at the other end of the phone who responds “This is Bob from the department of veterans affairs, is Mr. David Brown available?” now Im really annoyed.

There is something warming about the VA, they seem to really care that I sign up for the free medical treatment, and tell them about how my five years in the Navy really messed up my body.

Almost every week there is another representative calling me, presumably to make sure I still have a phone and am not standing on the side of the road with a cardboard sign. Last week they were pushing the five years of free medical care Im entitled to as a VFW. Its always a pleasant conversation, and at the end of it I was promissed another packet of information, as well as a copy of the 1010EZ form that will begin my coverage.

Something always gets lost in translation, and I ended up with the package complete with a 1010EZR form, which does nothing for me. I mentioned this mixup to Bob who offered to send the correct form out to me. I assured him I would be able to find it online, and that there was nothing he could do to further asist me.

Heres the thing, the not so warming, bitter aftertaste: Do I really want free medical care from a government agency that cant send me the correct form in the mail? Im sure sticking the wrong piece of paper in an envelope is an honest mistake, or mabey they were out of the form and just wanted to get out of the office that day, believe me I understand. But do I really want these guys to be messing arround with my health? In a doctors office a misplaced paper could result in me getting my leg amputated, undergoing openheart surgery, or recieving an enema intended for someone else.

Government Healthcare, its a scary thing.