HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - Veterans with chronic pain tell News 3 they are furious over getting denied chiropractic care from the Hampton VA.
Four veterans shared different stories about their experiences with the military and the injuries they sustained while on the job.
They all say they suffer from chronic pain and the only thing that truly helps them is seeing the chiropractor. They are all patients of Dr. Michelle Rose in Virginia Beach who is also the president of the Unified Virginia Chiropractic Association.
All four veterans had their chiropractic care denied or canceled in recent months by the Hampton VA.
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Dr. Rose said in October of last year, she noticed issues with certain patients not being able to get new referrals and current patients being denied renewals by the Hampton VA.
“They started being denied and they were no longer eligible for chiropractic care,” said Dr. Rose.
WTKR News 3 sat down with the four patients to talk about some of their issues.
“I had a pretty gnarly accident in Afghanistan,” said veteran Kennith Heckman, “I had multiple knee surgeries, I hurt my back, I ruptured my eardrum. I had some eye injuries.”
Heckman served in the Army for 14 years and medically retired in 2018. He had to be flown out of Afghanistan in 2007 after a serious accident.
Another veteran, Gary De Wet, said going to the chiropractor helped him dramatically deal with different injuries he endured during his 29-year career with the Marine Corps.
One injury in particular left him with serious damage to his body.
“I had a couple of mishaps in the parachuting side of the house. I was doing a tailgate jump out of a C-130 and the gentleman behind me came out too fast... As I untangled myself, I looked down, I was about 50 feet from the ground and hit the ground pretty hard. I called myself a lawn dart, but I survived,” said De Wet.
He survived but suffered back and leg injuries. He said seeing a chiropractor has been the only thing that truly helped the pain.
“Unfortunately, it (pain) would get so bad to where I’d be getting to see stars in my eyes. I had a kaleidoscope effect. I’d see bright lights and Motrin doesn’t help, other pills didn’t help, cold compresses didn’t help,” said De Wet.
He said the only thing that relieved the extreme pain was seeing a chiropractor. He said in the past, he would get his 12 referrals and then have to apply to get them again through community care at the VA. He said it would usually take between three and four months to get the renewal and the pain would come back during this time, but then he would get renewed and return to Dr. Rose.
However, recently, he was denied his renewal.
“I was told that I simply should work through the pain. If I have a level eight, I should get nine or 10 and not worry about it because my body will adapt to it, therefore it’s on me to heal myself and not seek alternative care,” said De Wet.
Veteran Douglas Uncapher joined the Marines in 1993 and retired after almost 24 years. He said he suffered several injuries that required surgeries, including one he incurred in a combat zone during his time in the military.
He said he has been seeing Dr. Rose for six years. He said treatment from Dr. Rose has prevented him from having to take opioid drugs for the pain.
He recently got denied by the Hampton VA for chiropractor care. He said he has emailed with the VA back and forth dozens of times since October trying to get answers.
Uncapher said before he saw a chiropractor, life was difficult.
“I would come home from work and sit in my chair and I could barely do anything. I couldn’t even move. My back would be locked, my neck, I could barely move my head," said Uncapher. "Once I came to chiropractor care, it was a night and day difference.”
But despite the improvements, he said his referrals were canceled. He said the VA recommended medication, yoga, acupuncture, and even music therapy.
“I don’t even know what that is. I like rock music, but I don’t think it’s going to help my back. [It'll] probably hurt my neck even worse from headbanging,” said Uncapher.
Veteran Rachel Yurko said her injury was related to a surgery gone wrong while she was on active duty. She is also frustrated by the same issues after her chiropractic care was denied by the Hampton VA.
Yurko said, “After about three months of back-and-forth, I finally got an email that says, 'You’re denied because dependency on this kind of care is going to make it worse. Patients like you who live with eight out of 10 need to learn how to function better at 10 pain level without being dependent on these care options.'”
Instead of chiropractic care or massage therapy, she said she was prescribed muscle relaxers and Tramadol, a schedule IV opioid.
She said she is constantly prescribed strong narcotics that she does not want to take. She said the chronic pain is debilitating and she prefers chiropractic care over the medication.
She said the narcotics prescriptions she is given require opioid overdose training for Narcan.
“I’m thinking, why are you giving me all of this that I don’t want instead of giving me an alternative option?” said Yurko.
Heckman also said he doesn’t want the strong medication and would prefer the chiropractor, but the answer has been no.
“I was trying not to take pain meds. I’m trying not to take another pill,” said Heckman.
“I can’t help but laugh hearing them say, ‘you’re going to be dependent on a massage’ but not saying, 'you’re going to become dependent on narcotics,'” said Yurko.
She doesn’t understand the logic behind giving people strong drugs when the country is in an opioid crisis.
The Veterans Health Administration has a section on its website explaining what they offer for chiropractic care. It states that its mission “is to serve America’s Veterans by providing the highest quality chiropractic care while maintaining a strong commitment to advance chiropractic education and research.”
Further down on the page, there is a fact sheet about the chiropractic care, which states, “VA’s Chiropractic Program exemplifies the Department’s forward-looking approach to healthcare. Chiropractic services include evidence-based, patient-centered care options that are in high demand by Veterans and routinely requested by VA physicians.”
Dr. Rose said she doesn’t understand why dozens of patients are telling her they’ve recently been denied.
“That is the million-dollar question. I don’t really have the answer,” said Dr. Rose.
We reached out to the Hampton VA regarding these problems, requested their policy and asked about any new changes. They issued the following statement:
Statement from Hampton VA Healthcare System Director Dr. Taquisa Simmons:
“Delivering high-quality, timely care to the Veterans we serve remains our number one priority at the Hampton VA Healthcare System, and we take all patient concerns seriously. We will look into this matter, and we encourage patients to contact a patient advocate, their care team, or the Hampton VA Healthcare System leadership so we can look into and address any concerns they may have.
The initial referral for chiropractic care may cover up to 12 visits. In the interest of patient safety, chiropractic care is not intended as a long-term solution for pain or function, so referrals for additional chiropractic treatment undergo a thorough review and may be denied if the treating provider notes a lack of improvement by 20%. Our clinicians are committed to working closely with each patient to identify a tailored solution that best suits their needs.”
In follow-up questions, they explained why chiropractic care is not a long-term solution and how the 20% improvement is determined.
"Why this is not a long-term solution? Evidence-based practices of complementary and alternative medicine, such as chiropractic care, aims to improve the patient’s quality of life and manage chronic pain or conditions by at least 20 percent during the patient-approved qualifying visits. If the chiropractor does not identify improvement, the patient’s VA care team re-evaluates the care plan to identify other clinically appropriate treatment options.
How is the 20% determined? In chiropractic care, meaningful clinical improvement requires a minimum of 20% improvement measured objectively, such as a greater than 2-point increase on the Numeric Rating Scale (0 – 10) or a 10-point increase on the Revised Oswestry Disability Index (0 – 50), which is designed to enable the provider to understand how much your back pain has affected your ability to manage your everyday activities."
Dr. Ryan Light from Tidewater Physicians Multispecialty Group is not connected to this situation but is a veteran and has insight into how insurance and the government operate.
“Whoever is paying for the services gets to dictate a lot of the care,” he said.
He went on to say there can be red tape when dealing with health insurance and the government.
“One person controls the purse, the other one controls the treatment, and we have to work out a standard and not put the patient in the middle and provide them with the best care that they can have,” said Dr. Light.
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Dr. Rose said several of her clients have improved by 20% or more and are still getting denied.
“Veterans definitely deserve better than this. They gave their lives. They gave their bodies. They gave their health for their country and they’re just asking for some health care that works for them and it’s being taken away,” said Dr. Rose.
With concerns over suicide in the military, Uncapher said he is worried about his fellow veterans dealing with chronic pain who feel like there is no help.
“Is this going to be the thing that throws them over the edge?” asked Uncapher.
“Part of the recruitment package that I was given was lifetime medical [and] dental health benefits,” said De Wet.
“I feel denied. I feel pressured, like bullied. It’s almost like you’re facing an enemy you can’t see,” said Heckman.
