Veterans of our U. S. Armed Forces face all the same problems that the civilian population does, but they are more likely to face certain significant health issues than non-civilians. The journal Advances in Medical Education and Practice identifies unique concerns that veterans experience at higher rates than the non-military population.  These conditions include mental health disorders, substance use disorders, PTSD, depression, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain, amputations, and side effects of hazardous exposures.

Traditional therapies are usually the first course of action to treat these disorders.  In some cases, traditional therapies may work for a time and then lose effectiveness.  In other cases, they may have unpleasant side effects that make the treatment intolerable.  And in other instances, western medical treatments may not work at all.  In these and other cases, many veterans have turned to the traditional medicine therapy called acupuncture.

Acupuncture therapy has been shown to be effective in treating veteran’s symptoms resulting from a wide range of conditions. The VA considers acupuncture effective for veterans who suffer from:

• Pain associated with an injury or illness
• Nausea and vomiting after an operation
• Nausea and vomiting related to chemotherapy
• Knee pain from osteoarthritis
• Low back pain
• Depression or other mental health concerns
• Substance dependency

Acupuncture physician Dr. Skip Hart, O.M.D. is pleased to offer this important therapy to veterans, with referral from the VA, in and around the greater Huntington area.  Please visit our acupuncture medicine and treatment page for more information or call us at (304) 634-9700 to learn more.

The VA covers things like:

• Acupuncture
• Manual Therapy
• Cupping &
• Infrared

Dr. Skip’s practice offers much more than just acupuncture treatments.  Our holistic approach allows us to treat veterans for a wide range of issues, with a particular emphasis on chronic pain treatment.  You can find much more information on this on our natural chronic pain treatment page. We encourage you to explore our website to discover what makes Dr. Skip’s care unique.

While most of the medical care the government provides to veterans takes place at a VA hospital or clinic, sometimes veterans are unable to get the treatment needed at such a facility.  When this is the case, the VA covers costs associated with a veteran’s care provided by a “community provider.”  Veterans can apply to have the cost of their care from a community provider covered by the VA by participating in the Veteran’s Choice Program.

How does it work? Veterans must receive a referral from their VA provider (typically their PCP) in order to receive VA benefits for care from a community provider. There are three (3) ways to generate an approved referral/authorization and requests can be made by the Veteran online via MyHealth.VA.Gov Portal (link).

1. The Veteran contacts his or her local VAMC to confirm CCN eligibility.  If the Veteran is eligible, VA may refer the Veteran to a community provider.
2. VA assesses the Veteran’s need and makes the determination to refer the Veteran for care in the community, therefore generating an approved referral/authorization.
3. The provider may determine a Veteran patient needs additional care beyond what was originally authorized.

The orders typically follow a VA Acupuncture SEOCs (Standard Episode of Care):

• Acupuncture Initial: 12 visits (60 days)
• Continuation of Initial: 8 visits (90 days)
• Chronic Care Management: 8 visits (180 days)

Acupuncture physician Dr. Skip Hart is proud to be a community provider, offering many services to veterans and their loved ones.  Dr. Skip and J. Forsyth both come from military fathers who have a collective 55 years in service (Navy and Air Force respectively) and are honored to serve our vets in this capacity.  For more information on how to request a referral from the VA to see Dr. Skip, please click here for instructions. 

We have also prepared an introductory printable letter to share with your local VA Primary Care Provider (click here to access and print).  To find us on the Community Care Website click here.