VA Prosthetics, and how the process actually works
Most of what slows a veteran down is not the equipment — it is not knowing who to ring first, or what has to happen before anyone can start work.
The number you are probably looking for
VA Prosthetics, Gainesville: 352-548-7463
Leave a message if nobody answers — the line takes voicemail and they work through it. If you cannot get through, the main hospital switchboard at Malcom Randall is 352-376-1611 and can transfer you.
This is the VA’s department, not ours — we cannot see your claim or your file. If the direct line has changed, the switchboard above is the one that always reaches them.
How a VA order reaches us
Veterans are often surprised that the equipment is the easy part. The order is what takes time, and it runs in a fixed sequence.
- You contact Prosthetics. Not us first — them. They own the decision and the budget.
- Prosthetics issues a 1090 to a vendor. That is the form that names who is allowed to quote. If we are not on it, we cannot help you through the VA, however much we would like to.
- We submit a quote against it. Equipment, options, labour, whatever the request covers.
- A purchase order comes back, and only then does work start. This includes anything we have to order in for you. No purchase order, no work — that is the VA’s rule and it is not negotiable at our end.
On repairs the VA weighs the cost of fixing against the cost of replacing, so an old chair with an expensive fault may come back as a replacement rather than a repair.
What we can do while you wait
Some things do not need a 1090 and should not wait for one. If you have lost your keys, need a minor adjustment, or something has come loose, telephone us and we will get you moving again.
For anything the VA is paying for, ring Prosthetics first — the number is at the top of this page. We will take it from the 1090.
We also work with Florida Vocational Rehabilitation, which is a different route with different eligibility — worth knowing about if you are working, looking for work, or studying.