Had a quick question regarding the “credibility” of VA clinics. Backstory, I had my back x-rayed at a civilian provider back in March. Three vertebrae showed signs of deterioration not consistent with my age (from what the doctor said). They wanted an MRI to diagnose, I declined as it’s expensive. Fast forward, I finally am able to use the VA clinic near me. I get an x-ray on my back and it came back “good, no issues”. My question is, should I be hesitant to trust the VA clinic or should I be hesitant to trust the civilian provider? One hand says the civilian provider is just trying to get money but then again, the VA clinic could be saving money.

Edited to add that I’m filing another claim in November and I wanna add this if possible.