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For more than 20 years, when the U.S. Air Force called, Richard Creary reported for duty.

Now, about 20 years after being honorably discharged, Creary is calling back, and his calls are not heard.

On Jan. 9, Creary suffered a stroke in his Soldotna home and was rushed to the hospital.

When the medical staff at Central Peninsula Hospital learned he was a retired Air Force veteran, they decided to have him flown up to the hospital on Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage for further care.

That's where he remains today, a month later, while his significant other is being run around the system trying to get him the rehabilitation therapy everyone agrees he must have, but no one wants to pay.

"They referred him to a short-term facility in Seattle, but they denied his admittance because he did not have an exit plan," said Scharlott Thomas, who has been Creary's partner since around 2001.

The short-term facility is a Veterans Administration facility, and even though Creary has not started a rehabilitation regimen anywhere, Thomas said the facility wants him to have an exit plan -- a specific date when his rehabilitation is to end.

"They applied to a long-term facility (also a VA facility in Seattle), and that denial came back as 'lack of motivation,'" Thomas said.

"It didn't say a lack of motivation on whose part," she said. "As soon as they say that, though, that means you're not eligible for anything, ever from any VA facility."

The doctor in Soldotna said the appropriate treatment for Creary is rehabilitation therapy. The doctors at Elmendorf said the proper treatment is rehab. The therapists there have said rehab therapy is what he needs.

"Everyone at Elmendorf said he's a perfect candidate for rehabilitation therapy," Thomas said. "And, he wants to go into rehabilitation."

The problem is, the VA's Utilization Review Committee said Creary has to get Medicaid to pay.

"When a person retires from the military, they are guaranteed retirement medical (care)," Thomas said.

She is working to see that he gets it. After all, he gave 23 years to the service of his country.

Thomas has contacted the Vet Center in the Red Diamond Center, she's contacted the doctors at Elmendorf and contacted several VA representatives in Anchorage, including the Utilization Review Committee. She's even contacted a social worker at the Elmendorf medical center.

Yet, Creary lies on a bed in the air base hospital, waiting for his first rehabilitation therapy session.

According to Dave Caswell, office manager of the Kenai Vet Center, whether Medicaid benefits take precedence would depend on the veteran's predetermined priority category.

Though Caswell is not allowed to speak about individual veteran's claims, Thomas said Creary is Priority 5.

Caswell said Priority 5 is a veteran who does not have a service-connected disability, or "noncompensable service-connected veterans rated zero disabled whose annual income and net worth are below established VA means test thresholds; and veterans who could be receiving VA medical benefits or Medicaid benefits."

Thomas said Caswell told her to call the VA patient advocate in Anchorage, which she is planning to do.

Whether it comes through the VA or Medicaid, Thomas said, "I'm working to get (Creary's) rehabilitation therapy, through Medicaid or any other avenue."

Thomas said she also has called C.W. Floyd in Sen. Mark Begich's office and left a message on Sen. Lisa Murkowski's answering machine.

"Floyd said he would look into it," she said.

In the meantime, Creary waits.

Phil Hermanek can be reached at phillip.hermanek@peninsulaclarion.com.