Posted on 06/20/2015 9:26:40 PM PDT by Rabin
One year after outrage over health care allegedly shook the Department of Veterans Affairs, the agency is but again facing crisis. The number of veterans on waiting lists of one month or more is now 50 percent higher than it was during the height of last year’s institutionalized: "delay is cheaper than dirt" directive and "dead vets cost less" budget cover-ups came to light.
Mr. Gibson, deputy secretary indicated possible savings options — by rationing new treatments to older veterans and excluding patients who have advanced terminal diseases or a “persistent vegetative state or dementia”. The agency (also) needs to be able to shift funds: From a new "Choice Card program" that was a priority for Congress, and would allows veterans to obtain care from private doctors to relieve extended delays in seeing V.A. clinicians. To hepatitis C treatments, administrative bonus, incentives and training programs.
The crisis may come to a head when Gibson testifies on Thursday on Capitol Hill, where many have criticized foot-dragging by the VA leadership on starting the Choice Card program and continued failure to establish any form of administrative punitive accountability..
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Rab.
Obamacare plays into this. As an example, I use to never go to the VA for care until my retirement insurance got so crappy after Obamacare went into effect.
Now it’s my first choice...
Elections have consequences.
Obozo has no money for the veterans/heroes of the nation because he’s giving it away to the disease-ridden, vermin-infested, drunk-driving, illegal aliens he has brought into the country to shore up the Democrat Vote Stealing Apparatus.
White wash, white wash, white wash, i tell you!!
In the last two weeks, i have been privileged to receive the following announcements in my post box from my local V.A., here in middle Louisiana.
And i quote:
June 10th, my address,
Deat Terry Smith,The V.A. defined a new level of 21st century primary careby initiating Patient-Aligned-Care-Teams (PACT) . The PACT concept is veterans working together with health care professionals to plan for whole-personcare and life-long health and wellness. The focus is on:
P-partnerships - between veterans and health care teams.
A access to care - enhanced through a variety of methods.
C coordinated care - among all team members.
T team-based care - with veterans at the center of their PACT.
Your current PACT is alx primmary care team (color). Although your primarycare provider has separated from the Alx V.A. Health Care Systemyou are encouraged to maintain contact with the other members of your PACThealthcare team, office hours xx-xx.
I assure you we are actively recruiting to fill that position.Until that time we ask you to continue to address your healthcare concerns with your assigned PACT. We hope to make this a smooth transitionfor you and to have a provider as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
(unsigned)
vamc alx.
THEN
A veterans choice program flyer giving me an ‘866’ number to call, and see if i meet the criteria for eligibility for this program.
How much time and money wasted to do this stuff, I don’t want to guess, let alone the multi-dollar facelift that was just performed on the Alx facility, including putting roofing over a parking area that is separated from the main building, in a hurricane zone!!!
But that's just the guys I have talked to.
Yep.
Obamacare mandates forced me and many low income vets onto VA treatment (which has been superior BTW).
It’s a hidden cost of Obamacare.
I retired from the military after 26 years of service. I have been given a rating of 40% disabled. To this day I refuse to even attempt to go to a VA facility. I called them once and from what I was told it seems like a discombobulated mess to get anything scheduled or done through the VA. I’ll stick with my civilian provider.
For those who didn’t vote, not voting has consequences too. Others make the decisions that the non-voter didn’t make.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.