“Save the money for those returning from war and their care. Let the others get a job and pay for their insurance.”
So, you’re fine with abandoning the promise made to service members for at least 50 years, that VA health care would be available to them after active service?
More likely, if any money was saved, it’d go to more welfare type programs.
“So, you’re fine with abandoning the promise made to service members for at least 50 years, that VA health care would be available to them after active service?”
yes aside from service connected injuries. Government run health care does not work. Save the resources for those coming off active duty and who really need the care.
“More likely, if any money was saved, it’d go to more welfare type programs.”
Thats where Obama plans to spend it. He’ll give it to druggies and leave vets outside in the rain.
I’m skeptical of the “voucher” option. We have tricare prime as my husband is active duty and tricare pays out so little that more and more providers have stopped treating tricare patients. It’s changed so much that even care at the AFB hospital many times won’t provide service based on what tricare won’t pay FOR CARE ON BASE. It never used to be this way.
Luckily, we are all very healthy in my family. I couldn’t even get my sons’ sports physicals done on time on base because when I called to make the appointment, the clerk tells me “tricare won’t pay for the physical until it’s been a year since the last one”. So I waited a few weeks and when I called back, they had no openings with the one pediatrician they have left and said I wouldn’t get in for something like that for months. So I just went and paid for it myself.
I’ve never worked for a VA hospital but I can tell you about the kinds of things that happened at the civilian hospital I worked at when it came to VA patients. We would have to fight and fight the VA to get basic things covered. Right next to the room of a VA patient who we can’t even get discharged because we can’t get him the meds he needs, were illegals that got everything, no questions asked because they fall under a different system which is basically the federal govt reimbursing the hospital for care provided to the illegals.
So this “voucher” might not adequately cover the cost of care, in which case many providers will not accept the VA patient. The only ones that will are the ones that are so bad, that they need to take VA patients just to have some patients. This is already happening with Tricare. The only physicians that are being left that will take us are those you wouldn’t want touching your dog. And my husband is active duty. He still can get care on base without a hassle but I sure hope he never becomes disabled in the line of duty because I already know the hell we’ll face if he does.
No such "promise" was ever made. The VA exists to serve vets with service-connected disabilities. Vets with nonservice-connected disabilities are seen on a space-available basis, and they pay a small copayment for services rendered. Anything wrong with that? And don't confuse the situation by bringing up military retirees -- that's a different kettle of fish altogether. Retirees (20+ years of service) are taken care of by TriCare, a low-priced HMO.