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American Legion criticizes VA treatment of soldiers wounded in Iraq, Afghanistan
The Buffalo News ^ | 07/19/07 | By Bill Michelmore

Posted on 07/19/2007 9:49:51 AM PDT by SubGeniusX

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Go Legion ...
1 posted on 07/19/2007 9:49:53 AM PDT by SubGeniusX
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To: SubGeniusX

Govt Run Healthcare 101


2 posted on 07/19/2007 9:51:47 AM PDT by Perdogg (Cheney for President 2008)
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To: SubGeniusX

So when did Walter Reed become part of the VA system?

Walter Reed is a military hospital and separate form the VA system.

Lousy reporting.


3 posted on 07/19/2007 9:53:25 AM PDT by art_rocks
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To: art_rocks

Actually the VA was in an oversight capacity w/ Walter Reed - that is why Jim Nicholson retired


4 posted on 07/19/2007 9:57:34 AM PDT by SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)
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To: art_rocks

But nice way to pick on the reporting and not comment on the real issue


5 posted on 07/19/2007 9:58:29 AM PDT by SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)
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To: SubGeniusX
I've used the VA for the last 10 years.

Not perfect, but if you're somewhat aware, it's not a bad organization. [my mos was 91B10, so I might have a leg up on some lads.]

6 posted on 07/19/2007 10:01:06 AM PDT by Inquisitive1 (I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance - Socrates)
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To: Inquisitive1

agreed ... I do believe the the folks in the VA really often do the best they can under the constraints that they have been forced to deal with ...

and Thanks for you service...


7 posted on 07/19/2007 10:03:24 AM PDT by SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)
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To: Perdogg

actually, the military has provided some of the best and least expensive care to active duty and veterans


8 posted on 07/19/2007 10:04:00 AM PDT by ChurtleDawg (kill em all)
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To: Inquisitive1
Since the Govt owes our vets medical care for the services they perform, why doesn’t the govt either reimburse the veteran for private medical services, or why contract the services out?

if we can cut the bloated bureaucracies, then funds can be used for the real medical care per dollar spent per patient.
9 posted on 07/19/2007 10:05:09 AM PDT by Perdogg (Cheney for President 2008)
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To: ChurtleDawg

See post #9.


10 posted on 07/19/2007 10:05:38 AM PDT by Perdogg (Cheney for President 2008)
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To: Perdogg

part of the problem at Walter Reed is that they replaced most of the military staff with shady “medical contractors” who cut corners on virtually everything. In less than 2 years Walter Reed became a disaster area

as for reimbursing them for private care, that would become outrageously expensive. and it would become more expensive every year. and we would be paying the bill for millions of vets, many old and ill, for health insurance. Far more expensive than the VA


11 posted on 07/19/2007 10:10:55 AM PDT by ChurtleDawg (kill em all)
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To: SubGeniusX
Actually the VA was in an oversight capacity w/ Walter Reed - that is why Jim Nicholson retired

Absolutely not. Never. No way. Impossible. November Foxtrot Whiskey.

12 posted on 07/19/2007 10:16:05 AM PDT by Snickersnee (Where are we going? And what's with this handbasket?)
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To: Perdogg
... if we can cut the bloated bureaucracies...

That is the answer to both VA and private health care providers.

13 posted on 07/19/2007 10:25:09 AM PDT by Inquisitive1 (I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance - Socrates)
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To: Inquisitive1

I forgot one other remedy: rid the system of people like John Edwards (D-NC) AKA F’d up human trial lawyer.


14 posted on 07/19/2007 10:28:36 AM PDT by Inquisitive1 (I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance - Socrates)
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To: SubGeniusX

It didn’t help matters when President Bush slashed the claims processing staff by several hundred employees in 2004 and 2005, Legionnaires noted.


Yea, President Bush personally went to every one of those emplyees and told them to clean out their desks. /sarc.

Sounds like the American Legion has been hijacked by the Left.


15 posted on 07/19/2007 10:28:40 AM PDT by balch3
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To: SubGeniusX

The VA is part of the issue.

The first problem stems from the some military services not giving veterans the appropriate disability rating. The US Army is giving soldiers a lower rated disability than before the war.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/04/ap_disability_070423/

The army times had a story where in 2000 there were X number of soldiers who were medically retired. The army showed less medically retired soldiers in 2005 and 2006.

The Army times showed the records of some soldiers who got 10% disability ratings to either the VA, American Legion or VFW. The spokesperson was appalled and said the soldier qualified from anywhere from 50-100% disability.

I as a soldier am confident if I lose a limb, that I will be fully taken care of by the military and the VA system.

I am not confident if I suffer any other type of injury, head trauma, back, PTSD, that I will be taken care of by the military. I may be taken care of eventually by the VA if I live within a reasonable distance to a VA hospital.

The biggest problem with the VA is they didn’t expect the huge influx of new veterans to their hospitals with these serious injuries. The VA planned to be taking care of the older vets (WWII, Korea and Vietnam) and planned their hospital staff accordingly. These new vets need drs and associated staffs the VA doesn’t have enough of at its hospitals. Goverment agencies are not use to having to surge (increase their staffs for a short time) their personnel. The VA needs to hire a lot of new people, some as permanent employees and some for a short time and no government agency works or thinks like that.

The VA also needs to outsource some of its care to other civilian hospitals which would help vets get care in a timely manner. Of course this won’t happen since the VA would lose funding to pay for this service. Too many turf battles where people don’t want to give up control instead of doing whats best for the veteran.


16 posted on 07/19/2007 10:29:40 AM PDT by art_rocks
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To: balch3

Haven’t your heard? Bush is responsible for every ill in America. /sarc


17 posted on 07/19/2007 10:36:01 AM PDT by Perdogg (Cheney for President 2008)
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To: balch3

Why don’t you go down to you local Post and ask them ...


18 posted on 07/19/2007 10:37:22 AM PDT by SubGeniusX ($29.95 Guarantees Your Salvation!!! Or TRIPLE Your Money Back!!!)
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To: SubGeniusX
The department is failing in its responsibility to provide patient care and federal benefits to veterans...

And in other news...

Retired SGM states that he will die on the street in front of a VA hospital before he will go inside and suffer the indignity of dealing with a bunch of nitwitted, know-nothing, care-less, non-english speaking public teat-suckers.

The VA can KMA.

19 posted on 07/19/2007 12:08:32 PM PDT by OldSmaj (Death to islam. I am now and will always be, a sworn enemy of all things muslim.)
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To: SubGeniusX

The VA should simply be abolished. Promising health care to Vets does not mean that the government is required to actually run the facilities. Just buy them all good insurance policies.


20 posted on 07/19/2007 12:12:16 PM PDT by Rodney King (No, we can't all just get along.)
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