Posted on 04/28/2014 11:36:47 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
PHOENIX -- A grieving Maricopa, Ariz. mother claimed her son was one of 40 veterans who died while waiting for medical services from the Phoenix Veterans Association.
Carl Mclaughlin, 38, hung himself from a four-post canopy bed in his father's bedroom in December.
"Everyday I think, 'How did this happen? How am I supposed to go on without him,'" said Terry Mclaughlin, Carl's mother.
She said her son served the country proudly and for eight years as an Army scout and left the military life several years ago. She believes her son suffered from PTSD and other mental illnesses, but was never properly diagnosed or prescribed the correct medications.
Recalling the last day she saw her son alive, he had made indications that he felt something was wrong physically, mentally.
"I'm most angry with myself," Terry said. "I feel like I should have seen it. I should have been more in tune with him."
Terry claimed her son was on the alleged secret waiting list which whistleblowers have described as a tool used to cover up delays in treating patients. She said her son would have to wait several weeks to be seen by medical staff at the VA hospital. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at ktar.com ...
Ditto.
I live in Maricopa and hadn’t heard about this. Poor woman. This whole story is outrageous and heads better roll!
Stop!!
Obamacare is about to wipe out private medical care.
The VA has always been like this.
Military medicine is like this. It is socialized medicine provided to the least among us, our maligned and despised military.
They hav ealways deserved better.
You want to find a group that it is free to discriminate against? It’s these guys.
Now they’re being used to portray Obamacare as so much better.
It’s not.
The VA will look like what once was the Mayo Clinic by the time that doofus’ health care system does us in.
Now people want to give the veterans something all of a sudden?
???
For what??
BO wants to get rid of their care.
LEAVE them ALONE!!!
I’ll try again.
The VA has always been famous for low quality care.
The vets are the forgotten among us.
Face it.
I’ve been using the VA for most of my primary care and I’m very happy with it. I ended up going to the VA after the insurance companies, that so many here love but have never used, refused to pay when I reached the lifetime maximum.
I am sorry for this mother’s loss but blaming the VA is a bit much IMHO.
The VA has a limited budget and unfortunately mental health issues have always been underfunded.
The fact is that many getting their care in the VA system are men and women who the insurance companies don’t want and would not insure.
Success. Obama’s health “care” plans are saving money.
Actually, the care I receive now versus is incredibly improved over what I received in the 1980s. I had an appointment the other day, and showed up 50 minutes early. They saw me right away, and I was done before my scheduled appointment time.
I’m afraid we are going in exactly the opposite direction.
Th VA is the model for the new healthcare system we are ALL being thrust into.
Sadly, the days of accessible healthcare is yielding to Socialism and bureaucratic empowerment.
The VA hospital manager was right - for that time. Today Obama's trying to turn all medical care into the VA style... if you have connections you get care... if not you wait forever...
They are actually using Tricare as the model but it will eventually slip to the VA model once the costs are realized and cuts need to be made.
Obamacare needs to not ruin that
Headlines lately abot the va letting people die
Same headline unfounded
Maybe truest e not
It has always been that way why do people care now?
I, for one, am very pleased with the VA medical system. I go to Wade Park, Cleveland, and +98.5% of their medical care people are very professional. They give a damn.
Having worked in the mental health field, and being a VA client myself, I believe the quality of VA care for the mentally and emotionally ill is above average. The VA has accumulated a large body of science in the treatment of PTSD and what today they term DOES—disorders of extreme stress. The advantage VA has in treating these disorders is a clinical setting with multiple patients that can relate to, critique and support each other.
The VA is generous, in my opinion, with veterans suffering from organic brain disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolarism. Generally, patients are born with these illnesses but do not exhibit symptoms until adolescence or early adulthood. It is not uncommon for these people to be recruited into the military and only later begin to suffer symptoms. The VA approach is to take responsibility for the welfare, treatment and income (pensions) for these veterans even though their illnesses are mostly non-service connected.
The VA also runs some of the best drug/alcohol treatment facilities in the country.
I’m glad to hear that. I know from experience their care in other areas is top notch. It’s unfortunate this guy did himself in and completely understandable that his mother would blame the VA but I don’t think its justified.
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