Posted on 02/15/2016 6:45:11 AM PST by rktman
Congress is exploring a dramatic transformation of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals that would merge them with Department of Defense (DOD) facilities and treat active duty soldiers and veterans side by side.
Many veterans and lawmakers believe the VA healthcare system is in dire need of complete overhaul, and the idea of privatizing it has been increasingly popular. But lawmakers have also quietly been pondering a fix that would take it in the opposite direction — militarization.
A massive pilot project called Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago just completed a five-year trial, with seemingly positive results. The joint DOD-VA hospital now sees most patients within one day and nearly all within one month of their desired appointments, and ranks in the top five of VA hospitals in overall wait times.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Thanks for the input. Is it this? Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM)
The project started five years ago. I really don't think Trump had anything to do with the project. Did trump even care about the veterans five years ago?
LOL! That says it all. I don’t seem to remember serving conditionally and getting to pick and choose what I “felt” like doing. “Hey swabbie. Go clean the bilges. Now!” “Sorry chief, don’t feel like it today.”
You hit the nail on the head regarding the main problem with the program I’m in at the post hospital I’m within a few miles of:
What about “veterans who are not near a military medical facility....”
I consider myself very fortunate, however when I move away from here in a few more years, I’ll be out where the nearest military post is over 150 miles away.
Lucky for you, you can just use the flying car that uncle bernie is gonna give you for free to go that 150 miles. LOL!
How about this: every vet gets 100% health care paid by Uncle Sam.
Would work something like this, if the vet has a job and they get employee health insurance that covers 70% (use any % you want) then US pays the remaining 30%. They see their own doctor so there is no need for VA hospital, doctors, clinics, or massive bureaucracy.
If they have no job or insurance then they present their card to their doctor and US pays.
I know its too simple to work but it’s the same principle as a flat tax and abolishing the IRS.
I’ve been advocating some form of merge for a while.
One thing it would allow is military reserve medical folks from all services and the guard, or even entire units, to perform some of their annual obligations at VA centers. They could run plus up clinics to help fix backlogs or get teams out to help underserved communities.
Another advantage is that in a military town, retirees staying in the area would get some level of continuity of care.
But we still need portability of benefits for those not near a VA med or military facility.
Only one problem. If they/we have no insurance, we get fined. Remember? LOL!
“Vets should be able to visit any doctor or hospital anywhere.”
The problem with that idea is this:
The government will never pay “full boat” for anything. They will mimic medicare/medicaid and pay 40%.
This will have a dual effect, first, finding ANY doctor if you’re a vet will be difficult to impossible.
Second, if you’re just a poor schlub who is not a vet, the cost of your medical care (due to cost-shifting) will go through the roof even further than it already has.
The VA is broken, if anyone thinks DoD medicine is the answer, God bless ‘em, but I wouldn’t want to have to endure DoD medicine again (hit or miss).
The problem ultimately is that there are two classes of vets - those that legitimately need care due to actual combat injury in service to their country. These folks need every bit of care to help return them as closely as possible to a normal life. Then there are vets who are rent seekers - who want a check for life for sitting on their ass in the green zone, and there are substantial numbers of folks like that these days, sad to say.
Separate those who have clearly sacrificed for their country from those who have unverifiable claims.
We can and should treat a vet with his legs blown off in service to his country differently than someone who claims PTSD that is impossible to verify.
As long as you provide checks to anyone who says they want one, there will never be enough money to treat those who actually need care.
Well there is that...
One other thought...
Want to cut government and make it more efficient?
Move the entire VA under DoD. Make it a component.
DiD retains responsibility for our nation’s treasures from oath to rights.
DoD
Flippin autocorrect got me.
this might explain the “rebranding” I’ve seen(Hines, Il)
For records (billing?) purposes:
“Va Treating Facility Name” was changed - same place, now different name.
“VA Treating Facility Name” was listed: “Edward Hines Junior Hospital”
It’s now listed as: “Great Lakes Healthcare System” and all the old records were rebranded to show the new name.
Sadly for you, Trump does have a LONG HISTORY of supporting vets.
That is most bureaucrats.
Once again it becomes obvious that this President (Emperor) is the most unfriendly President ever to the military, veterans and anyone else in uniform. All his professions of love are pure BS.
If a doctor doesn't get selected they don't get paid. In no time they'll start providing better service or they'll have to start flipping burgers... cause in the real world people don't put up with jerks who think they're Gods.
Let them function under the same incentive as private doctors.
And the administrators? Same thing... Doctors chose which 'hospitals' they put patients into - the bad ones don't get paid if no one wants to go there. In the real world Hospitals that are dreadful go under. Same should happen here.
Switch the incentives - the change would put the vets in the driver's seats and doctors as trusted professionals offering a 'service for pay.
Patients would go from 'charity cases ' to 'customers' in weeks... this whole mess would start changing.
How about hospitals having veteran wards or veteran centers attached to a hospital. Think out of the box...
While traveling through NM I stopped at the “VA” in Albuqurgue (sp) and it was actually the AF hospital. Got great treatment!
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