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 ...
This suggestion from the same people who closed dozens of US military hospitals and clinics to save money. When I got to Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center as a Medical Law Consultant, we had 792 beds. By the time I left, we were down to 183 beds. A couple of years ago, they converted Big Willie to a “super clinic” and now all the beds are at SAMMC (formerly BAMC)and they’re tearing down what’s left of WHMC.
I retired in January after 30 years. I knew it was time when the same “great new ideas” came around for the third time.
Col, USAFR (ret)
LOL! My primary at the VA “warned” me that the dermo doc would tell me to “put some ointment on it.”. And basically that’s what happened. The dermo doc “doesn’t care for biologic” drugs so unless the rhemo doc prescribes it for me, no go. The primary won’t do it because it’s “outside his scope.” I’d been on the same med for 8 years on the outside with no ill effects. Second opinion? Only one dermo and my opinion of him is he’s an ass. LOL!
When are we going to learn that “Government” cannot “run” or “manage” ANYTHING. The 50 million dollar $500,000 dollar gas station being but one of thousands of examples.
The “governments” role is to propose and put in place a policy. That “policy” regarding the VA should be “privatization”. Period.
Reduce “management” 10% each year. If anyone complains or underperforms fire them. Fire those who are incompetent. Eliminate civil service protections.
What about providing reimbursement to regular hospitals to take care of the vets and sending all the uninsured illegals to the VA hospitals.
Part 1, yes, I stated portability needs to be addressed.
Part 2, no. Uninsured illegals should not be provided government benefits in my mind.
I wish McDill would get this message. We recently had to move my in-laws from the DC area down to Florida. He is 90 years old, a 33-year Navy vet (chaplain) who retired with the rank of Captain. He and his wife were patients at Rader Clinic at Fort Myer. We were told by the McDill clinic that base doctors no longer see retirees because of the need to focus on active duty. The inlaws have the Tricare for Life, thankfully. However, we can't get prescriptions filled at any military clinic other than McDill, which is a 30 minute drive. There is a Coast Guard clinic right down the street, but they told us they were no longer filling retiree prescriptions. I had been filling their Rx's at the Fairfax family clinic where I could pick them up without having to go on base myself.
All of this is not necessarily a bad thing, as we have found excellent care for them, and I get the prescriptions at Walmart or through the mail. It is just the first time for them to be totally outside the military system. They both have dementia, so it's only me that had to manage their transition to civilian care. But it was a learning process, for sure.
“VA hospitals should be run by the military.”
Agreed. And I would add, we should blue hat all military docs so they can serve any service anywhere...
*** I love the voices on this thread. Thank you all.
No matter WHAT they do the issue will NOT be fixed.
They seldom if EVER actually FIX anything, or make it better.
They simply redesign it to the benefit of their "special interest' com padres.
Hopefully the change will happen soon. Sadly, Coast Guard clinics only have a pharmacy if they have a pharmacist - and those are few and far between.
Best wishes with the in-laws.
Will the VA personnel then be subject to being deployed to a combat zone?
Sounds about right but I just know them as MHICM.
I am not in the same area as my relative so I have to rely on them for day to day things, case management, and emergency phone calls from me saying something is going on please go check. He is 100% mentally VA disabled but I do know some of the people in the program are not 100%.
A merger won’t fix anything.
In government, it almost never does.
Thanks for the ping. Tricare-for-Life is good. I hope they don’t mess with it.
If the VA only treats service connected Veterans, then they would have to close a good number of VA Medical facilities (hospitals and clinics) due to the rapidly shrinking and aging Veteran population (28.5 million in 1980 to roughly 19.3 million in 2014). Roughly half the 19.3 million Veterans are over 65.
Veteran Population Census data 1980-2000
In 2014, there was roughly 3.8 million Service Connected Veterans with ratings ranging from 0% to 100% (1.1 million rated at 70% or higher). In FY 2014, 9.1'million Veterans were enrolled in VA healthcare and 5.9 million used VA Healthcare during FY 2014.
Number of Veterans using VA healthcare
You can't justify keeping the VA healthcare system at its present size if you limit access to Service Connected Veterans only. That is why they are permitting many (not all) non-service connected Veterans to get VA healthcare. With the rapidly shrinking Veteran population, they either have to see more Veteran patients or start closing many VA facilities, further restricting access for Veterans to VA Healthcare
No. Best fix is to get rid of the VA health system altogether. Allow us Veterans to get health care when and where we need it. The VA can be our insurance.
That would solve so much waste.
95 miles here. Who wants to go to Cleveland anyway?
Jesus Cristo, The VA is already overcrowded. New, larger, facilities? Nope. Let me choose my doctor, 15 mile drive, rather than 95. I have no complaints about the VA care, but I don’t like the time involved.
” treatment for veterans outside the range of military hospitals has already been addressed.”
Good luck getting enrolled in that program. I have been trying, unsuccessfully, for months. I just don’t like that 95 mile, one way, drive any longer.
” than someone who claims PTSD that is impossible to verify.”
Bull shlt too.
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