Congress May Fix VA Hospitals By Merging Them With Military

dailycaller.com ^ | 2/15/2016 | Luke Rosiak

[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.

[TontoKowalski]

I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. I meant that the remedy for your situation has already been addressed... that is to provide veterans with access to any health care facility.

I did not mean to imply that it had already been accomplished.

Regrets for the misunderstanding, and thank you for your service.

[Rannug]

“Will the VA personnel then be subject to being deployed to a combat zone?”

Many of them have already been there.

[oh8eleven]

That is why they are permitting many (not all) non-service connected Veterans to get VA healthcare.
Yeah, you're right - the gubmint needs to stay as big as it can - the more the merrier.
But you're wrong about the VA not treating all vets ...

Basic Eligibility "If you served in the active military service and were separated under any condition other than dishonorable, you may qualify for VA health care benefits."

Once qualified, they stick you into one of 8 groups. Most groups are based on your income and net worth which determine your costs and co-pays ...

Priority Groups

[oh8eleven]

When I tried to fill my prescription under the new plan, my med was now going to be $1200 per month.
Why didn't you check your drug's cost with the new plan before you signed on?
   Also makes you wonder why drugs are so cheap via the gubmint ... and Canada for that matter.

[dsm69]

Thanks for the info. Didn’t know that all who served under honorable conditions for 2 years (post 1980 service) or reservists/guardsmen who were activated for Federal service other than training were eligible for VA Healthcare.

I thought that the non-service connected Veterans had to be low income (income at or below poverty level with annual means testing), in receipt of a VA pension or totally disabled (not due to service) to be seen by the VA.

[rktman]

LOL! I kinda knew what was coming and the other medical coverage was fairly similar to the employer program I was on and was about $250/mth less expensive. I had a possiblity of getting a “discount” card from the maker but when I tried to use it (after being assured we were good to go)-——denied. My income is a a higher dollar amount than their upper limit ‘allows’. Not by a lot but still above it. Anyway, we truck on. Not a life threatening issue but certainly a quality of life issue.