Posted on 08/09/2021 6:47:03 PM PDT by blueplum
After the longest war in our country’s history, the United States is on the verge of ending its open involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.
As we wind down these wars, our nation owes a great debt to those who volunteered to serve. Our technology, politics, and culture look a lot different than they did 20 years ago, and our Veterans Affairs should look different too. Our country’s newer veterans need an adaptable, agile, and flexible VA to meet their needs.
However, the VA has shown it is neither adaptable nor flexible despite Congress approving new authorities and massive increases in funding. Our veterans can now return home to take a number and wait in an exhaustive line to ask for help, only to then be rewarded with a never-ending maze of VA bureaucracy.
In fact, Secretary Denis McDonough recently confirmed there is a backlog of nearly 20 million appointments..
...As the pandemic raged throughout the U.S., the VA, understandably, limited in-person appointments, as did countless hospitals and medical facilities across the country. But while most hospitals adapted quickly to figure out ways to serve their patients, the VA continued to cancel or postpone appointments.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
Plenty of doctors available in every town. Breaking free of the VA system is like getting out of the public schools.
Any vet with a service connected disability is always first in line, and often same day service.
And they get the best care available anywhere.
Those over 50% disability get platinum care always.
That’s the PURPOSE of VA medical care.
Everyone else is “space available”.
Why is this no longer a problem?
You are correct, us less disabled guys go to the back of the bus, but that is usually pretty fair.
Where I live there are no VA medical centers, so all my medical is handled by Civilians, My VA doctor just writes or calls in referrals. I generally only see my VA doctor for yearly physicals and blood tests. VA can be slow on referrals, but as I’m also on Medicare, they are about the same speed.
My Medicare GP is a quack, my VA GP is an ER DO and very through. I only go to Medicare for the little stuff, non-emergency, but has to be done today, like stitches and things like that.
Outside of Trump era, illegal aliens were treated better by this government than our military veterans.
Many decades ago VA medical care was for fully retired (20+years) service personnel and for those who retired on disability. When did the VA become the go to medical care for every veteran who ever served?
A lot of it becomes the only primary care and Emergency Care once you get at least a 50% disability rating. All Health Care at the VA is free once you get the 50% disability rating. I am presently at 9 70% disabled, 70% combined.
VA would be my provider of last resort. Fortunately I have a real doctor and can make an appointment quickly and easily with one phone call directly to the front desk.
When there are hundreds of vets with a service connected disability looking for treatment every day you're going to have to make an appointment or wait in a very long line.
Retired personnel were promised lifetime medical care through the military, not the VA. They are two different systems.
“When did the VA become the go to medical care for every veteran who ever served?”
They can get in line if they want.
But we won’t put up with any bitching.
No they are not. The VA calls me at 3:57, and when I call them back, their hours are over. They don’t return my calls. Or, they send me a letter in the mail stating they called me (they never do). I call them, they don’t answer.
Last time I was at the VA, my doctor said she would refer me to see a specialist. When I called to make the appointment, she never did the referral. I transferred to another VA and I can’t get an appointment to see my doctor.
When I speak to my doctor at the VA about my issues, she pretends to listen and then just says well that’s just too bad. Two times the VA has lost my paperwork. The first time it was lost for a year after I was out of the military in 2014. A year later they found it in someone else’s file, but it took a year for me to get my basic disability appointment after I was out. This was in Cleveland. When I moved to Indianapolis, the same thing happened and I had to call the wounded warrior project to have them help me get my first appointment at the Indy VA. When I was in the military I was given an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, and I was part of the group of people where the va’s across the country weren’t cleaning the tubes. While I was in the military the VA threatened to sterilize me because I didn’t want to go on to birth control. After looking through my medical record the VA has also listed me as a smoker, even though I’ve never picked up a cigarette in my life.
Whoever you are count your lucky stars, because I know lots of people who have had situations the same as me. I knew a woman who after giving birth was sewn up incorrectly. I had another friend who the VA accidentally sterilized. Lucky you, and good thing you’re not a womaan who has to go to the VA because your service corrected disabilities are so expensive if you can’t afford it out of pocket or on your insurance.
A 20,000,000 appointment backlog yet we have money to ship people who hopped our border illegally to God only knows where on busses and airplanes.
Our government is insane.
And they hate us.
L
What tier are you in?
And some disabilities are not allowed to be over a certain percentage regardless of how bad your medical condition is. Not every “service connected disability” is from service. I know of MEN who are above 50 for things like they got hurt out in town in non military related things. Other disabilities, even if it’s the militarys fault- like Gulf War syndrome, are very difficult for people to get diagnosed.
A lot of the VA is reserved for old men. Young veterans and women go to the back of the bus.
“While I was in the military the VA threatened to sterilize me because I didn’t want to go on to birth control.”
Unbelievable.
VA has no influence over the care of active duty military.
I had a VA appointment from May, scheduled for tomorrow. It has been rescheduled for next month :P
The VA Care in my area is excellent. I’m able to see a specialist within two weeks in most cases. My physician give me all the time I need and is very through. The only problem with my Dr. is that everyone likes him, so it does take time to get in to see him.
I hate hearing from other Vets that get substandard care.
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