I’m a military retiree and I’ve never used the VA. My service was during the post-Vietnam era (1981-2001), so I’m rated as category eight, the last group they’ll treat before they start rounding up civilians on the street.
Between TriCare and my state employee health program, I have very good medical coverage and I’m also enrolled in the federal long-term care plan. However, the VA needs to be fixed for the millions of vets who have earned the benefit and want to use that system. But the best solution may be some sort of voucher system that vets can use in the private market. With that sort of option, many of the veterans who died waiting for care in Phoenix—and elsewhere—would still be with us.
One more thing: I think the VA needs some sort of means testing. I have a former co-worker who’s a retired O-5 (spent 27 years on active duty), so he’s covered by TriCare. Additionally, he spent 27 years as federal employee, so he has that benefit as well, along with Medicare. But for any type of exam or procedure, he runs down to the VA because it’s “free.” And as a Vietnam-era vet who was on the same base with agent orange aircraft (but played no role in that operation), he is priority one for VA care.
Obviously, my former co-worker has multiple healthcare options. Getting guys like him out of the system would open up more space for vets who have no other alternatives.
One more note: at some point, the VA (and Congress) are going to have to deal with the rash of phony PTSD claims that are now flodding the system. I spoke with a recently-retired Army officer and he estimates 70-80% of retiring/separating service members are filing a PTSD claim because it’s “free money.” Sadly, a lot of the phonies get approved while vets who actually suffer from PTSD wait months or even years for a ruling on their claim.
I have another former colleague with a 70% disability rating based on broken leg he suffered in jump training and PTSD, despite the fact he spent 2/3 of his career as a recruiter. These are the types of “cases” that are clogging the system; couple those with an incompetent/corrupt VA staff, and you’ve got the breeding ground for the current crisis.
When anything is labeled as “free”, corruption is already part of the “free” DNA.
Irony
Having to self pay for surgery to remove a 35 yr old piece of schrapnel the Army left in 35 years ago after a tumor decided to grow around it. Couldn’t get a VA surgery date less than 11 months out.
Your post makes a lot of sense. WE can point to the VA being a large government run system as a cause for a lot of problems.
The government responds to the public calling for care for PTSD.
Retired field officers with post retiree professions are eligible for care, I guess, if they have service connected disabilities.
Here’s another aspect - I am aware of a particular clinic at the VA. THey run classes for patients who suffer from a particular chronic illness. Every two weeks they have an elaborate seminar with all kinds of well seasoned educated medical providers set up for 35 or so patients. They are to follow through by taking care of themselves where they can, and to call on community resources.
Every two weeks they find what every other such clinic in the VA finds, according to the operating instruction- that 50% of patients show up.
Same with appointments. Patients No Show constantly with no sanctions worth anything. There’s nothing that can be done. THey are threatened with being cut off but the VA won’t cut off vets from care.
Patients themselves, in this exemplary case, abuse resources tremendously.
It makes one otherwise healthy, take care of yourself kind of guy going In for bloodwork look like a contributor.
So it is that it is a huge system. And it needs some tweaking, to say the least, but it will continue, so the Pres and his minions can figure it out, or the next pres can do so.
But Obamacare is this system on steroids.
The VA does have financial means testing, as well as what sort of service the veteran has rendered (combat, etc), that determine the range of benefits he/she can receive.
There is a means test for VA coverage already. You can’t earn over $32 or 33,000 a years to qualify. If your former co-worker earns too much money, he’s gaming the system somehow. If he has other third-party insurance, they should be sharing in the costs He appears to being doing what he’s doing because he can get away with it. Maybe he doesn’t ever look at himself in the mirror in the morning or else he’d be too ashamed too take for free, what he could otherwise afford to pay for.
It’s people like him that screw it up for the ones that really qualify and need the coverage for their healthcare.