Acting head of VA says agency needs $17.6 billion to fix problems

Los Angeles Times ^ | 07/16/2014 | REBECCA BRATEK

[SeekAndFind]

The Department of Veterans Affairs needs $17.6 billion in additional funds over the next three years to meet patients’ needs and fix the troubled agency’s problems, its acting director said Wednesday.

Testifying for the first time on Capitol Hill, interim VA Secretary Sloan Gibson told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that the money would help VA medical centers decrease appointment waiting times and hire more doctors.

But the request divided lawmakers. Democrats, including Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, supported the appeal, while Republicans, including Sen. Mike Johanns of Nebraska, questioned whether VA care would improve if it received additional funding.

“This sounds so similar to what we’ve heard over the years,” Johanns said, adding that the committee had routinely met previous VA requests for additional funding.

“If you can’t clean up your act, then guess what? You lose out,” he said. “I don’t think you need more billions and billions of dollars.”

[TurboZamboni]

I wonder what department is going to be the next to ran out of money...

SSDI part of Sosh Security.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/social-security-disability-trust-fund-projected-to-run-out-of-cash-by-2016/2012/05/30/gJQA3AfH1U_story.html

FEDGUVINC planfor everything:run deficit,raise taxes,rinse,repeat.

[longtermmemmory]

17.6 billion divided by the number of veterans means how much per veteran?

they could (used to) be able to buy private insurance to do a better job at that amount.

how much of the 17.6 billion is political campaign contribution kickbacks to politicians? (paging huey long, paging huey long...)

[SeekAndFind]

RE: SSDI part of Sosh Security.

When ( not if, but when ) we ever reach that milestone where even SS needs to ask for more money, America as a country is DONE FOR.

That one will need TENS OF TRILLIONS ( not Billions ).

[montanajoe]

“17.6 billion divided by the number of veterans means how much per veteran?”

880 bucks...

[montanajoe]

Pal..you need to revisit math.

The VA provides excellent care for the majority of veterans at a cost the tax payer can afford. Fighting to make the system so expensive that the tax payer cannot afford it is well..just dumb

[stevie_d_64]

Ummmmmmm, no...

The VA is due to have its budget doubled in the next fiscal year starting at the beginning of the next quarter...

I heard they are going from a current budget of about $84 billion, to about $154 billion this next fiscal year...

I say they have enough...Way more than enough to fix this, and have much left over to take care of the Vets even more...

But hey, what do I know...

[stevie_d_64]

I would agree with that in some cases...It is a regional issue with the horrific substandard and much delayed care being afforded to veterans...

In some areas it is good care, timely service, and not a lot of controversy...

[Joe 6-pack]

"...they did put in a new helo pad out front that so far has only been used once by a transfer crew that walked across the street to Long John Silvers for lunch."

In all fairness, LJS does make some pretty good chow....

[pepsionice]

I could do one better than the voucher-program.

Flip all vets to the MEDICARE program....put them into a class called MED-I-VET, and just let the guy use his local resources in his town or county. Ensure all rehab treatment is fully paid up to the level required because of injuries, and let the MEDICARE program function as it does currently.

The VA has been a failure since day one of 1930-era. Why not admit it was fixed to funnel gov’t cash into special hospitals in each state, and to be a “gift” in some ways to each state. So, dismantle that part and just do away with the “gift” deal. Let the Vet pick his clinic or doctor....and clear out the VA entirely.