VETERANS ADMINISTRATION REFORMS THAT WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN (Trump Position Paper)

Trump Campaign Website ^ | October 31, 2016 | Domald J. Trump

[smoothsailing]

October 31, 2015

Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again

The Goals Of Donald J. Trump's Veterans Plan

The current state of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is absolutely unacceptable. Over 300,000 veterans died waiting for care. Corruption and incompetence were excused. Politicians in Washington have done too little too slowly to fix it. This situation can never happen again, and when Donald J. Trump is president, it will be fixed – fast.

The guiding principle of the Trump plan is ensuring veterans have convenient access to the best quality care. To further this principle, the Trump plan will decrease wait times, improve healthcare outcomes, and facilitate a seamless transition from service into civilian life.

The Trump Plan Will:

1. Ensure our veterans get the care they need wherever and whenever they need it. No more long drives. No more waiting for backlogs. No more excessive red tape. Just the care and support they earned with their service to our country.
2. Support the whole veteran, not just their physical health care, but also by addressing their invisible wounds, investing in our service members’ post-active duty success, transforming the VA to meet the needs of 21^st century service members, and better meeting the needs of our female veterans.
3. Make the VA great again by firing the corrupt and incompetent VA executives who let our veterans down, by modernizing the VA, and by empowering the doctors and nurses to ensure our veterans receive the best care available in a timely manner.

The Trump Plan Gives Veterans The Freedom To Choose And Forces The VA To Compete For Their Dollars

Politicians in Washington have tried to fix the VA by holding hearings and blindly throwing money at the problem. None of it has worked. In fact, wait times were 50% higher this summer than they were a year ago. That’s because the VA lacks the right leadership and management. It’s time we stop trusting Washington politicians to fix the problems and empower our veterans to vote with their feet.

Under a Trump Administration, all veterans eligible for VA health care can bring their veteran's ID card to any doctor or care facility that accepts Medicare to get the care they need immediately. Our veterans have earned the freedom to choose better or more convenient care from the doctor and facility of their choice. The power to choose will stop the wait time backlogs and force the VA to improve and compete if the department wants to keep receiving veteran's healthcare dollars. The VA will become more responsive to veterans, develop more efficient systems, and improve the quality of care because it will have no other choice.

The Trump Plan Treats The Whole Veteran

We must care for the whole veteran, not just their physical health. We must recognize that today’s veterans have very different needs than those of the Greatest Generation.

The Trump Plan Will:

1. Increase funding for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury and suicide prevention services to address our veteran's invisible wounds. Service members are five times more likely to develop depression than civilians. They are almost fifteen times more likely to develop PTSD than civilians. This funding will help provide more and better counseling and care. More funding will also support research on best practices and state of the art treatments to keep our veterans alive, healthy and whole. With these steps, the Trump plan will help the veteran community put the unnecessary stigma surrounding mental health behind them and instead encourage acceptance and treatment in our greater society.
2. Increase funding for job training and placement services (including incentives for companies hiring veterans), educational support and business loans. All Americans agree that we must do everything we can to help put our service men and women on a path to success as they leave active duty by collaborating with the many successful non-profit organizations that are already helping. Service members have learned valuable skills in the military but many need help understanding how to apply those skills in civilian life. Others know how to apply those skills but need help connecting with good jobs to support their families. Still others have an entrepreneurial spirit and are ready to start creating jobs and growing the economy. The Trump plan will strengthen existing programs or replace them with more effective ones to address these needs and to get our veterans working.
3. Transform the VA to meet the needs of 21^st century service members. Today’s veterans have very different needs than those of the generations that came before them. The VA must adapt to meet the needs of this generation of younger, more diverse veterans. The Trump plan will expand VA services for female veterans and ensure the VA is providing the right support for this new generation of veterans.
4. Better support our women veterans. The fact that many VA hospitals don’t permanently staff OBGYN doctors shows an utter lack of respect for the growing number female veterans. Under the Trump plan, every VA hospital in the country will be fully equipped with OBGYN and other women's health services. In addition, women veterans can always choose a different OBGYN in their community using their veteran’s ID card.

The Trump Plan Will Make The VA Great Again

The VA health care program is a disaster. Some candidates want to get rid of it, but our veterans need the VA to be there for them and their families. That’s why the Trump plan will:

1. Fire the corrupt and incompetent VA executives that let our veterans down. Under a Trump Administration, there will be no job security for VA executives that enabled or overlooked corruption and incompetence. They’re fired. New leadership will focus the VA staff on delivering timely, top quality care and other services to our nation’s veterans. Under a Trump Administration, exposing and addressing the VA's inefficiencies and shortcomings will be rewarded, not punished.
2. End waste, fraud and abuse at the VA. The Trump plan will ensure the VA is spending its dollars wisely to provide the greatest impact for veterans and hold administrators accountable for irresponsible spending and abuse. The days of $6.3 million for statues and fountains at VA facilities and $300,000 for a manager to move 140 miles are over. The Trump plan will clean up the VA's finances so the current VA budget provides more and better care than it does now.
3. Modernize the VA. A VA with 20^th century technology cannot serve 21^st century service members and their needs. The VA has been promising to modernize for years without real results. The Trump plan will make it happen by accelerating and expanding investments in state of the art technology to deliver best-in-class care quickly and effectively. All veterans should be able to conveniently schedule appointments, communicate with their doctors, and view accurate wait times with the push of a button.
4. Empower the caregivers to ensure our veterans receive quality care quickly. Caregivers should be able to easily streamline treatment plans across departments and utilize telehealth tools to better serve their patients. As we have seen from the private sector, the potential for new, innovative technology is endless. Abandoning the wasteful and archaic mindset of the public sector will give way to tremendously effective veteran healthcare.
5. Hire more veterans to care for veterans. The more veterans we have working at the VA, the better the VA will be. They understand the unique challenges facing their community. To increase the number of veterans hired by the VA, this plan will add an additional 5 points to the qualifying scores of veterans applying for VA jobs.
6. Embed satellite VA clinics in rural and other underserved areas. The Trump Administration will embed satellite VA clinics within hospitals and other care facilities in rural and other underserved areas. This step will ensure veterans have easy access to care and local hospitals and care facilities can handle the influx of patients without backlogs while tapping the specialized knowledge of VA health specialists.

[sitetest]

You have no argument. That’s okay.

[sitetest]

Why would think I approve of such “economic stimulus”? That’s a non sequiter. I’m consistent. I oppose crony capitalism whether it’s the current regime or the next.

[smoothsailing]

There’s no argument to be had with you. That’s OK, too.

I took the time to go back and read some of your recent posts. I was saddened to hear of your health problems. I will pray for you, and will not trouble you further.

[smoothsailing]

This is my favorite! My source says the crowd just kept on coming.

[sitetest]

Thank you for your prayers. I very much appreciate them.

I would like to think that even if we back different candidates, we are still conservatives together. I prefer Cruz. By a very long mile. I honestly don’t think trump will be a good president. I have looked at his proposals of which I am aware. I expressed initial approval of the tax plan. I really like a top rate of 15%. Although there’s still the payroll tax. But you can’t have everything. Sounds great to me! But I was ultimately disappointed that I saw no plan to cut spending. Just a bunch of vague generalities. On the other hand I like Cruz’s 10% rate, but I’m not crazy about the business tax, because it’s really a VAT. But at least the entire plan almost pays for itself. And no payroll tax!!

trump’s tax plan was pretty specific. I like that. But not the plan to pay for it. I very much dislike that.

I looked at the 2nd Amendment stuff. It was good, but standard fare for a Republican candidate. So I haven’t commented on it.

This plan for the VA is flawed, as I have pointed out.

[free_life]

I should have known better than try logic with you considering your bull on thread after thread.

You throw around terms you read somewhere and don’t have a clue what they actually refer to. You can’t even connect the dots in your criticism of Trump’s plan to help Vets and treat them with the respect they deserve.

The Vets deserve better than your useless words to attack Trump because he is killing whoever it is you favor for the nomination. Grow up...pee off!

From now on I will think of you as someone who cares not for our Vets as you use their mistreatment to try to make BS political points on FR.

Thank you Donald trump for making our Vets and their mistreatment a top issue in this nomination process and the coming election and for real solutions to the problem.

[Jane Long]

Joining with ss...with heartfelt prayers.

[Jane Long]

Thank you Donald trump for making our Vets and their mistreatment a top issue in this nomination process and the coming election and for real solutions to the problem.

---

Amen, amen!!

[CHISEL32]

I’m convinced based on previous elections that if we split our vote between Cruz and Trump we will once again have an establishment nominee. The establishment is very good about getting their guys nominated. Because while we split our vote between 2-4 people they get 1 guy and once he starts rolling into the lead the rank and file Republicans get behind the establishment nominee and it ends any chance of Conservatives getting their pick. I’m OK with Cruz supporters right now but once the primaries hit we need to unite around the conservative who is on top that way the rank and file will see our guy winning and join them. I’m a Trump guy and I believe he will turn out new voters and disaffected voters and win over past “Reagan” Democrats and will beat Hillary solidly. I like Cruz but I don’t see him doing that.

[Jane Long]

Amazing!!!

Thank you dear ss, for posting this fantastic pic. Warms my heart to see this great turn-out...of what I imagine is mostly our dear vets.

Trump sees these crowds and knows that we’re desperately seeking a leader who will turn this mess around, for our dear vets and our country. He’s heeding a divine call, imo.

[RoosterRedux]

And Amen again.

Don't waste time on those who are bitter because their beloved candidate can't get traction.

I was recently banned from posting for a few hours for doing that.

Resolved to stay away from that person (and those like her) going forward.

Take the high road and avoid the trash.;-)

[smoothsailing]

Don't waste time on those who are bitter because their beloved candidate can't get traction.

Excellent Advice!!! 8^)

[smoothsailing]

My friend who was there estimated the crowd size at around 3,000 with people continuing to show up well after it started. He said you couldn’t turn around without bumping into a veteran!

[sitetest]

Again, no actual argument. You got nothing.

[sitetest]

Thank you for your prayers. I really appreciate them. I also appreciate all the people who initially saved my life, and who continually save my lifr. All the doctors, all the nurses, all the techs, all the hospital aides, my dietician, all the other healthcare professionals.

And most importantly I am greatly appreciative of the medical pioneer who invented the technology that keeps me alive. The fellow who invented the device that saves my life weekly developed on his own, with his own resources, in spite of an oppressive government regime.

There is a place for government in medicine, but it is seldom the main driver of medical progress when it leads the charge. There are reasons for that, and it would be nice to get past “you’re a basher” and talk about why I believe what I believe. And why you may believe differently.

[djstex]

Trump all the way.

[djstex]

Great post and thanks!

[Catsrus]

Any and all plans are subject to tweaking. That’s why they are called plans and not policies.

[Jane Long]

I’m serious....and genuine about the prayers.

Your story sounds amazing...more than I can begin to imagine. What a blessing.

We can agree to disagree, without disparaging each other...or, each other’s candidates ;-)

[Catsrus]

Great Photo op. I really can’t see any of the other candidates standing this tall as CIC. He looks like a president.