Posted on 12/29/2016 1:23:17 AM PST by ARGLOCKGUY
President-elect Donald Trump is considering moving the Department of Veterans Affairs toward privatization, a transition team official said Wednesday, a policy decision major veterans’ groups have said they would oppose.
(Excerpt) Read more at wsj.com ...
Never understood why it wasn’t that way in the first place. Vets should carry a card just like any other insurance coverage. And every doctor would take it because the government would pick up the tab just like the GI bill said they would. No need for a separate system, with separate facilities for vets. Well, I guess I lied - I do understand the government just wanted another bureaucracy to run our lives.
VA care varies, outpatient care I have had has been been good.
Inpatient/surgical I have heard a great deal of issues about, I would not go there for that.
The VA had privatized systems in Alaska and Hawaii for years until the VA built facilities in those states. Worked great for Vets and the local medical communities, but it was expensive.
The VA does not build facilities to provide access for patients. It builds them to restrict access to those benefits.
With updated cost controls similar to Tricare, a privatized system is the right thing to do nationwide.
Plus, if the government builds ANYTHING it’s triple the cost.
makes sense to me, jim
GOOD, bad part is you’d still have Tricare Prime and Life regs no matter the route. We are Tricare Life with Medicare, so 2 hoops to jump threw. 2 different budgets to pay out of.
Not all procedures are covered by either. Even if the procedure is medically necessary, if it is considered a cosmetic procedure neither will cover it. Been down this road to DOD MANDATES ALL TRICARE LIFE use Military base or Express Scripts (FRAUD ALERT) for all daily meds, or you pay full retail. Only exception is a 1 time fill of a trial or an antibiotic med. Then not all pharmacies will take Tricare Life. Walgreen’s doesn’t. To low to slow reimbursement.
The stupid VA Cap should not include a Military Pension and SS and spouses SS. It is set at $38 K per service member. Disability is the best way to go if you can connect it to service. That part is not Fed Income taxed. You still get the same amount in pension, just 2 checks. 1 taxable 1 not.
With government unions fighting this, passage will not be easy. AFGE. etal will fight, fight, fight....
Tricare comes under DOD regs and out of their budget. Lots of restrictions. 2014 all daily meds started coming from Military Base or Express Scripts FRAUD ALERT do not give them your credit or bank auto withdrawal have them bill you. 1 month for a paper script to be filled 2 weeks for refills. Base fills, but you call Pensacola for refills 5 days early. Not all meds are on their Formulary, depends on the size of your base. Any med not on the list comes from ES. Good luck with them. Your meds are just shoved in your mail box regardless of retail cost or if they are temp sensitive. You have to call for our area Pensacola for refills 5 days early, ES is 2 weeks early. Some drugs need paper scripts DEA law. Lots of docs have issue trying to script for 90 day fills, and refills, and anything that is on the DEA list is either 30 days, with 2 refills, or a new script monthly with CHRONIC PAIN written on it. These are all paper scripts, no E Script. 1 ER Script can be done at a local pharmacy.
Our base hospital and medical shut down when we went from a training base to BUPERS paper pushers. So every one uses private docs and hospitals, unless they are VA certified. Which is hard to get. So active duty use Champus, Retired use Tricare Prime or Life depending on age. Over 65 it’s Life + Medicare. Prime example of Socialized Med with restrictions and regs from both providers. Not all med needs are covered either.
YES, you hit the nail on the head. We have been dunned for services because the provider didn’t file on time. Tough, they can’t come after you DOD and Medicare Regs have built in time tables. It is the providers responsibility to get your info at time of service.
GOOD, bad part is you’d still have Tricare Prime and Life regs no matter the route. We are Tricare Life with Medicare, so 2 hoops to jump threw. 2 different budgets to pay out of.
Not all procedures are covered by either. Even if the procedure is medically necessary, if it is considered a cosmetic procedure neither will cover it. Been down this road to DOD MANDATES ALL TRICARE LIFE use Military base or Express Scripts (FRAUD ALERT) for all daily meds, or you pay full retail. Only exception is a 1 time fill of a trial or an antibiotic med. Then not all pharmacies will take Tricare Life. Walgreen’s doesn’t. To low to slow reimbursement.
The stupid VA Cap should not include a Military Pension and SS and spouses SS. It is set at $38 K per service member. Disability is the best way to go if you can connect it to service. That part is not Fed Income taxed. You still get the same amount in pension, just 2 checks. 1 taxable 1 not.
Trump will not do this against the advice of the VFW, AL, and DAV.
He would be nuts if he did.
“Good and those who oppose this, are either nuts or making money off it; perhaps both.”
That’s a pretty harsh accusation to make against the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion and Disabled American Veterans.
Would you like to take it back?
I think I disagree, but since you didn’t write your post in English, I’m not sure.
“There are some things the VA does that are most efficiently done there(because they have the volume) - traumatic brain injury, PTSD, research into prosthetics are several examples.”
And, they do it best.
And for these and a few other special cases all the VSOs insist the VA must continue as a viable delivery organization.
But there are IDIOTS on this forum who continue to push for a dismantling of the VA and turning it all over to private insurance.
“Even those concentrated specialties would be better off in the hands of a few competing private providers.”
Are you claiming some knowledge of these matters? Certainly you are insinuating the VFW and DAV are not acting in the best interests of their members.
When you actually know jack shit about the matter.
You’d do well to STFU and learn.
The Veterans groups in opposition are VFW, American Legion and DAV.
Then they need to hear the plans and how it will be BETTER. That hasn’t been explained, yet.
The govt is for defense and courts. Everything else can go private.
Every vet I have talked to at the Sacramento VA claims it’s the best medical care they have received in their entire lives, inclusive of active duty.
There are several other VA facilities with such accolades.
Does anyone have to know more than a) the horrific record of the VA hospitals that has come to light especially in the last year or so? and b) that pretty much anything, including healthcare, is better off in other than government hands.
Private sector hospitals develop their own concentrations and specialties—there is nothing special about that with the VA system.
If you’re such a socialist that you would condemn vets to VA hospital care, what are you doing on this board?
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