I am not an advocate for the VA as it now stands. However, “free” is not free. The typical way government “fixes” things is similar to what they do for medicare - simply set reimbursements below the actual cost - requiring medical providers to raise the price on everybody else - or simply refuse medicare patients (which is becoming more frequent)
“Free to government-entitled patients” is the way to destroy the private medical infrastructure that is supposedly the savior of the VA - and also make it more unaffordable for everyone. It is also the way to make it unavailable to many veterans that need it (if the same model is used by government) because there will be fewer (if any) providers willing to provide care at a loss in some locations.
Somewhere, somehow cost must be managed. The VA does it now by simply requiring extended wait times and providing poor service in far too many cases.
There is no “FREE” ever.
We can pretend that we can provide “free” care to the old, veterans, disabled, indigent, or whomever, but there are so many people getting “free” now that there aren’t enough folks left to pay for it all.
We are now at the point where folks that pay can’t afford the deductibles should they attempt to get medical care that they supposedly are paying for. How long do you think they will continue to pay? Where will anyone go to get “free” care when those that used to pay stop paying for your care, in favor of paying for their own care?
I wish you good health in the new year.
I’m not saying free just pay the cost of my supplement to medicare. I will pay the cost of medicare and any deductibles. It is important that in any medical plan the patient must have some skin in the game, otherwise he abuses the system.