When I retired from the military 20 years ago, I was encouraged to sign up with the VA.
I didn’t do so because I didn’t want my health to be put in the hands of those quacks and butchers. I’d rather have the opportunity to be able to choose for myself.
This just serves to make me doubly glad I didn’t make the mistake of signing up for VA “healthcare”
Those quacks and butchers as you referred to them have helped a lot of people. It’s nice you have the money to go to top shelf doctors.
I have no complaints with VA. Around my area they are pretty good.
The VA recently opened up a medical center in my little N. GA city a few months ago. It was well-received and is always busy, and it is needed to support scarce medical resources here.
I’m a veteran (68-76) and I suppose that I could have considered the VA as an alternative or supplemental resource for medical needs, but fortunately insurance and Medicare seem to be working fine. There are plenty of veterans in my area who are not as fortunate, and I think the VA plays a key role in ameliorating that. In short, we are lucky to have that center.
I know very few retirees who go through the VA Health System.
They usually choose Tricare and then go to Tricare for life when they reach Medicare age.
Normally people who do not retire from the military and have some causative disability go thru the VA for some of their stuff unless they’re situated financially in a better place, a lot of those people who leave the forces aren’t in a better place and they need some help which is one if the reasons why the VA exist.