Comments on the VA Healthcare System
March 12, 2007 | General
First, let me start by saying that it is hard to characterize the system. It is too large and too fragmented to make really good general comments that apply to the entire system. Having said that, let me offer some general observations.
First, it is an old system of hospitals based mostly in large cities with the general attitude that veterans need to come to the hospital for treatment. This works best in the large cities that have good public transportation.
Second, it is way too political a system. The budget is always driven by what else is going on in the country, not by the true need. In today’s world it should be easy to know what it costs to treat veterans to good health card. If we are going to fight a war, we can figure out how many will suffer what type of wounds, who will need long term care, things like that, and then project what it will cost for the next however many years. A process like this would allow for a budgeting process that would reasonable cover future costs.
From what I have seen in 30+ years of dealing with the system on behalf of veterans is that care and treatment all depends on several factors. If a veteran has a service connected disability and can get to a hospital, generally the care is alright. If a veteran doesn’t have a service connected disability but needs care, the results are much more uncertain.
If you are a WWII vet, you get different care than if you are a Gulf War vet. Because of cost the VA system doesn’t provide the same criteria to qualify for care, not the same care if you get qualified.
The outpatient services tend to be the weaker part of the VA, partly because the VA never wanted to be an outpatient facility.
For years following Viet Nam, the VA refused to provide any treatment for PTSD outside of the facility. When congress finally made them provide outpatient facilities, they did what they could to make it difficult for these facilities to exist. The system is in bad need of a major overhaul, but to do that would cost money and so it just isn’t going to happen. Look at the new commission the president is appointing. Headed by two really great political people, but lets wait and see who the other members appointed will be, in order to have any credibility with me there has to be one or two common veterans on there who have a history of working to get veterans the health care they deserve.
cw
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Comment by JP March 19, 2007
It is important to know that Walter Reed is not a pat of the Veterans Administration Heath Care System. It is a U.S.Army Medical Center. Second while not all Va Hospitals is perfect, overall the VA is one of the very best healthcare systems in the U.S. at least according to Business Week report last year(July 17th, 2006). That being said, the number of patients being treated by Veterans Administration has double over past 10 years and the Bush administration has steadly cut funding and as a result, access and waiting times have suffered.
Comment by wmrx March 21, 2007
I would be aware that your facts about the Bush Administration cutting funds for Veterians are incorrect. In fact funding for Veterians has gone up under Bush more so than under Clinton.
For more details about this see this article.
http://www.factcheck.org/article144.html
Comment by Andrew Wyczykowski September 26, 2007
I have used the V.A. for over 12 years. I do not have any service connected disabilities. They take pretty good care of me and follow up because i have diabetes. My doctor friend at the VA told me that if it were not for alcohol and tobacco the v.a. would close down. When I have an appointment, I show up on time. I wait and wait. I know that I cannot be seen on time due to problems with other patients or emergencies. Many times in the waiting room, veteran’s take fits about not beein seen on time and raise hell with the staff. Many ignore the advice given, don’t take their medicines and are repeat customers for no good reason. I believe that many veterans are losers and would be even if they had never served one day in the service behind a desk. A lot of them are crybabies and ne’er do wells and the military was the best thing that every happened to them. When their tour is up, they are back in civilian life and lost. They get involved into PTSD and it is something that has spread on itself. I know men who were POW’s in Japanese and Italian camps who have gone on and let normal lives. They share my “crybaby” opinion about a lot of veterans. I realize that not everybody can be the same under stress or difficult situations but the veteran’s seem to like to complain about the V.A. I think they do a decent job. Its much better than having to pay for hospital care– a private hospital can drop you but the V.A. will take care of you if you are willing and honest and cooperate.
Comment by storm February 16, 2008
When all is said and done it’s time to start taking care of our own. We waste too much tax dollars sending medical and health help to other countries who don’t appreicated anyway. Let’s start taking care of our own.