Congress puts Veterans in eight different priority groups to receive V.A. health care.

[pwb]

http://www.va.gov/healthbenefits/resources/priority_groups.asp

Congress created these priority groups and the V.A had to implement it.

Now they wonder why some Veterans are having problems gaining access to V.A. health care. Maybe they should look in the mirror for who is to blame for the current alleged problems in the V.A. Eight classes of Veterans definitely helped create the problem. Congress should put all Veterans in one category, Veteran, period.

I see my primary care doctor at the V.A. every six months. If I have a problem between appointments I can usually get in to see my doctor within days. I would rate my care at the V.A. as excellent every step of the way.

Veterans have to make the system work for them and if they do it works well. Not all
Veterans can do this on their own but there is help available to them by Veteran organizations and patient advocates in the V.A.

[global1]

1. Why Haven't We Heard About These Priority Groups Before?....

The first line of the above provided link is:

'The number of Veterans who can be enrolled in the health care program is determined by the amount of money Congress gives VA each year. Since funds are limited, VA set up Priority Groups to make sure that certain groups of Veterans are able to be enrolled before others.'

Congress has no problem of money going for paying for wars - but has a problem with the amount of money Congress gives the VA for the Vets that fight these wars. Something is wrong with this picture. Seems to me that when a war is approved by Congress and monies expended - some percentage of those monies should automatically go to the VA to pay for the men & women who get injured and maimed in those wars - physically or psychologically.

Now did Congress create these priority groups or did the VA set them up as a result of the limited funding that they get from Congress?

Check out the link and read the criteria under each priority. The VA is triaging Vets.

Is this triaging the basis for the current VA scandal? Why haven't we heard about these priority groups before now? How come the MSM isn't talking about this prioritization? Are we getting just half the story again from the MSM?

[pwb]

5. Congress did create the priority groups to save money.

They have been in effect for some time now. Congress has not mentioned the groups because it would put the blame where it belongs, on them alone. The media only repeats what it is told doing research is difficult for them. Just looked it up on Google, Congress started the program in 1996. Clinton was president but the pukes held both the congress and the senate. What a surprise ha?
Help get the word out with me?. Thanks

[pinboy3niner]

8. Every vet who enrolls in VA health care (or who is rejected) knows about priorities

They notify you of your priority assignment and feature it prominently on your VA ID card.

When rules were adopted making more veterans ineligible for VA health care, that was reported by mainstream media at the time. It just didn't get much traction.

[flashbang]

2. Not a big fan

of the VA. I've seen some people never in theater rolling around on fat monthly checks ahead of DVFW's. Too often, esp where the VBA and 'reps' are concerned, that's a who you know decision.

Most of the VA's PR is utter nonsense. And so long as VA's, which are Federally funded, are allowed to 'be flexible' in the SOC policies state by state, it won't be unusual to see politically conservative states emphasize certain groups of vets over others. Like male over female. Or white over black. Or straight over gay.

So long as VA's can infect hundreds of vets with the HIV virus and drag their feet about telling them,(google it), and thumb their nose at congressional inquiries,(like the current one with TN, GA, and FL VA's...I think it's TN, or SC...), lie about apppintments, hire incompetent doctors who care more about bonuses than practicing science, and do R&D on vets without their consent or knowledge (little rock VA - 2008), or continue to allow the VA legal eagle's to have the final say on medical care priorities, over doctors, then all the horseshit about the VA cares for vets is just that: horse shit.. Now the VA's slyly encourage vets to forfeit their health care at VA's to the gov health care plan. SOME VA's are highly rated by OBJECTIVE sources, but far, far too few.

From one gen to the next the money to go to war can be found. But what happens after is almost never built into the budget. I know it's rotten to hear, but the abuses have escalated, the rationalizations sometimes are painfully obviously political. And the older a vet gets,...blurgh...Then there's the lie that VA general prac's dom't make much money. Really? So patient call ends at 1630h,patient load is regulated, they get numerous paid days off, federal holidays, some state holidays, faith concessions, RN's, lpn's, pa's and a four day work week all to the tune of 80G a year,(avg starting pay), AND they don't have to carry insurance AND protected from court testimony (iow, they can't be directly sued for malpractice NOR required by vet atty to defend or admit to med diagnosis/treatment in any court, any where). Nor do they have to be particularly bright. But they MUST be willing to lay aside whatever med oath they take in favor of some arbitrary protocol from ethereal entity x. e.g., the recent dictate to them by the DEA to 'stop' rxing pain meds. Consideration for underlying diseases aside. You know, because <10% of vets actually have or use pain Rx, but based on the news they're ALL Junkies! (also refrained after Vietnam, Korea, and WW2).

Spoiler alert: Most of the monies not actually spent on veterans directly. Most VA 'homeless daycare centers' not there to be but dog and pony shows. Free range veterans exist because they fear and loathe everything the VA does and is. They are painted by VA personnel as shiftless slackers that just want to get drunk and 'like' living in the streets. Welcome home vets!!

The entire claims process is farked, forcing vets of combat to relive details on forms strangers will see, which is like requiring a pain performance of them. It could simply be prioritized like this: In theater, or out? Like resumes: degreed or not degreed? Most consider that fair in applying for employment. I do think vets who served inside the war theater should get SOME priority beyond a badge or medal.

And, sorry, but I'm not sure if Gen.Shenseki's recent embarassment will change much. They tend to be temp changes, and the Repubz certainly won't help.

[pwb]

4. What?

I disagree with almost everything you copied from somewhere. I know hundreds of Vets and none have ever expressed your views in any way. Thanks for trying to be one of us.

[pnwest]

3. "Priority Groups". Kinda sounds like yer basic "Death Panel" right there...

[TxVietVet]

6. I'm a member of 3 veterans' organizations.

I listened to a conservanut veteran complain about the care he got and how "hundreds" of veterans he's "heard of" died at the hands of the VA.
Most of the people I've listened to that complain about the VA and how they got screwed are usually a slacker that's looking for a handout. A disability check.

I go to see my primary care every 6 months or so. I get my meds through the VA. I've had my disability raised and lowered. I've seen guys game the system. I've seen guys who know how the system works and make it work well for them and others.

I DO KNOW THIS: Lyin' Paul Ryan considers veterans using the VA system as welfare recipients. Any time a person receives government assistance, Ryan says it's welfare. Many conservanazis think the VA is a welfare system. They will not really say it in front of veterans, but they want to privatize the system and destroy it.
The conservanuts seem to forget that the wait time under bu$h/cheney was something like 14 months. When the noise kept hitting the news, the conservanazis decided to put more money into the system.

[TxVietVet]

7. Goofy Old Pricks call veterans expensive and want a $600B tax cuts for their bribers.

http://www.politicususa.com/2014/05/29/gop-hypocrites-call-vets-benefits-expensive-600-billion-tax-cut-business.html