New VA secretary plans to allow veterans to seek ‘purchased care’ at other hospitals

[unhappycamper]

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/06/06/new-va-secretary-plans-to-allow-veterans-to-seek-purchased-care-at-other-hospitals/



New VA secretary plans to allow veterans to seek ‘purchased care’ at other hospitals
By Reuters
Friday, June 6, 2014 20:10 EDT

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – The acting secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs said on Friday the agency is putting out bids for “purchased care” that would allow veterans to be treated at other hospitals at the VA’s expense while cutting backlogs at its facilities.

“In far too many instances, in far too many locations, we have let our veterans down,” Sloan Gibson told reporters after a tour of the sprawling Audie Murphy VA Medical Center in San Antonio. VA hospitals and clinics will be open during non-traditional hours to expand coverage, said Gibson, who was appointed acting secretary of the department on May 30.

U.S. lawmakers engaged in bipartisan talks this week to address delays in the delivery of health care for military veterans. The talks came after former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned in late May amid a scandal over widespread schemes to mask care delays and protect staff bonus awards and salary increases.

“We have lost an awful lot of trust, and we have work to do to earn it back,” Gibson said. “With veterans, we will do that one veteran at a time.”

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“We have lost an awful lot of trust, and we have work to do to earn it back,”....

You are correct Mr. Gibson. There are three fundamental problems you must address when trying to fix the VA:

1. Political will
2. $$$$
3. Republicans

Political will: Both parties must step up to the table and vote to support our veterans. We have fought your wars and killed (y)our 'enemies'. And we have gotten fucked up in the process. Congresscritters must understand if you fuck over enough veterans long enough, it will bite you in the ass. We need to start phoning our 'representatives' and voting our conscience in every election.

$$$$: We're spending $5.6 billion dollars on a destroyer and you can't find a measly $20 or $30 billion dollars to take care of veterans? We're spending over $400 billion dollars for a not-ready-for-prime-time F-35 and you can't find a measly $20 or $30 billion dollars to take care of veterans? We're building a new aircraft carrier that will cost over $16 billion dollars and you can't find a measly $20 or $30 billion dollars to take care of veterans?. Virginia-class submarines cost $7 billion dollars and you can't find a measly $20 or $30 billion dollars to take care of veterans?

Republicans: Nuff said.

[Leme]

1. I do think some backlog fixing is in order

but giving money to hospitals for vets waiting too long is just a temporary fix... and seldom do programs go away.

[unhappycamper]

2. "and seldom do programs go away"

How true. How long should we provide care for our veterans? One Year? Five years?

What's the maximum amount we should spend on our veterans?

A nation that does not take care of its veterans has no business making more of them.

[yeoman6987]

4. Just the beginning of making the VA a part of the private sector

I am so happy with the VA in Baltimore. I just hope this isn't the beginning of the end of the VA program. I feel for those who lost their lives but it seems like one bad hospital. The backlog is bad, but can be changed without throwing the whole program out which I can see them eventually doing especially if they like the new procedures of giving cards to Vets to use private hospitals.

[PADemD]

3. What makes them think that veterans will get any faster care in private hospitals?

One of my relatives (not a veteran) was diagnosed with cancer in late May and did not have surgery until late September.

In our rural area, it takes months to get an appointment with specialists.

[yeoman6987]

5. Very good point

It took a friends of mine about 3 months to get a colonoscopy. I forgot that until I read you post.

[unhappycamper]

6. It's all about money.

It takes money and time to hire doctors, nurses and upgrade facilities.

I think the idea is to immediately take care of the veterans that VA facilities have neglected.

Shinseki changed measurement metrics to get folks into the VA quicker. Some assholes at the VA could not meet the metric, so they fudged their results to make their numbers, hence the current 'scandal'.

[PADemD]

7. Immediate care for veterans

Immediate care for veterans by private hospitals will require bumping other patients with serious illnesses who have also waited months for an appointment.