A friend of mine from the Corps on the VA

[Joe in PNG]

For better or worse, MANY problems can't be solved by spending more money on them, nor can we evaluate the value of a program by how much is spent on it.

Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy: In any bureaucracy, the people devoted to the benefit of the bureaucracy itself always get in control and those dedicated to the goals the bureaucracy is supposed to accomplish have less and less influence, and sometimes are eliminated entirely.

[Sensei]

https://hotair.com/archives/2017/12/...oked-licenses/

So, it seems that the VA has been violating federal law by hiring physicians who have prevoiusly lost their licenses in states other than their current employment. This is really cute. One dipshit, a psychiatrist, was sanctioned for sleeping with a patient, got hired by the VA after getting a license in another state, and then screwed another patient. Another Mensa member fancied himself a neurosurgeon but was sanctioned for gross incompetence before being scooped up by the VA where he went on to cull the herd. And, then there is the issue to providers with felony convictions that were presumably not disclosed to their current medical board.

It seems that the VA has become a dumping ground for physicians who are unemployable or uninsurable in the private sector, but willing to work in the VA for a little pay cut.

[Morbidbattlecry]

As you think about your vote, you might want to consider how "small government" effects those who serve.

Your post went about as well as i thought it would on here. Good for you for trying though.

[Eric_L]

I am a veteran. I have been involved in VA healthcare. Close the VA. Give all Veterans an insurance plan and allow them to choose where they want to receive their care.

This. I am not a veteran. I did spend two months during training in one. I loved the old veterans we were takin care of during surgery.

[Odin Bravo One]

I’m just over here chilling. On a breath hold.

VA told me not to get too excited about hearing back from them any time soon; “two years isn’t unlikely”.

[Sensei]

My service connected disability determination (and therefore VA medical eligibility) only took a few months for the VA to approve and they contacted me a few days later to schedule an appointment to see my new PCP. That appointment was a couple of days ago and I just wanted to say that so far my VA health care experience has been better than anything I’ve experienced in the private sector. I am extremely pleased and wish I would have done this when I was discharged 25 years ago instead of waiting. I’m sure there is some variability with regard to VA across the country, but here in Albuquerque it’s been great. Plus everyone I talked to on the phone while everything was pending was an absolute pleasure to deal with.

Like most socialized healthcare systems, the VA is pretty good at providing routine primary care and health maintenance. The further you stray from their primary care mission, the more dicey things can get. Sadly, most people are not fluent in the details of subspecialized healthcare, so they have a hard time distinguishing the Taurus from the HK. Of course there are some high performing VA facilities and providers, but it is very much a game of probabilities.

[Erick Gelhaus]

While I haven't experienced the problems many have with the VA, I haven't needed significant, recurring treatment from them either. They have covered, quickly & better than I thought they would, what I have needed them to pick up. Had the yearly appiointment recently & the new-to-me doc referred me for follow-up due to some on-going stuff; we'll see how quick that happens.

The comp & pen eval process did take just over two years.

I know the education side is very far removed from the medical side. The ed side was a pleasure to deal with. I finished my BS and went through grad school with their funding.

[Sensei]

Other than a half dozen knee scopes and a physical every few years, I’ve not personally needed or sought out much from healthcare over the past few decades, so it’s probably true that I’m a rube when it comes to such things. Although, I do think I did a pretty good job of managing my wife’s care, finding the best physicians and procedures for her, and not just accepting Taurus-quality care when she was shot a few years ago, but that was through workers comp and not the VA. It’s also likely that I didn’t know what I didn’t know in that instance as well. In any case, we both currently use the VA for our, largely routine and maintenance oriented, healthcare needs and we are both extremely pleased with it — which of course does nothing for all the people who are currently getting shitty care, if any at all, from the VA.

I’d say that you are understating your healthcare literacy and far from a healthcare rube. You’re probably at least above average in terms of literacy. The mere fact that you are aware of the problem moves you out of the rube category. In other words, mix 2 parts common sense, 1 part experience, and a dash of luck and you’re avoiding the healthcare quicksand that is the modern VA.

However, I admire your humility- it’s a big reason why the air is so clear around here.

[Morbidbattlecry]

So the real question to me is why nothing has been done to fix the situation. Why bother making the rich richer and Getting rid of Obamacare when there are other things that need attention? Like fixing the VA or some sort of pro gun bills that were promised?

[Morbidbattlecry]

I think your Facebook page might be a better place to direct your political angst.

Okie dokey.