WHY can we NOT take care of our veterans.

[azjake]

Originally Posted By: ZZman
It takes money we are unwilling to spend. When fighting they are a asset. When injured or old they are considered liabilities. Sad.

True. It's also the reason we have been fighting a war on terror for 17 years now with only a volunteer army. Our soldiers in uniform are burnt out from multiple tours,and stop loss orders, but reviving the draft would be a big political liability that our coward politicians don't want to risk. So very sad...

 

[Mr Nice]

Originally Posted By: E365
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I think that a lot of f it boils down to the fact that #44 didn't care about vets at all. He cut spending to many things that affect them.


Such as?

Certainly not VA spending. That went up massively between 2008 and 2016.

https://www.va.gov/budget/products.asp


VA has been in shambles for a long time. No amount of money can fix a broken outdated healthcare system where you have trouble firing problem employees (both vet and non vet) that just show up for a paycheck, perks and benefits.

Sad but true.

 

[littleant]

Mr Nice From what his son told me it was a VA hospital not sure about the ER

 

[littleant]

Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I don't wanna sound rude, is there a reason why he wasn't taken to a private hospital in the first place?
His son wanted him to do that. But his father thought the VA would be best.

 

[fdcg27]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Why does it have to be veterans? Why not any citizen?


Agreed!
Also, WRT to the risking one's life part, I did so from time to time during the decade I served as a volunteer fireman.
Where's my lifetime free health care?
Nobody in our rich nation should be without good and reliable medical care and veteran status shouldn't be a factor in that.

 

[simple_gifts]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I think that a lot of f it boils down to the fact that #44 didn't care about vets at all. He cut spending to many things that affect them.


Amazing, since Congress actually allocates funds; Notice how they are always scrambling to raise the spending limit?

DC is broken; all sides; don't drink the koolaid

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

I think a way to help fix just how much health care (especially for the VA) costs, would be to implement a type of the student loan forgiveness that teachers who go to specific districts get.

You get your medical degree, pass all your tests, and then work 5 years at a VA facility for say $15-20/hr and at the end of your 5 years, your student loans are forgiven and you're free to go into private practice. Or, you go do whatever you want, and pay your loans back like everyone else. That way, you get experience, and the government gets reasonably priced doctors.

IMHO, for-profit HMOs and insurance is the whole reason health care is so expensive. My friend is a podiatrist, and routinely does two things to minimize costs to his patients- if they have insurance and no real means, he will take what insurance pays and sometimes write off the rest. Or, if they don't have insurance but have some skill that can help the Dr., he is happy to barter and trade medical care for labor. His entire septic system was put in as payment for medical services rendered, plus materials. He lives in the woods, and has a patient that runs a sawmill. When he wants to make a new piece of furniture, he calls the sawmill guy who comes out and cuts the tree down and turns it into lumber.

It's the business side where money ruins local relationships like this.

 

[ls1mike]

I use the VA once a year to stay in the system. I have insurance that I pay into from my government job. The VA charges that insurance when I use them even though I was medically discharged for a service related condition. I spent 2 years in the Army and 11 in the Navy on Submarines.
VA has always been just ok for me. They are truly overwhelmed and need more people and better facilities.

So how do I put it.
I see plenty of guys who do their 20 and end up with a crazy disability ratings that really do not fit what they did.

Sleep apnea is a big one.
I was diagnosed with it, could have claimed it, did not, lost weight and guess what? It went away. If you are getting out of the military and are fat and blame apnea on the Military, this one is for you. Go on diet, exercise and I bet you sleep a lot better.

If you were an idiot and wrecked your motorcycle on active duty that is not service connected but they call it that. Wreck your car on active duty? Not service related, they call it that. Hurt yourself skiing? You guessed it. If you broke your leg playing football while on active duty that is not service connected either but they call it that.

There is no rhyme or reason to the disability ratings. Guys who are hurt in combat, beat up from 20 years of hard labor. Develop Asthma or Cancer (Leukemia in adult males on submarines is 40 percent higher than the average population) from years living in a tube or on ship. That is different. You have to take responsibility for some of your own actions. Like it or not some of it is your own fault. Disability ratings don't take much or any of that into account.

Submarine life was certainly not easy but I didn't claim anything related to things that hurt me because I was an idiot or came with age. I did claim the Asthma as the American Medical Association has proven incidents of adult on set of asthma are 30 to 40 percent higher for those who served on Submarines. I never had it and no one in my family ever did. Pretty common for guys who spend time on Submarines to develop it. The disability rating process and pay out put a huge strain on the VA.

 

[Revving2Redline]

There used to be. Bring a id and a dd214 and you were seen.

 

[Revving2Redline]

In KS we pay for nurses to come and stay out in Western Kansas and we pay and forgive debt. I try to feed a homeless vet once a week. My career was short lived as I couldn't pass a pt test to save my life, but my fight for uncle Sam's boys will remain

 

[ZZman]

I think some of the problem is doctors want to specialize because that is where the money is. We are short handed on family and geriatric doctors.

I also think the regular Healthcare system is geared more towards disease. The VA system is geared more towards terrible injures and mental health issues.

 

[E365]

Originally Posted By: Mr Nice
Originally Posted By: E365
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I think that a lot of f it boils down to the fact that #44 didn't care about vets at all. He cut spending to many things that affect them.


Such as?

Certainly not VA spending. That went up massively between 2008 and 2016.

https://www.va.gov/budget/products.asp


VA has been in shambles for a long time. No amount of money can fix a broken outdated healthcare system where you have trouble firing problem employees (both vet and non vet) that just show up for a paycheck, perks and benefits.

Sad but true.


Probably not. But his claim was Obama cut spending which is a massive lie.

 

[Al]

There are so many things in life that the moral road is unaffordable. Its unaffordable bc most of our money that politicians deem important (buying votes) and to them more important than vet care.

We owe vets much. But there are many many people that have made this country great also and they don't get care for the rest of their lives...just saying.

 

[bbhero]

Have to let you know something many don't know or realize.... But people get care... For real. I've seen it first hand. People with ZERO ability to pay.... And they get care.

True story alert... A very nice guy I went to school with had a major drug overdose. He was in ICU for 4 weeks.... In the hospital in patient for 4 more weeks... That would be an astronomical bill.... He had ZERO way to pay that back... He got care. Every bit of it. For probably $250,000 worth... He got taken care of.

It's not getting care that's the problem. It's the billing side of it... That's where the real problem is located. Get massive 3rd parties involved... Cost go ^^^^^^^^ sky high. If we ran automobile repair in the same way... A basic brake repair would cost several thousand dollars...

 

[wwillson]

Politics - lock time

 

[Nick1994]

Originally Posted By: littleant
Any veteran should be able to walk into ANY doctor or ANY hospital (not just the VA) with any issue and be looked at and checked out like right [censored] now.They have earned it.


Any American should have this right.

 

[PumpPusher]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Have to let you know something many don't know or realize.... But people get care... For real. I've seen it first hand. People with ZERO ability to pay.... And they get care.

True story alert... A very nice guy I went to school with had a major drug overdose. He was in ICU for 4 weeks.... In the hospital in patient for 4 more weeks... That would be an astronomical bill.... He had ZERO way to pay that back... He got care. Every bit of it. For probably $250,000 worth... He got taken care of.

It's not getting care that's the problem. It's the billing side of it... That's where the real problem is located. Get massive 3rd parties involved... Cost go ^^^^^^^^ sky high. If we ran automobile repair in the same way... A basic brake repair would cost several thousand dollars...


Amen. People act like the hospital will leave you outside to die. Took my mom to the ER because she didn't have money for a dr visit. They gave her a hard time saying it wasn't a true emergency. I told her fine, we'll go home and call 911. She'll get seen one way or the other. They let her in. They have to. We get bills, but I just file them in the trash. You have to be ugly sometimes.

 

[Mr Nice]

Go home and call 911... ?
Call 911 from inside the hospital ER.

That's what I would do if it was my mom.