We should eliminate the health care system within the Veterans Administration and give our Veterans the true care that they need and deserve. Many of the hospital systems are overwhelmed with a backlog of care needed for these vets. They should not need to suffer due to low staffing issues in that healthcare system or bureaucratic policies. We give each and every veteran a card. The card will be used like an insurance card that would be accepted anywhere in the United States that these warriors may reside or when traveling. No out of network or bureaucrat can dictate the level of care that they are given from medical, dental or mental health. They deserve this and more but the system is not working for them. Drs and Nurses at the VA are in competition with the private sector for wages and work load, so the supply of those professionals are limited. The Veterans Administration cannot keep up with the demand. When they are short staffed then the Veterans suffer. Give them the help they need.
Second part is what to do with the facilities/properties? The Government should sell off the properties of the veterans hospitals and healthcare facilities. Most of these properties are located in areas where they will be valuable pieces of property. Corporations and hospital systems will want these structures to expand their businesses and the need for more care. The properties could even be donated to a city/county and used for healthcare to the public thus expanding the need for more facilities. The infrastructure is already there.
Please give some feedback on this issue good or bad or even expand on the solution for our veterans care!
Thanks
I work at a VA and I have to say, its the best hospital in town. We have 2 large hospital chains, a private hospital and a VA- ours is hands down the best. We are not all the same. Maybe instead of doing away with them we should have those who are failing learn from those who are exceeding?
I agree that disbanding the healthcare portion of the VA is a great idea. Let our veterans go to any doctor/facility they want. Let’s stop paying for the upkeep of facilities and workforces that do not meet the needs of our veterans. Covering their care as insurance will save significant money (opposed to all the money spent on the bureaucracy and layers of staffing, actual facilities costs, medical staffing, equipment, supplies, etc.) Additionally, private healthcare in this country is often of a higher quality and easier to access than VA provided care. These men and women deserve the best our country has available. Sell off the real estate and pay down debt!
I appreciate the time you took to make this comment! Thank you!
One challenge with this is that many/most non-VA physicians and other healthcare providers have little if any training in the healthcare issues that are unique to the veteran population, such as combat related PTSD, burn pit exposure, medical conditions/disabilities caused by military service, transitioning from active duty to civilian status, etc. As a veteran myself, also an RN with a Master’s in Veterans & Military healthcare, family members who are veterans, and a also current VA employee, it’s important to remember that the unique medical and mental health needs of veterans are the reason many vets (8 million +) use the VA. I won’t say that the overall VA system is without challenges…it is, for sure. But to me, disbanding the healthcare portion of the VA without something to address those unique needs would create a healthcare crisis that makes COVID look like child’s play.
I agree that we should expand access to care outside the VA system and give veterans the equivalent of private insurance cards (i.e., Federal Blue Cross Blue Shield), especially for specialty care like Gastroenterology, Oncology, Psychiatry, or Pulmonology. Those who would like to continue receiving all or part of their care through a VA Medical Center (VAMC) should be allowed to do so. This approach will allow dysfunctional VAMCs to wither and close and well-operated ones to continue thriving. Many markets have issues with access to care and can’t absorb the veterans if their VAMCs close, so closing the entire VA Medical System will result in many dying from delayed care.