Veterans Affairs

christinemj · Nov 11, 2003

---------Why do they have to have expensive infrastructure of VA/Military hospitals and such when these facilities already exist? Why can't we take care of them??? Afraid of hearing secrets? The pts. could have a card like Medicare or insurance card and the facilities could bill the govt. for their care. Savings would be in millions, which could be passed on to nursing schools, etc. What do you think?---------

The truth is, the real savings exists FROM the "expensive infrastructure of VA/Mil hospitals." These facilities are their own form of managed care and can produce effective patient care that is much more cost-effective than for-profit hospitals. The real savings comes from volume purchasing (on a nationwide level) that is just not possible for stand-alone, or even regional, healthcare systems.

There are pts that do have an "insurance-type card" that you propose and receive care at their local facilities. However, in general, community or for-profit facilities are only reimbursed for the $ amount that would have been "spent" if such care was received from a VA facility. If EVERY vet/soldier used this form of healthcare, I'd bet that many for-profit facilities would eventually choose not to provide non-emergent care for these pts.

Christine

....Proud wife of an AF vet

(Yes, I'm not always "thrilled" with VA healthcare...but I understand it's purpose!! :)

sjoe · Nov 11, 2003

purple writes: "Why do they have to have expensive infrastructure of VA/Military hospitals and such when these facilities already exist? Why can't we take care of them??? Afraid of hearing secrets? The pts. could have a card like Medicare or insurance card and the facilities could bill the govt. for their care. Savings would be in millions, which could be passed on to nursing schools, etc. What do you think?"

What do I think? I think you should do some research before making a sweeping suggestion like this. I assume you mean that all the VA facilities should be closed and that VA members be given health insurance cards to use anywhere they/we wished--anywhere EXCEPT VA facilities, that is, since they would all be closed. (We VA members already HAVE cards, BTW.)

Your implications to the contrary, the VA gives a much larger "bang for the buck" than the civilian sector, and even more so when compared to teaching facilities, as most VAs are.

"Why can't we take care of them?" you ask, when the civilian healthcare system is already overburdened, understaffed, underfinanced, and does a less-than-adequate job of taking care of its current patients (and would-be patients) for those and numerous administrative and for-profit reasons. (No, it is NOT because of any imaginary "nursing shortage.") Does the fact that many of us who have health insurance coverage from employers or retirement plans, etc. choose to use the VA instead of these other organizations, and sign our insurance reimbursements over to the VA, indicate to you that non-VA facilities are preferable or even adequate to take care of us? You know more about such things than we members do?

"Afraid of hearing secrets?" What secrets are you talking about? CIA/NSA secrets? Most VA employees are not "cleared" for classified information, just as most other healthcare workers are not. The "secret" is that the VA is THE expert organization in taking care of its mostly male, mostly older patients. (2% of the patients are female and a special effort is expended to help them.).

I have consistently recommended that my veteran friends and family members sign up for the VA for these and other reasons, regardless of what other insurance plans they have. Not one has given me other than positive feedback after having done so.

Furthermore, when we signed up for, and then mustered out of, the military we were guaranteed use of these facilities if and when needed. You would wish to break this contract with millions of us?

And, oh yeah, purple, thanks for your support.

Happy Veterans' Day.

rn-jane · Nov 12, 2003

not a big fan of va hospitals in my area, i think they are concerned with the cost of care.

I was a woman marine for six years and love serving my country and would do that all over again, but for all the veterans have done for this country they should get better care. I've taken care of many patients from the va in my area and they usually come to us badly cared for.

About two years ago a good friend of my husband's served vietnam and ended a 20 year career. He was a wonderful graphic artist and cartoonist.

He went to the va hospital in a semi-rural community fro a basic heart catherization, well the cardiologist cut right through his femeroral artery! There was a hospital basically around the corner with a vascular surgeon awaiting this patient, did they transfer him? Yes, but they wanted to send him to pgh Va over an hour a way, ground transportation only. There was as much blood pouring out of him as going into him, he died 10 min in route. He was only 50 years old.

SickleMoon · Nov 12, 2003

RN-Jane, that's a horrible story. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. It surely appears that he was mishandled. Sad to say, terrible mistakes happen all the time, every day, and not just in the VA system. I wish it wouldn't happen to anyone, let alone a close friend, but it does...

Sjoe, nicely put. We're lucky here in the northern Plains to have access to some very good VA centers that serve thousands of vets. More to the point, we have a number of smaller facilities serving our rural population. Our VAMCs are providing a priceless service to a lot of us. There's no way the non-VA hospitals could pick up that load, at least not around here. Too many of the non-VA facilities are teetering on the brink of closing or losing their acute care as it is. Thanks for sticking up for the VA in a much more articulate fashion than I could have managed!

purplemania, BSN, RN · Nov 12, 2003

Not all vets live near a hospital. My Dad is 1 hr from the VA hosp. but only blocks from civilian. He was hassled SO MUCH for attempting to get VA benefits that he finally gave up. The requirements were expensive (out of pocket to him) and redundant. I do not believe for a minute that the VA system is better than civilian. It is full of waste. (my tax dollars wasted). As for managed care, the govt. has a system for that already. It is called Medicare. As for research, I do not have to research my opinion, which is what I was giving.

Trauma Columnist · Nov 13, 2003

I'm a vet (USN) and my husband is retired from the Air Force. We don't even qualify for the limited services offered 20 miles from our home. Fortunately (knock on wood) we are healthy.

sjoe · Nov 13, 2003

"I'm a vet (USN) and my husband is retired from the Air Force. We don't even qualify for the limited services offered 20 miles from our home. Fortunately (knock on wood) we are healthy."

I suggest you check again with member services at the nearest large VAMC about this. People who served only 2 years are eligible, so you are as well.

If you both received honorable discharges, which seems likely, you certainly DO qualify--though if you make over a certain amount of money/year you WILL have a co-payment (or use your current health insurance benefits to reimburse the VA). But first, of course, you have to enroll (which you can do easily enough by mail).

If you mean you don't qualify for 100% service-related disability coverage, which means NO copayments regardless of income, etc., then you are probably correct (though you didn't specify whether you were both disabled).

Regardless, it is wise to enroll to have the VA as a back up, if nothing else, or to get your prescriptions inexpensively.