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 BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
  
Location: Bastrop, Texas | I keep hearing these comments about plans to require vets to pay for at least a portion of their own healthcare, including for health problems directly connected to their service. What's the truth? Did Obama actually propose this, or has it all been taken out of context?
Second, what is your view of the VA system, especially in light of recent revelations? |
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  Desert Diva
Posts: 4946
 
Location: The birthplace of Honest Abe | I havent heard that yet, hubby is retired. He pays for my health insurance with tricare. If you are service connected medically for things you can be treated at the VA. As for the VA itself I cannot comment. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 504
Location: Illinois | All I can comment on is what my dad is/has gone through. He was diagnosed with Graves disease and also has some skin issues. He found a lot of info linking Agent Orange exposure to increased frequency of Graves disease, so he called and went to the VA for treatment. He had to have his thyroid destroyed and will be on medication for the rest of his life. The doctors and staff at any VA he has delt with are some of the most wonderful people. But he has had to fight with the administration every step. His doctor told him all of his treatments for thyroid, eye issues, and skin issues would be covered as they are all listed under Agent Orange exposure. He started getting bills in the mail. He is retired civilian from Dept. of Defense so he has federal retirement. They had turned everything in to the insurance company, which they denied most of. He has filed for disability benefits as he has a right to do and the doctors have told him to do. They are still reviewing it 3 years later. He has not had issues getting appointments, but has to fight tooth and nail over every bill and test they perform. We know our US Congressman and so took everything to him. His staff had taken care of almost everything, but seems like every new appointment it starts all over. My parents feel that the problem is not with the doctors and staff, but the administration, and yes they feel that they are just waiting on them to die, so they don't have to deal with them anymore. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7264
| cruisin3 - 2014-05-23 10:53 AM All I can comment on is what my dad is/has gone through. He was diagnosed with Graves disease and also has some skin issues. He found a lot of info linking Agent Orange exposure to increased frequency of Graves disease, so he called and went to the VA for treatment. He had to have his thyroid destroyed and will be on medication for the rest of his life. The doctors and staff at any VA he has delt with are some of the most wonderful people. But he has had to fight with the administration every step. His doctor told him all of his treatments for thyroid, eye issues, and skin issues would be covered as they are all listed under Agent Orange exposure. He started getting bills in the mail. He is retired civilian from Dept. of Defense so he has federal retirement. They had turned everything in to the insurance company, which they denied most of. He has filed for disability benefits as he has a right to do and the doctors have told him to do. They are still reviewing it 3 years later. He has not had issues getting appointments, but has to fight tooth and nail over every bill and test they perform. We know our US Congressman and so took everything to him. His staff had taken care of almost everything, but seems like every new appointment it starts all over. My parents feel that the problem is not with the doctors and staff, but the administration, and yes they feel that they are just waiting on them to die, so they don't have to deal with them anymore.
This is NOT how it should be and it sickens me that we treat our vets this way. |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | So is it true that the current administration was considering having vets pay for their own insurance for service-related healthcare? What's the scoop? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 504
Location: Illinois | HotbearLVR - 2014-05-23 11:32 AM So is it true that the current administration was considering having vets pay for their own insurance for service-related healthcare? What's the scoop?
I honestly don't know if that is the case in our circumstance. I don't know if the issue my parents are having is that something is coded incorrectly, wrong paperwork or forms, etc... or they were trying to see if the private insurance would pay first. It's just been a really frustrating process for them. Again, not with the care or quality of it, but all the paperwork and red tape. We just got a new administrator for our hospital, so my dad is going to try and get an appointment with him to talk and make him aware of what he's been going through. |
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 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| I asked my daughter who works in the insurance industry, not VA, but they follow and stay on top of all current events associated with insurance. She said that is not true. She sent me an article this morning on the state of the VA health system. Bottom line it is true socialized medicine as all hospitals are government owned and drs are government employees. The health care offered is substandard. There is no competition so no incentives. Solutions offered are to offer veterans vouchers to use where they chose and to open hospitals to anyone creating competition with private hospitals which will force them to raise the standard of care if they want to get patients. It is not foreseen that this will ever happen though because that would be admitting that government run health care is not successful. This is a long article but an excellent read. http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/05/23/no-the-va-isnt-a-preview-of-obamacare-its-much-worse/?partner=yahootix |
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BHW Resident Surgeon
Posts: 25351
Location: Bastrop, Texas | rodeomom3 - 2014-05-23 1:27 PM
 I asked my daughter who works in the insurance industry, not VA, but they follow and stay on top of all current events associated with insurance.  She said that is not true.  She sent me an article this morning on the  state of the VA health system.  Bottom line it is true socialized medicine as all hospitals are government owned and drs are government employees. The health care offered is substandard.  There is no competition so no incentives. Solutions offered are to offer veterans vouchers to use where they chose and to open  hospitals to anyone  creating competition with private hospitals which will force them to raise the standard of care if they want to get patients.  It is not foreseen that this will ever happen though because that would be admitting that government run health care is not successful.  This is a long article but an excellent read.  http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/05/23/no-the-va-isnt-a-preview-of-obamacare-its-much-worse/?partner=yahootix
This is true. People have been saying this for years. Once you are a VA employee, it's almost impossible to get fired for incompetence. The only competition amongst VA hospitals is for federal dollars. Imagine having no options and nowhere to go for a second opinion. Imagine being assigned a doctor and that's who you are stuck with. Don't like it? Tough chit. Of course down the road the single payor system will come in handy when we need to thin out our human herd. |
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Folks on-line