Trumps Budget calls for cuts in VA programs in exchange for.....

[Kondor3]

...Uh, Medicare is for those over 65. Most vets are not. Robbing Peter to pay Paul never works.

Hell, we're heading for Single Payer sooner or later anyway, regardless of what Herr Drumpf and his Minions manage to cook-up in the next 3-1/2 years.

Might as well avoid the Christmas Rush, and head down that path now. Yes, I know that MediCare is for folks over 65. And disabled folk. Like so many veterans. Symmetry.

But let's not get bogged down in WHICH pile of money we use to pay for it... let's just assume we cover the costs from one or more; or tax Big Business to cover the difference.

The source is not anywhere near as important as the end-result; getting timely care for veterans.

 

[Kondor3]

There is much about the VA that is right.

There is much about the VA that is wrong.

Generally speaking, veterans see much more that is right, but that's a value judgment.

The 'Choice' program is a joke.

The VA needs to work-out a deal whereby MediCare can pick up the tab on the outside, if a veteran would otherwise wait overly-long for care from within the VA.

If you're a veteran, and have to wait more than 10 days for Risk Category A or more than 20 days for Risk Category B or more than 30 days for Risk Category C...

Then you get to (1) document the wait-time, (2) provide the VA with a Notice of intent to go to the outside [paper, FAX, email, online form, whatever], then (3) go to the outside; presenting your VA healthcare card, and billing the VA directly...

The VA can then deal with reimbursement from MediCare rather than the veteran having to worry about it.

"Generally speaking, veterans see much more that is right, but that's a value judgment."
No we don't.

Yes, we do... sorry if you're going to a $hitty one... most aren't like that.

Been to four different VA hospitals in three different states, went from bad to god awful.

I guess we're spoiled in the Great Lakes neighborhood.

If you've run across multiple bad ones... all the more reason for a house-cleaning and reinvestment.

 

[ClosedCaption]

Meh, the vets are over rated anyways. Hail Trump and all that is good...which is Trump.

If that is the way you think liberal dogshit, you need to be on the front lines your damn self asshole. I have a lot of friends family in the ground and 6 years of my life in military organizations, not by choice mostly. so any VET is a better person than any pile of shit rider on their back. VA is much better than it was BUT the centers are so far for some to travel that it is good to see those that are far away given the option of choice. The thing is the main VA hospitals need to be the best we have. It has come light years from 20 years ago, but it is not perfect. It has become a vet first organization instead of a Liberal "they are here so I can get a job" center like public schools are now.

Wow, someone doesn't recognize sarcasm.

The vets are important and so is their care. Too bad that Trump just showed everyone what he thinks about them with this budget.

But I've seen it enough times where supporting Trump and his wacky ideas take precedent over ones own well being.


So the vets that supported Trump won't like this but guess what? They'll still stick by him even after he's shifted all over them in document form.

 

[OKTexas]

The Gov cannot control the costs outside of the system.

They need to fix the gd system and leave the vets and disabled vets alone. Someone who had the fortitude to join the military and serve their time honorably does not need benefits taken away.

Reading the comments on FB from this article and there aren't many vets happy about this and neither am I.

So if you are receiving extra compensation due to unemployability just take it away when they draw social because it's double dipping? I know many who retired from military worked after and draw retirement from both systems, wonder if they're going to eventually get rid of that so called double dipping.

I am a Vet, and I have fought. I agree with you. But if you let anyone go outside of the system they become subject to the pricing at large. Me? I wish I was smart enough to know what to do.

I'm a disabled vet and stopped using the VA years ago, not because of the treatment, I had group insurance so didn't want to take up space for the ones who did not have private insurance. A couple of vets I know have used the choice program and the doctor to this day hasn't been paid after several months and will not see them again. So you throw money at a program when they need to throw it into hiring more docs and weeding out the bad ones and admin at the VA.

But the pricing on the outside will bankrupt the govt and provider's aren't going to stand not being paid in a timely manner.

That's because they only have one payment center in MS, if you want to ruin your credit try going to an emergency room on the VAs tab. They should have a payment center in each region.

.

 

[debbiedowner]

The Gov cannot control the costs outside of the system.

They need to fix the gd system and leave the vets and disabled vets alone. Someone who had the fortitude to join the military and serve their time honorably does not need benefits taken away.

Reading the comments on FB from this article and there aren't many vets happy about this and neither am I.

So if you are receiving extra compensation due to unemployability just take it away when they draw social because it's double dipping? I know many who retired from military worked after and draw retirement from both systems, wonder if they're going to eventually get rid of that so called double dipping.

I am a Vet, and I have fought. I agree with you. But if you let anyone go outside of the system they become subject to the pricing at large. Me? I wish I was smart enough to know what to do.

I'm a disabled vet and stopped using the VA years ago, not because of the treatment, I had group insurance so didn't want to take up space for the ones who did not have private insurance. A couple of vets I know have used the choice program and the doctor to this day hasn't been paid after several months and will not see them again. So you throw money at a program when they need to throw it into hiring more docs and weeding out the bad ones and admin at the VA.

But the pricing on the outside will bankrupt the govt and provider's aren't going to stand not being paid in a timely manner.

That's because they only have one payment center in MS, if you want to ruin your credit try going to an emergency room on the VAs tab. They should have a payment center in each region.

.

You're correct, I overheard a few older than me griping to a DAV officer at our VA that they were turned over to the credit collection agency from a local hospital because it was taking so long for VA to pay. I also work with a guy that last year tried to use the program and make an appt with a cardiologist, 6 month wait for an outside one under the program. Well he turned around and made the appointment under his regular Medicare Advantage program and had appt in two weeks. I asked him why he just didn't do that in the first place..... wait for this, it was he had to pay a $50 co pay with Medicare Advantage and nothing for the VA.

 

[debbiedowner]

Leading Veterans Groups Respond to VA Budget for Fiscal Years 2018-19 - DAV

Veterans Service Organizations concerned funding will fall short to meet veteran health care demands

WASHINGTON, DC—Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans) and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)— authors of The Independent Budget (IB)—today responded to the Administration’s proposed budget for the delivery of health care for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for FY 2018 and advance appropriations for FY 2019. The Independent Budget Veterans Service Organizations (IBVSOs) entered a statement for the record at today’s hearing before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

“We appreciate the fact that the Administration’s budget request just released includes some increases in discretionary dollars for the Medical Care accounts,” stated the IBVSOs. “However, it is important for us to address the notion that VA does not need any additional resources, based on the expansive growth of overall VA expenses in the last 10 years. These ideas are not grounded in thorough analysis of demand and utilization of VA health care.”

The IBVSOs released a report on VA’s funding requirements in February 2017warning that a potential funding crisis could arise before the end of FY 2017, and would exist in FY 2018 if VA did not address the new community care demand it has fostered without necessary resources. For FY 2018, The Independent Budget recommended approximately $77 billion in total medical care funding. Congress previously approved only $70 billion in total medical care funding for FY 2018, which included an assumption of approximately $3.6 billion in medical care collections.

“Last year’s advance appropriation request for FY 2018 medical care remains woefully inadequate to meet the ever-increasing demand for services both inside and outside the VA health care system, a fact acknowledged by VA officials. The Administration’s budget request includes a not-insignificant overall medical care funding recommendation of approximately $75.2 billion, however we remain concerned that this level of funding will not keep pace with the continually increasing demand and utilization.”

The IBVSOs expressed specific concern for the funding of the Choice Care program, which calls for a combined $6.4 billion for FY 2018-19 which would indefinitely continue the program as currently implemented. The IB’s recommendations for FY 2018 took into account the estimated $1 billion VA was expected to have remaining in the Veterans Choice Fund and anticipated increases in demand for care, including community care, that will not diminish or go away if the Choice Program expires. As such, for FY 2018, The Independent Budget recommended $64.5 billion for Medical Services.



This recommendation included:

Current Services Estimate…………………………………………… $60,897,313,000

Increase in Patient Workload………………………………………… $1,595,242,000

Additional Medical Care Program Cost…………………………. $2,001,000,000

Total FY 2018 Medical Services…………………………………. $64,493,555,000



“Congress must reject continued funding of the Choice Care program through a mandatory account. We recommend adhering to all other community care funded through the discretionary Community Care account established previously. This will eliminate competing sources of funding for delivery of health care services in the community, while maintaining visibility on spending through the Choice program,” the IBVSOs said.

The IBVSOs also strongly objected to two legislative proposals included in the budget; one that would penalize millions of disabled veterans or survivors by rounding down cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for recipients of VA disability compensation and certain other benefit programs; and the other to cutoff eligibility to recipients of disability compensation due to individual unemployability (IU) once they reach age 62.

“We are adamantly opposed to a 10-year round down of veterans’ disability compensation, which would have the cumulative effect of taking $2.7 billion away from injured and ill veterans who rely on such payments. We are equally opposed to arbitrarily cutting off eligibility for IU for veterans who turn 62, an age at which millions of American’s continue working and saving money for their retirements, a luxury that many disabled veterans do not have. Congress must reject any proposals that seek to shift the cost of VA health care or benefits onto the backs of disabled veterans,” said the IBVSOs.

To read the complete statement entered by the IBVSOs to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, click here.

For more than 30 years, the three Independent Budget co-authors have presented budget and policy recommendations to Congress and the Administration. These recommendations—which are supported by 27 other health, family, military and veteran service organizations—are meant to inform Congress and the Administration of the needs of all veterans, and to offer substantive solutions to address the many health care and benefits challenges they face. This budget serves as the veterans groups’ benchmark for properly funding the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure the timely delivery of quality health care and accurate and appropriate benefits.

To view the full budget report, please visit www.independentbudget.org.