Trumps Choice Program for Veterans , Haste makes waste

[Penelope]

but the Republicans blame it all on Obama, but it was the GOP congress that passed the bill originally.

Congress gave the VA only 90 days from the day it was signed into law to implement the Choice program. In a VA document justifying its decision not to open up the contract to bidders, the VA cited the "hyper-accelerated" pace imposed by Congress. Typically, a program of this size would take at least a year to create.

(Snip)

Congress worked at a frantic pace. The House passed a bill on June 10, 2014. The Senate passed its own version within days. By Aug. 7, President Obama had signed the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014. It gave the VA $10 billion to set up a program that would give qualified veterans the option of seeing a private doctor.

How Congress And The VA Left Many Veterans Without A 'Choice'

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How is the new health care bill doing, cheaper and better Trump said. The only thing that was done was a tax cut for the rich. That is all that has been done,

the rest is all smoke and mirrors.

You think it was Trump's program but no it was all the GOP, but now Trump is taking credit for a failed program.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Veterans overwhelmingly prefer their healthcare from VA, along with private vendors when necessary.

"This bipartisan poll revealed veterans from every walk of life vastly prefer to get their care at VA hospitals as opposed to private, for-profit hospitals. Eight in 10 veterans believe their health care should be paid in full, not a voucher which may not cover all costs. They believe that being forced to shop for care on the open market—instead of being treated by VA doctors and nurses—means their health care will suffer, and they will end up footing the bill for claims that are denied or only partially paid. " New Poll Uncovers What Veterans Really Think About the VA [November 13, 2015]

 

[Daryl Hunt]

I thought the VA medical was all screwed up. I had the option to go to the Civilian market using both Tricare and Medicare. After looking for 6 months for a decent health care provider I went back to the VA. Yes, there were a couple of civilian medical providers but I wouldn't even send a Dog to them. In that 6 months, the VA really settled down to a top notched medical care facility. Before, it was send you home to die. But not anymore. Now, the Civilian Medical is the one that just send you home to die unless you have lots of money.

BTW, that tax break thing, My Medicare went up, my Tricare went up and I didn't see a dime in a pay raise in either my Military Retired Pay or my SS. What I do see is everything around me going up and up in cost to live. And more and more civilians not getting the health care they need or even the food they need to live on if they are in the lower 1/3 of the wage earners.

Being able to use the VA Hospital, I consider myself extremely lucky and don't see how anyone making less than 35K a year with a family can make ends meet these days in the civilian world. Yes, let's make America Great but it was already great. We seem to be breaking it.