A Lesson In The Walter Reed Problem

[Annie]

I'm now convinced that it is a real problem, a serious one. There is no way that those that have sacrificed so much, should have less than the best care. No. Way.

With that said, what about the calls for 'national health care'? Links:

http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_03_04-2007_03_10.shtml#1173102395

Socialized Medical Care for Veterans:

If private companies had mismanaged outpatient care for veterans the way the V.A. system has, there would be strong calls from all the usual quarters for a government takeover, and proclamations of how we can't trust "greedy" for-profit companies to take care of veterans. Funny how this thought process doesn't seem to work in reverse, except among "free market ideologues," who have been criticizing the V.A. for years.

Related Posts (on one page):

1. "People Who Don't Believe in Government Do a Bad Job of Running It":
2. Socialized Medical Care for Veterans:

 

[CSM]

It's all about money. No one wants to pay for a fully articulated artificial limb when a peg leg will do....gotta be frugal ya know! When the budget gets cut for the military, it's not just less beans and bullets for the troops!

As for the entirely inexcusable mismanagement and shoddy treatment by caregivers....all I can say is that some people are asses...even nurses and doctors and case wrokers and therapists and....

 

[90K]

Yeah but Walter Reed was on the BRAC and I suspect it was in the cards to limit fixing up the place because they knew Ft. Belvior was scheduled to have a new hospital built. I could be wrong but nobody has mentioned the BRAC.
This story kind of follows along lines of a base closure when they have contracts on the books for jobs to be completed. You know the G will go ahead and allow for the contracted work to be completed even though the facility is going to close. In other words it is cheaper to complete the job than haggle over pay off of incomplete work and many times it cost more.
I hope these troops will be tended to in the right manner, you know it is one thing to hear rhetoric on the news in the field and another to first hand experience it once at home with no choices.....

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2...0513_1063.html

 

[CSM]

Yeah but Walter Reed was on the BRAC and I suspect it was in the cards to limit fixing up the place because they knew Ft. Belvior was scheduled to have a new hospital built. I could be wrong but nobody has mentioned the BRAC.
This story kind of follows along lines of a base closure when they have contracts on the books for jobs to be completed. You know the G will go ahead and allow for the contracted work to be completed even though the facility is going to close. In other words it is cheaper to complete the job than haggle over pay off of incomplete work and many times it cost more.
I hope these troops will be tended to in the right manner, you know it is one thing to hear rhetoric on the news in the field and another to first hand experience it once at home with no choices.....

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2...0513_1063.html

Great point about the BRAC....I suspect the BRAC has affected many things at different posts....

 

[Annie]

It's all about money. No one wants to pay for a fully articulated artificial limb when a peg leg will do....gotta be frugal ya know! When the budget gets cut for the military, it's not just less beans and bullets for the troops!

As for the entirely inexcusable mismanagement and shoddy treatment by caregivers....all I can say is that some people are asses...even nurses and doctors and case wrokers and therapists and....

So far, I don't know what BRAC is, but I will say, I believe our troops deserve and taxes collected should pay for the best accomodations for their injuries. Be it prothesis, surgeries, rehab, etc. For those severely wounded, there should be transportation and accomodations provided.

For those released, there should be reasonably accessible rehab follow up facilities. If what I've been reading is true, many are discharged to places where the rehab for brain injuries is non-existant to sub-par. Not OK for those that have sacrificed on behalf of our country.

 

[CSM]

So far, I don't know what BRAC is, but I will say, I believe our troops deserve and taxes collected should pay for the best accomodations for their injuries. Be it prothesis, surgeries, rehab, etc. For those severely wounded, there should be transportation and accomodations provided.

For those released, there should be reasonably accessible rehab follow up facilities. If what I've been reading is true, many are discharged to places where the rehab for brain injuries is non-existant to sub-par. Not OK for those that have sacrificed on behalf of our country.

BRAC = Base Re-alinement And Closure; Mandated by Congress and wanted for a long time by the military. It really is a double edged sword because once a base or facility gets on that list, the military spends as little money as possible on it. The other side is that each base that is closed has to be "cleaned up" (some are worse than others) before it can be turned over to the civilian sector. Those clean up costs can be huge!

All the other statements you make are right in line with my thinking!

 

[gabosaurus]

Perhaps the government should consider giving fewer kickbacks and bonuses to defense contractors and invest more in health care.
But the Bush administration views the military like major colleges view football players. You use them for as long as you can, then you kick them to the curb. Why spend money on people you can't use anymore?

 

[Annie]

Perhaps the government should consider giving fewer kickbacks and bonuses to defense contractors and invest more in health care.
But the Bush administration views the military like major colleges view football players. You use them for as long as you can, then you kick them to the curb. Why spend money on people you can't use anymore?

Perhaps the VA like healthcare in general should just be privatized? Those who can do. The government can't. And you would have them do this to 'poor children.' Shame on you.

 

[90K]

Perhaps the government should consider giving fewer kickbacks and bonuses to defense contractors and invest more in health care.
But the Bush administration views the military like major colleges view football players. You use them for as long as you can, then you kick them to the curb. Why spend money on people you can't use anymore?

I don't totally agree on this statement because it wouldn't matter who is the President the same thing could happen. I can only imagine what Hillary might do, remember Somalia?
The VA should be a separate part of the process IMO and not because I have a disability either, but because they would get and have better facilities to treat vets who need the assistance

 

[glockmail]

Perhaps the government should consider giving fewer kickbacks and bonuses to defense contractors and invest more in health care.
But the Bush administration views the military like major colleges view football players. You use them for as long as you can, then you kick them to the curb. Why spend money on people you can't use anymore?

I knew this was comin'. Typical Bush Basher.

The VA has been a shit-hole for decades, and YOU blame Bush.

Pitiful.

 

[nukeman]

I knew this was comin'. Typical Bush Basher.

The VA has been a shit-hole for decades, and YOU blame Bush.

Pitiful.

I'm with you on this 100%. I did rotations thru 2 VA hospitals in the early 9o's . They were crap then and they are crap now.

The only difference now is that it is affecting the VA where a lot of congressional members would go. Now its a problem!!! This has been an issue since the VA system was started.

The government needs to just privatize the whole system or just give all of our vets a medical insurance plan.

Here is a little info for those of you not familiar with the VA system

1. you dont need a US medical license to be employeed as a physician.
2. They do not answer to any other government agency on health.
3. They dont have to abide by state health codes.
4. They dont have answer to the EPA, or the NRC
5. They dont have to adhere to JCAHO standards like every other hosp.
6........

The list could go on and on. but I think you see where I'm going with this.

The VA system has been broken for so many years it is imposible to fix. Sell everything and privately insure all of our vets. They would get much better care. A lot of people work in a VA because they have more lax requirements when it comes to licensure and other standards of care...

 

[CSM]

I'm with you on this 100%. I did rotations thru 2 VA hospitals in the early 9o's . They were crap then and they are crap now.

The only difference now is that it is affecting the VA where a lot of congressional members would go. Now its a problem!!! This has been an issue since the VA system was started.

The government needs to just privatize the whole system or just give all of our vets a medical insurance plan.

Here is a little info for those of you not familiar with the VA system

1. you dont need a US medical license to be employeed as a physician.
2. They do not answer to any other government agency on health.
3. They dont have to abide by state health codes.
4. They dont have answer to the EPA, or the NRC
5. They dont have to adhere to JCAHO standards like every other hosp.
6........

The list could go on and on. but I think you see where I'm going with this.

The VA system has been broken for so many years it is imposible to fix. Sell everything and privately insure all of our vets. They would get much better care. A lot of people work in a VA because they have more lax requirements when it comes to licensure and other standards of care...

Interestingly enough, I have had some dealings with the VA...some were good and some were bad....the VA in Togas up in Maine is just awesome.....great people, great facility....

 

[nukeman]

Interestingly enough, I have had some dealings with the VA...some were good and some were bad....the VA in Togas up in Maine is just awesome.....great people, great facility....

I'll say the two that I had intimate knowledge with were totaly differnt. See the one was litteraly a "show" hospital where congresmen and senators would be shown how a VA works and looks.

The other was a total shit hole, unfortunately if you wanted something done you had to go the crappy one because the other was always having someone important coming thru so you wouldnt get service...

 

[CSM]

I'll say the two that I had intimate knowledge with were totaly differnt. See the one was litteraly a "show" hospital where congresmen and senators would be shown how a VA works and looks.

The other was a total shit hole, unfortunately if you wanted something done you had to go the crappy one because the other was always having someone important coming thru so you wouldnt get service...

I don't doubt it one bit.... I think too where the facility is located has a lot to do with it. My state really does try to keep things at the highest level...but then they like vets and soldiers anyway...benefit of living in a small state.