This part of McCain's plan I'm not sure I like.

http://www.military.com/news/article/mccain-plan-moves-...ml?col=1186032310810

Notice the point of orgin (SF) and I would guess this to be Left Wing propaganda. Seems a lot of this was in Hill's speech last night. Hopefully McCain and Obama will come out with a plan for the VA that all can look at and decide. Not just some vague statement edited and printed by some Leftist newspaper.

As a Vet with a service connected disability I can appreciate what McCain is trying to do. Along with my Service connected disability and other medical issues that the VA was trying to take care of, I was having to drive over an hour once a month to the nearest VA hospital when we lived in Washington State. Then the clinic would get behind schedual so that added to the time I was away from work. I also felt quite bad taking up doctors and nurses valuable time for them to check my relatively minor stuff when some War Injured Vets, who if they did have work and insurance they were probably back into entry level work until they got themselves established, could be getting that care.

If this option had been available to me, I could have gotten most of my care taken care of at our local small town doctor and only went up about every 6 months or a year for the major injury checkups.

Notice that the plan is not to cut the Vets loose from the VA system to hang on their own but provide them with a medical voucher so they have additional choices they can make on how to receive treatment. This will alleviate some of the outpatient clogging going on at the VA centers.

I can see where the VA will establish a priority to patients and take the highest priority first and if there was space available, then open up the appointments for the rest but give the low priority patients (minor issues or those issues which just require routine follow up) the option to go to their family physician or local doctor. This will allow the Vet, their personal doctor, and the VA docotrs who first treated the Vet, work together to determine the best course of treatment and follow up actions to provide the best care for the medical issues the Vet has.

I agree that the VA must still provide care for all vets, whom sacrificed life as they once knew it, and ensure that all future Vets receive the same quality care. There must also be some mandate that if a soldier/sailor/flyboy who is injured in a war zone or directly supporting the efforts of a war/conflict/polioce action/whatever you want to call it, that injury should be classified as a Combat injury and initial care must be accomplished at a VA facility since the VA facilities are equiped and have experience working with these injuries.


The article also stated that Bush did not hire enough doctors and fully staffed the VA faciltities before going to war. He was so far behind the 8 ball when he took the job after 8 years of Klinton cuts to the VA system. I had 4 appointments canceled the first 2 years I got out of the service because of slashes to funding or shut down of the VA outpatient clinics during the Klinton admin. They were just getting staffing back to acceptable levels at the Hospital and outpatient clinic I was using in Washington. I understand that was a fight with Congress to fund the VA instead of the other social programs and special projects they wanted to fund to get re-elected.

You explained it very well for me adrenaline_junkie. It sounds like it would be more convenient for our vets and they would still get the care they needed.

Mornin adrenaline_junkie_ff
If all that you say is what they will do, then that would be 0k. But I went to the loco hospital once here in Ky and they took my VA card and called the VA to make sure they could treat me. The VA said yes, go ahead and treat me. Then after the treatment they told the hospital that they would only pay a certain amount. Now that part might cause problems in the future. The hospital lost money on me that time. I know how the system works now with the VA, all in all it ain't bad. My problem is I get a funny feeling when the government tell me they are going to make things better. I don't know why, but I do.. McCain is a vet so we shall see. I know I have to vote for him, I have no choice there. Although I wouldn't bet a large sum of money on him winning.

adrenaline_junkie_ff - well said.

My husband is also a vet (from Viet Nam). He has used the VA services at Cheyenne, WY. He has gotten very good care i.e. phyicals and medications. A very nice VA doctor's office opened up in Greeley, CO and the care and service has been very good.

I think since McCain is a vet he will do what he can to help the VA system for our vets.

Kaye

05 Honda Rincon - BigHorns

I am with the goverment and I am here to help!!



I had a similar experience when I was sent to a private hospital under contract by the VA for some MRIs on my knee since the VA hospital didn't have the equipment. I ended up with a bill from the Private which I in turn took to my VA doctor. It took some doing but we finally got things straightened out.

Hobbles---
I agree with you 100%. If McCain and Congress agree to go this route then as vets I beleive we have an obligation to ensure that the change is for the better by getting in contact with our reps and senators.

Thanks for the information as it helps us arm ourselves as we need.

Afternoon adrenaline_junkie_ff
You are 100% right bout getting in contact with our reps. Even our VA reps. I'm on my 28 year as a member of the American Legion. We had a very good VA rep out west and he would be at the American Legion meetings all over his area. He would listen and make us heard. The American Legion (as you know) pull a lot of weight..

quote:

Originally posted by adrenaline_junkie_ff:


I had a similar experience when I was sent to a private hospital under contract by the VA for some MRIs on my knee since the VA hospital didn't have the equipment. I ended up with a bill from the Private which I in turn took to my VA doctor. It took some doing but we finally got things straightened out.

We went through very much the same with my dad (disabled, amputee, former POW WWII) he went to the VA hospital with pneumonia and they didn't have a bed so they put him into an ambulance and shipped him to a private hospital. We were most of a year getting the billing straightened out (VA did finally pay it all, but we got bills and had to keep forwarding them).

Bruce

I will Be Voting

McCain...all the way............