Congress Holds A Va Scandal Hearing & No One Showed Up...

[Commander Bob]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/22/politics/va-waiting-lists/

[Commander Bob]

JMHO. The issue of Gen. Shinseki's time in office is like mixing apples with oranges, which only distracts from the problem, and is just another rabbit trail...

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was established as a Cabinet-level position on March 15, 1989. Gen. Shinseki is only the seventh Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He has only been there since 2009.

It has been said "Shinseki has been the best Secretary of Veterans Affairs since General Omar Bradley in 1945. Period. " http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/21/1299061/-Sec-General-Eric-Shinseki-I-Am-Confident-We-Need-Him-To-Stay#

History: Bureau of Pensions established in the War Department by an act of March 2, 1833 (4 Stat. 622), as the Office of the Commissioner of Pensions from the preexisting Pension Bureau (established 1815), which had been the successor, with the Land Warrant Bureau, to the Military Bounty Lands and Pension Branch (established ca. 1810). Transferred with bureau status to the Department of the Interior by the act creating the department, March 3, 1849 (9 Stat. 395). Consolidated with the U.S. Veterans Bureau and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers to form the Veterans Administration, 1930. The bureau was designated the Pension Service, July 1, 1931, and was functionally absorbed into the VA, April 1, 1936.

Cmdr. Bob

[jcolwell]

Fox News out of NY just announced that VA is now going to allow veterans to seek care at private medical facilities. No detail yet but they are saying this is first step to fixing capacity problem.

Great news for all the vets . PC

[jcolwell]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will allow more veterans to obtain health care at private hospitals and clinics.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced the change Saturday.

He says VA facilities are enhancing their clinic capacity to help veterans get care sooner. In cases where officials cannot increase capacity at VA centers, Shinseki says the agency is "increasing the care we acquire in the community through non-VA care."

The VA is facing allegations that veterans have died while awaiting treatment at VA centers, and that employees have falsified appointment records to cover up delays in care.

Arizona Sen. John McCain and other lawmakers have called for the VA to allow more veterans to receive medical care at private hospitals.

[john999]

I read that if a vet can't get an appointment within 30 days he/she can get care at private doctor or hospital. Who is going to enforce this and how will it work? You sure can't just go to a non VA provider after 30 days and get the VA to pay. There has to be a finding of some sort and paperwork. I call the VA scheduling office and ask to see a cardiologist. No cardiologist available so will I get some sort of authorization to get care from a cardiologist. 30 days for the VA would be light speed. I want care at non VA providers since I am officially housebound. So far I have asked for it and been refused. I know the VA could pay for private care, but I believe they will fight against it because 75% of vets would probably leave the VA system in a heartbeat. What would happen to VA jobs and construction projects?

John

[jcolwell]

John, good points. Having worked in private hospital and role in hospital utilization and case mg, we had so much trouble getting VA to pay the hospital. If vet came to ER and it was emergency we would treat and admit them even to ICU and worry in the am about money.

I had to call the VA every day asking them if they had a open bed for the Vet so we could transfer patient to them. We logged every call we made in this effort. If they could not take patient back in transfer then we did bill VA and used our log as evidence and we got paid. They complain etc but we finally made them cough us the $$$ we were due .

If vet was discharged and needed his scripts the private hospital paid for his cab voucher and sent him to the clinic in Phoenix so he could get his meds filled. The whole process is a paper nightmare and I think hospitals and private docs will be glad to provide care if contracted etc.

Clearly they need to ID what group, what criteria is needed to start this process right now. For example GI, Cardiac, cancers.........the killers cant wait and need to be done asap. PC

[john999]

JC

I got the VA to pay for some dental work I had done by a private dentist while my TDIU claim was on appeal. The VA dragged their feet. They practically accused my dentist of being a crook. They demanded X-rays and documentation and then one of the Fee Base workers just threw my claim in the trash. They even admitted it. I finally got some (but not all) of my money. My dentist really bent over backwards. He was not used to being called a liar. The VA more or less accused him and me of splitting the fee and faking the claim.

About two weeks ago I had such a bad headache that I thought I was having a stroke or something. I went to local ER. I have good insurance so I did not even bother trying for any reimbursement from the VA. The private hospital did a CT scan right away because my blood pressure was high. I had a severe sinus infection. It felt like my head was coming off it hurt so bad. I can imagine if I had gone to VA ER. I doubt I would have gotten a CT scan. I probably would have waited 5 hours and been told "take the rum and coconut and call me in the morning". If the VA care is so good why don't all vets use it? The answer is obvious that it is either not that great or so inaccessible that they would rather pay co-pay and deductible than use the VA. The system as it exists today is welfare for old doctors, medical schools and foreign doctors. Then there are the doctors and therapists who can't get certification anywhere else.