Enough is Enough

[dukesdad]

Your logic escapes me.

[markberwyn]

  I always thought the VA was a good example of government run health care (until recently).  My dad was a WWII veteran and he used the VA his entire life.  He passed away at the VA hospitol at Roosevelt and 1st Avenue.

But, I think the recent events gives credence to arguments against direct government run health providing.

Is anybody making this argument? Obviously, there are serious problems with the scheduling system, and the bonus program set impossible benchmarks that encouraged staffers to lie about how many people received appointments. But that's not a case for dispensing with the VA healthcare program entirely.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

  I always thought the VA was a good example of government run health care (until recently).  My dad was a WWII veteran and he used the VA his entire life.  He passed away at the VA hospitol at Roosevelt and 1st Avenue.

But, I think the recent events gives credence to arguments against direct government run health providing.

Is anybody making this argument? Obviously, there are serious problems with the scheduling system, and the bonus program set impossible benchmarks that encouraged staffers to lie about how many people received appointments. But that's not a case for dispensing with the VA healthcare program entirely.

Something needs to be done.  My father, a WWII veteran, did not want to use the VA health system when he was sick and dying.  I have a cousin whom I went to a memorial service for today whose brother served in the Army and is disabled and I have another cousin, who served in Vietnam, and has major health issues within the past few years (brain and neck tumors) that are prevalent among Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange who also has used his private health insurance for all his medical problems.  I assume if he made an appointment with a VA doctor for said issues he would probably be dead by now considering the waiting list.  This is a national shame and I am appalled.

[dukesdad]

You get in trouble when you assume. My good friend was exposed to agent orange in Vietnam. He does most of his medical care with private doctors and insurance, but went to Hines about agent orange. A counselor there hooked him up with care and enrolled him in a program that paid him over 75K (cash, non taxable) for his exposure to agent orange. He felt it was well worth the wait.

[mustang54]

  In 1971 my dad suffered a stroke at the age of 42. Had great insurance from where he worked. The hospitals he went to and there were about three couldn't tell us what the cause was. He went to Hines in 72 and they found what caused his stroke. He was in and out of there for years till he passed away in 85 from heart failure at 56. I've been in and out of hospitals myself since 98. Loyola,MacNeal,Rush, and University of Chicago. To be honest I would put Hines V A Hospital up against any of them. The place was amazing. They bought my dad quite a few years. You cannot close those places just because some administrators only care about their own pockets. You have to realize greed has crept into government agencies as it has the private sector. The V A system works and has worked well for decades. Like the private sector it needs a house cleaning once in a while. Humans are at fault not the system.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

You get in trouble when you assume. My good friend was exposed to agent orange in Vietnam. He does most of his medical care with private doctors and insurance, but went to Hines about agent orange. A counselor there hooked him up with care and enrolled him in a program that paid him over 75K (cash, non taxable) for his exposure to agent orange. He felt it was well worth the wait.

I was trying to point out that if my cousin did not have private insurance and was somebody who tried to get medical treatment for his issues from the VA and was put on a waiting list from the VA because of this clusterf**k he would probably be dead now.  I've never heard him talk about getting money from the government for his Agent Orange exposure.  I only know about his condition being related to Agent Orange exposure from his brothers.  In fact, when I just saw him he was pissed that he missed out by a year from his full pension from the Teamsters Union because of his medical issues.  He wanted to retire when he wanted to on his own terms and not because of said medical issues.

[dukesdad]

He or his family might want to inquire with the VA whether he is eligible for the agent orange payment. Don't know the details, I hope he is.