VA chief calls House budget proposal 'inadequate'

With over a decade of fighting, they are going to have to completely revamp the VA for the growing Vet population.. not cut, expand.

I've been telling people for a while now, the GOP is not our friend. Cutting $690m from an already stretched VA? Yeah, things can be improved (and are!) but it takes time.

Next they'll want to gut our retirement and privatize the VA instead of fix it. Oh wait...

I was talking to a rep from the VA about this problem, what most veterans don't realize is that while all VA facilities are part of the overall VA system, each one runs their own policies and procedures as long as they follow the VA paperwork system. It is why VA service is better at some facilities and not at others. It should also be noted that most VA hospitals themselves are administered by people who are not Veterans.

I started my time with the VA in Manhattan VA and now am with the Northport VA on Long Island. As everyone knows if you have a non-emergency and need to see a doctor during the day it falls under the ER still. With Northport VA that means waiting at the ER for your name to be called. While at Manhattan VA they set up non-emergency section of the ER. doctors have a small office, when you go in too see them you are set an appointment time to see one based on your place in line. So you know you are going to see the doctor at a certain time, just like an appointment, and don't have to sit there for 3 hours waiting for them to call your name because an emergency came in.

A lot of these decisions also depend on the medical school that the VA is connected too and how many doctors that school provides. The VA is a training hospital, and each school provides a certain amount of doctors per section, sadly if the school does not specialize in an area that are gets fewer doctors.

And also as some of you realize the VA is way behind the times. They have my healthevet, but it is not app friendly. They have telehealth, but it is only being used by a few doctors and not standard across the board. At times doctors hands are being tied for what they can do for you.