Posted on Sep 15, 2015
Remember Ben Carson's comment on closing the VA? Would you believe he just doubled down?
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"Carson: Shutter VA healthcare system"
Think it is a re-post?
This is from Mr. Carson's Monday comment!
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GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson said on Monday that military veteran care requires such a drastic overhaul, he’ll end the Veterans Health Administration if he wins the White House.
“When it comes to veterans’ care, Americans are rightfully outraged, and can no longer be content with business as usual,” Carson wrote in a USA Today op-ed.
“The VA is like the federal version of the Department of Motor Vehicles: inefficient, incompetent and infuriating,” he said. “Except the VA is much worse: at least the DMV’s long wait times do not kill its applicants.”
Carson said his background as a neurosurgeon makes him skeptical that Veteran Affairs can rehabilitate its ailing healthcare system.
“These failures cannot stand,” Carson added. “At a minimum, the Veterans Health Administration should be eliminated to forge a 21st Century veterans health care solution.”
Carson said he is outraged by the agency’s delays, corruption and poor service for former military personnel.
“The astonishing findings of public and private audits have turned out to be much worse than anyone suspected,” Carson wrote.
“Decades of effort and billions of taxpayer dollars have been thrown at ‘fixing’ the VA, and the results have been abysmal,” he said. “The backlog of veterans waiting for treatment or even disability classification is stupendous, and drives them to frustration and even desperation.”
Carson argued on Monday that the VA must increase its speed and efficiency in dealing with veterans’ medical needs.
It must also improve its programs for helping veterans re-enter civilian life, he said.
Carson’s remarks come amid surging enthusiasm for the retired doctor across multiple national polls.
He currently ranks second in the race for next year’s GOP presidential nomination with 16.8 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of samplings.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/253615-carson-shutter-va-healthcare-system
Think it is a re-post?
This is from Mr. Carson's Monday comment!
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GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson said on Monday that military veteran care requires such a drastic overhaul, he’ll end the Veterans Health Administration if he wins the White House.
“When it comes to veterans’ care, Americans are rightfully outraged, and can no longer be content with business as usual,” Carson wrote in a USA Today op-ed.
“The VA is like the federal version of the Department of Motor Vehicles: inefficient, incompetent and infuriating,” he said. “Except the VA is much worse: at least the DMV’s long wait times do not kill its applicants.”
Carson said his background as a neurosurgeon makes him skeptical that Veteran Affairs can rehabilitate its ailing healthcare system.
“These failures cannot stand,” Carson added. “At a minimum, the Veterans Health Administration should be eliminated to forge a 21st Century veterans health care solution.”
Carson said he is outraged by the agency’s delays, corruption and poor service for former military personnel.
“The astonishing findings of public and private audits have turned out to be much worse than anyone suspected,” Carson wrote.
“Decades of effort and billions of taxpayer dollars have been thrown at ‘fixing’ the VA, and the results have been abysmal,” he said. “The backlog of veterans waiting for treatment or even disability classification is stupendous, and drives them to frustration and even desperation.”
Carson argued on Monday that the VA must increase its speed and efficiency in dealing with veterans’ medical needs.
It must also improve its programs for helping veterans re-enter civilian life, he said.
Carson’s remarks come amid surging enthusiasm for the retired doctor across multiple national polls.
He currently ranks second in the race for next year’s GOP presidential nomination with 16.8 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of samplings.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/253615-carson-shutter-va-healthcare-system
Election 2016
Republicans
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 24
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To be fair, he is not saying "Don't take care of Veterans" he is saying "This organization is incapable of taking care of Veterans, we need a better solution."
I've alluded to to that with my rants on the Dept of Veterans Affairs.
I have not once seen him say Veterans should not be taken care of. I have not seen any candidate say that. What I have seen is debate on HOW it should be accomplished. Some say "fix" the system. Some say "revamp" the system. He is saying "scrap" the system, and put it back on the originating organization. Honestly that approach has some merit.
I've alluded to to that with my rants on the Dept of Veterans Affairs.
I have not once seen him say Veterans should not be taken care of. I have not seen any candidate say that. What I have seen is debate on HOW it should be accomplished. Some say "fix" the system. Some say "revamp" the system. He is saying "scrap" the system, and put it back on the originating organization. Honestly that approach has some merit.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
GySgt Michael Lange Resubmitting a claim is the very first step in the process in that very L>O>N>G process of judicial appeal.
You can stand by that anecdotal evidence all day long. Fraud still only makes up 5%~ of issues. It's not "high" by any stretch of the imagination. However 883 day wait times for the appeal process are. 6-12 wait times for claim review are, only to be initially denied because you feel 1 in 20 "could be" fraudulent.
You want to assume guilt rather than innocence, of people who have already served our nation. That's how I read your statements.
You can stand by that anecdotal evidence all day long. Fraud still only makes up 5%~ of issues. It's not "high" by any stretch of the imagination. However 883 day wait times for the appeal process are. 6-12 wait times for claim review are, only to be initially denied because you feel 1 in 20 "could be" fraudulent.
You want to assume guilt rather than innocence, of people who have already served our nation. That's how I read your statements.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
GySgt Michael Lange "My guess is. A legitimate claim would probably only take 30 days."
You are out of your mind. You speak anecdotally about a process you obviously have no clue about. My first claim, which I had AMPLE & EXACTING documentation on took 8 months. 8 Months. Not 30 days.
So before you start spouting off BS timeframes which "you really don't know anything about" which that magic 30 day number you've spewed. By the way the VA tracks things in "less than 125 days" (Inventory) or "greater than 125 days" (Backlog). So here is some figures for the last few years.
http://vetclaimappeals.com/va-disability-claims-backlog/
You are out of your mind. You speak anecdotally about a process you obviously have no clue about. My first claim, which I had AMPLE & EXACTING documentation on took 8 months. 8 Months. Not 30 days.
So before you start spouting off BS timeframes which "you really don't know anything about" which that magic 30 day number you've spewed. By the way the VA tracks things in "less than 125 days" (Inventory) or "greater than 125 days" (Backlog). So here is some figures for the last few years.
http://vetclaimappeals.com/va-disability-claims-backlog/
VA Disability Claims Backlog - Vet Claim Appeals
Get a professional veterans advocate who will fight for your claim to be approved. Don't become another victim caught in the VA disability claims backlog.
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PO1 James Grady
He's absolutely right. I have been disabled since 1990. I am awed by the built-in latency at the VA. For one procedure I have a 5 min. consult in Dec. ...Just made the appointment 3 weeks ago. Then it will most likely take 2-3 months for the test. Then if some minor side thing should pop up, I will have to go through the entire process again....wtf??? It is a dystopian nightmare.
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LCDR (Join to see)
I'm really glad you posted this Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS because a lot of people only read the start of it and assume he is saying that. He's saying we can take care of Veterans better without a separate VA.
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I honestly think he has a good idea. Letting the DOD handle all that, the transfer of paperwork could make our lives easier, without so much redundancy and red tape.
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MAJ (Join to see)
I concur, so long as the budgets are not transferrable, VA has long been managed by the blind. DOD would be a much better advocate.
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SGM Steve Wettstein
SSG (Join to see) We just need to remember that it is a campaign promise and we all know how those go.
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SGT (Join to see)
GySgt Michael Lange, You're correct. If SSG (Join to see), thinks things are messed up now, he hasn't seen anything yet if the DOD took control. There miliions and millions of VA paperwork that the DOD would have to go through. No way this would work or help.
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I don't think it is fair to compare Ben to Obama on campaign promises. Obama is a professional politician. He has never had a real job. Carson has seen a need for something other than lip service for America and I think he really wants to make a change to the way the government does business.
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SGT James Hastings
I totally agree with what you say, Sgt Howell. I read Mr. Obama's story about his father and his life growing up and it sounded honest. Which is to say he never grew up in an American home. He grew up in Indonesia, going to a Musllim school under a false name supplied by his step-father so he could get an education. His grandparents were strong influences in his life and they were active and rich socialists in America. He worked maybe less than 2 years learning how to organize inner city black people in Chicago before becoming a Senator and then although he voted seldom during his tenure he suddenly became catapulted into the Presidency. Somewhere after graduating college he taught Constitutional law part time and then became a lawyer briefly so he has no real touch with the common people in the US. He doesn't share the common beliefs nor has he been exposed to poverty other than watching others as his white rich grandparents supported him through college. As a lawyer (he and his wife) they bought a very expensive home compared to their salaries, which were close to that of a Congress person as lawyers. Ben Carson pulled himself up, graduating college and then becoming a highly respected neurosurgeon, earning a very handsome earned income. He has grown up in America, with all of its class struggles and economic difficulties and overcame them on his own. But, that said, Jimmy Carter looked like a very good President but he never had any base of support from his party and so affected little legislative change during his time in office. I would hate to see Dr. Carson suffer the same because his ideals don't seem to mesh with mainstream America: they are higher.
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SGT James Hastings
I would agree that it would be unfair to compare the two men. One was born in Hawaii when it was a territory and grew up with a Muslim step-father in Indonesia. His main adult influence, other than his mother, seems to have been his white maternal grandfather who I've read is an active Socialist. So, not having any childhood suffering or problems and having rich white relatives that may have paid for his education at very good schools as well as relatively little low level work history before becoming a Senator where he wasn't very active and seldom voted but somehow was catapulted into the Presidency without much understanding or appreciation for how America has struggled over the centuries he was ill equipped to be a President. Dr. Carson, as far as I know grew up here, worked his way through school and became a highly respected neurosurgeon and has been an active paid public speaker on Americanism since retiring. I would vote for him but am also afraid that like Jimmy Carter who seemed like a nice man didn't have the support of his party and therefore made little impact on government and laws during his term in office. I would not wish that on Dr. Carson. If the party supports him and he is elected then possibly we can start enacting viable laws.
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SGT William Howell
SGT James Hastings That was a really good comparison to Jimmy Carter. I always thought Carter was a nice guy...terrible politician. I would like to believe that Dr. Carson is not that same type of man. I have been a fan of his for years and really think he is what we are needing in the White House. I would love to see someone with morals lead this country and get congress back on the right track to making the country grow without selling us out.
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I think it's rather easy to sit there from the outside and make such comments. Does the VA need an overhaul, heck yeah it does but is shutting down the system the responsible action to take? Heck no. The problems within the VA start at the top. It's not necessarily the fault of the average VA Health Care employee that these shortcomings are happening. Most of the time, the average employee has only the best in mind for the Veteran but due to judgement calls made at the highest of levels, their hands are tied.
Do I know the best way to resolve the issue? No but I don't agree with shutting it all down and trying to rebuild a new system while thousands of men and women wait on the sidelines waiting to receive treatment.
Do I know the best way to resolve the issue? No but I don't agree with shutting it all down and trying to rebuild a new system while thousands of men and women wait on the sidelines waiting to receive treatment.
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COL Vincent Stoneking
Here is a plan that would resolve about 80% of the problems in a matter of months:
Every veteran entitled to free VA care instead gets to chose one of the health insurance programs available to federal employees, with the premium and co-pays paid by the VA. (Kinda sorta like the Veteran's choice program, but without the hoops)
Bear with me, second cup of coffee of the day.... That one sentence would probably need to be expanded to about 20-25 pages to cover the various treatment categories correctly/appropriately. Especially to counter the moral hazard aspects of the proposal (perhaps tweaking the copays, and having some categories contribute to the premiums, etc). That said, the "I have to travel 100 miles to be seen, after waiting 4 months to get an appointment, only to have them cancel it on me and only tell me when I check in" would disappear overnight. There would still be a need for the VA for the other 20% or so of care that actually requires specialized knowledge of VETERANS (not medicine in general, the VA has no special skill there). But we would be having an entirely different discussion.
The above is, of course, a non-starter.
Every veteran entitled to free VA care instead gets to chose one of the health insurance programs available to federal employees, with the premium and co-pays paid by the VA. (Kinda sorta like the Veteran's choice program, but without the hoops)
Bear with me, second cup of coffee of the day.... That one sentence would probably need to be expanded to about 20-25 pages to cover the various treatment categories correctly/appropriately. Especially to counter the moral hazard aspects of the proposal (perhaps tweaking the copays, and having some categories contribute to the premiums, etc). That said, the "I have to travel 100 miles to be seen, after waiting 4 months to get an appointment, only to have them cancel it on me and only tell me when I check in" would disappear overnight. There would still be a need for the VA for the other 20% or so of care that actually requires specialized knowledge of VETERANS (not medicine in general, the VA has no special skill there). But we would be having an entirely different discussion.
The above is, of course, a non-starter.
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LTC (Join to see)
I'm not a fan of Ben Carson, mostly on account of his anti-immigrant, anti-gay, anti-choice positions and extremely religious campaigning, but I do agree with him that the VA system as it currently stands needs to be replaced.
Perhaps a better option that using federal employee system as a replacement is using TriCare, but only with no deductible or copay.
I'm a reservist and fractured the scaphoid (a small bone in the wrist) last year. The injury was not LOD, and using my TriCare Reserve Select I consulted a hand surgeon of my choice, had surgery that required a bone graft and a titanium screw. The surgeon ordered a special water cooling system for my cast and an ultrasound bone healing machine. When the cast came off, he ordered 20 weeks of physical therapy and some special splints.
The total cost out-of-pocket for me was my $1000 family deductible and about $4 in copays on the pain medication. There were no waits, no long drives and no fuss. That system could likely be expanded to include veterans eligible for VA care today at a lower cost than the current system.
Perhaps a better option that using federal employee system as a replacement is using TriCare, but only with no deductible or copay.
I'm a reservist and fractured the scaphoid (a small bone in the wrist) last year. The injury was not LOD, and using my TriCare Reserve Select I consulted a hand surgeon of my choice, had surgery that required a bone graft and a titanium screw. The surgeon ordered a special water cooling system for my cast and an ultrasound bone healing machine. When the cast came off, he ordered 20 weeks of physical therapy and some special splints.
The total cost out-of-pocket for me was my $1000 family deductible and about $4 in copays on the pain medication. There were no waits, no long drives and no fuss. That system could likely be expanded to include veterans eligible for VA care today at a lower cost than the current system.
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Capt Seid Waddell
LTC (Join to see), SGT Ben Keen, according to Dr. Carson, he will be fleshing out his proposals in the weeks and months to come, but here are his proposals to date:
"At a minimum, the Veterans Health Administration (the entity in the VA that provides health care) should be eliminated to forge a 21st century veterans health care solution. Such a significant organizational change no doubt requires further study and consideration, and I will be providing more details in the weeks and months to come. Meanwhile, the following improvements can and should be made immediately. The health of our brave men and women veterans deserve no less.
•OFFER CHOICE, including health savings accounts (HSAs), to allow veterans to access the best possible medical care at a nearby DOD, VA or civilian medical facility.
•PROVIDE PORTABILITY to allow dollars to follow the veteran, even when away from their primary care locale.
•ENSURE TIMELY RESPONSE for disability claims and medical requirements.
•MAKE SPECIALIZED CARE READILY AVAILABLE by utilizing military and civilian centers of excellence for treatment of military-specific post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, severance of limbs and other issues.
•STRIVE FOR SEAMLESS TRANSITION that equips veterans with education, employment, life skills and continuity of health care to ensure immediate and successful transition into a contributing member of civilian society.
We simply must do better to serve those who have served us so selflessly. No more politics as usual, no more Washington-size excuses. We need results for our vets."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/09/14/ben-carson-president-reform-veterans-administration-column/72219124/
"At a minimum, the Veterans Health Administration (the entity in the VA that provides health care) should be eliminated to forge a 21st century veterans health care solution. Such a significant organizational change no doubt requires further study and consideration, and I will be providing more details in the weeks and months to come. Meanwhile, the following improvements can and should be made immediately. The health of our brave men and women veterans deserve no less.
•OFFER CHOICE, including health savings accounts (HSAs), to allow veterans to access the best possible medical care at a nearby DOD, VA or civilian medical facility.
•PROVIDE PORTABILITY to allow dollars to follow the veteran, even when away from their primary care locale.
•ENSURE TIMELY RESPONSE for disability claims and medical requirements.
•MAKE SPECIALIZED CARE READILY AVAILABLE by utilizing military and civilian centers of excellence for treatment of military-specific post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, severance of limbs and other issues.
•STRIVE FOR SEAMLESS TRANSITION that equips veterans with education, employment, life skills and continuity of health care to ensure immediate and successful transition into a contributing member of civilian society.
We simply must do better to serve those who have served us so selflessly. No more politics as usual, no more Washington-size excuses. We need results for our vets."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/09/14/ben-carson-president-reform-veterans-administration-column/72219124/
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SSG Brian Lovins
LTC (Join to see) - I agree 100 percent, as a retiree from the National Guard I can no longer afford Tricare for retired reserve members, I personally think the VA should only be a pension/monetary benefits (education, etc) and medical still covered through Tricare. I am now on my works insurance and I would give anything to be back on Tricare.
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I like the VA. Takes care of me pretty well. I understand the problems but if it was thrown into the private sector or big insurance, I think it would be worse.
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Ok, so Dr. Carson has half the battle. He knows the problem. So does every Veteran who has dealt with, or knows someone who has dealt with the VA. What concerns me is that he made didn't cover the other w's and the H.
He has the who covered.
What is he going to replace the current VA with? Scrapping the VA is fine, provided that a clear replacement entity is going to be established without denying benefits to those who have earned them. Simply scrapping the VA, and not establishing a replacement is not acceptable.
Where would these new Veteran facilities be located? I.E. are all current VA locations going to be assimilated into this new system, are there going to be fewer facilities, or are there going to be expanded facilities? There are already veterans who have to travel several hours to get to a VA facility for necessary care. Contracting the number of facilities is going to cause issues for those veterans who need not additional stressors.
When would a replacement entity be in place? Washington is notorious for moving at the pace of a dead garden slug. So if the decision was made to mothball the VA, how long will it take Washington to establish a new entity, capable of providing all necessary services, with the necessary improved efficiency? My biggest issue with this is that Washington would very likely kill the VA, then start the debate on what to replace it with. While they are debating, there would be nothing in the way of services for Veterans. So we would end up with nothing replacing bad until new.
Why mothball the VA instead of cleaning house? The VA is broken. The VA needs a complete overhaul. The VA needs to be reborn from the rotting carcass that it has become. I do not argue these points. Dr. Carson made good points in his piece. I will re-iterate that I fear mothballing the current system will lead to a void in Veteran Services. The only way that Dr. Carson's position is attainable, is if he has a clear and concise plan of action for replacing the VA. A plan of action that is going to resolve the problems facing the current VA. It does no good to get rid of the VA if there is nothing in place to provide the necessary Veteran Services.
How much is it going to cost? The Federal Government has a bad habit of spending money it doesn't have. Mothballing the current VA system is going to be expensive. Creating a new system to replace the VA is going to be expensive. Implementing the new system is going to be expensive. There are so many issues facing our nation right now, I worry that an effort to replace the VA is going to end up unfunded leading back to Veterans with no services instead of the poor services that we have now.
So I will close with these questions. Dr. Carson, what is your plan of action to resolve the issue? Can we see your plan put into writing?
I apologize for the long rant.
He has the who covered.
What is he going to replace the current VA with? Scrapping the VA is fine, provided that a clear replacement entity is going to be established without denying benefits to those who have earned them. Simply scrapping the VA, and not establishing a replacement is not acceptable.
Where would these new Veteran facilities be located? I.E. are all current VA locations going to be assimilated into this new system, are there going to be fewer facilities, or are there going to be expanded facilities? There are already veterans who have to travel several hours to get to a VA facility for necessary care. Contracting the number of facilities is going to cause issues for those veterans who need not additional stressors.
When would a replacement entity be in place? Washington is notorious for moving at the pace of a dead garden slug. So if the decision was made to mothball the VA, how long will it take Washington to establish a new entity, capable of providing all necessary services, with the necessary improved efficiency? My biggest issue with this is that Washington would very likely kill the VA, then start the debate on what to replace it with. While they are debating, there would be nothing in the way of services for Veterans. So we would end up with nothing replacing bad until new.
Why mothball the VA instead of cleaning house? The VA is broken. The VA needs a complete overhaul. The VA needs to be reborn from the rotting carcass that it has become. I do not argue these points. Dr. Carson made good points in his piece. I will re-iterate that I fear mothballing the current system will lead to a void in Veteran Services. The only way that Dr. Carson's position is attainable, is if he has a clear and concise plan of action for replacing the VA. A plan of action that is going to resolve the problems facing the current VA. It does no good to get rid of the VA if there is nothing in place to provide the necessary Veteran Services.
How much is it going to cost? The Federal Government has a bad habit of spending money it doesn't have. Mothballing the current VA system is going to be expensive. Creating a new system to replace the VA is going to be expensive. Implementing the new system is going to be expensive. There are so many issues facing our nation right now, I worry that an effort to replace the VA is going to end up unfunded leading back to Veterans with no services instead of the poor services that we have now.
So I will close with these questions. Dr. Carson, what is your plan of action to resolve the issue? Can we see your plan put into writing?
I apologize for the long rant.
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PO1 James Grady
Why create a "system".....Why not fwd all hospital bills towards a Veterans Payment clearinghouse for payment?
So many people have been brainwashed to believe that if there is a problem, the Government needs to create a bigger problem in order to solve a minor one.
So many people have been brainwashed to believe that if there is a problem, the Government needs to create a bigger problem in order to solve a minor one.
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Maybe just maybe he have a better plan for medical treatment for military and veterans, he just not revealing yet. I can't see a doctor wanting to shutdown hospitals it don't make sense.
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One of the most horrible ideas to fix the VA is to move it into the DOD. I agree with the other posters who say this will be the worst thing for veterans ever. I've heard more horror stories, including my own, of how whichever Service treated their folks once injured, ill, wounded, etc. than the VA. DOD would see this as a new piggy bank and would turn veterans away in record numbers.
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I thought Sec. Bob would clean house when he came in. Very disappointed. He is blaming the computers and software, ie "systems" over the people. The people were the ones who fixed the system to make it look like they had no one waiting over a month. All of them, management and personnel should have been FIRED.
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