Should the Veterans Admistration do more out sourcing of medical care or no?

2015-02-09T18:17:11-05:00

From personal experience I have been trying to get off pain medication for almost ten years, by getting my neck and lower back surgeries. The problem I keep running into is the problem of waiting six months to a year in order to get appointments done. After years of going through all of this they finally out sourced it to OHSU in Portland, OR and I will have my surgery here in April 2015 after waiting for years.
I have listed a link below to show that the VA does have a network of doctors willing to help with this issue.
http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2014/08/civilian-doc-networks-to-backstop-va-primary-care-too/

Civilian Doctors to Backstop VA Health Care

MILITARY UPDATE: Civilian Doc Networks to Backstop VA Primary Care Too More than two decades ago, when a shrinking military healthcare system saw patient demand exceed its capacity to deliver timel...

Response by SPC(P) Carlos Santini made Feb 9 at 2015 6:19 PM

2015-02-09T18:19:49-05:00

I know that the VA is giving out medical cards know for people that live farther then 40 miles and unable to get a appointment within 30 days they can seek authorization to see a civilian doctor but another question is that doing enough to ease the burden of how many veterans there are versus how many facilities that there are for help?

Response by SGT Jim Z. made Feb 9 at 2015 6:34 PM

2015-02-09T18:34:39-05:00

One way I can see "outsourcing" is to bring contracted doctors into the VA hospitals and clinics where the contract doctors would be used to augment VA medical staff.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 9 at 2015 6:53 PM

2015-02-09T18:53:19-05:00

I think the va shutting down would be huge savings. All medical buildings gone. Think about how many people work there how many you see each time you go. I swear they are the definition of overstaffed inefficient its finest. Yet for 9 months I got a canceled letter every week. Yea the VA sucks at taking care of veterans and services connected like myself are always shafted the most.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Feb 9 at 2015 8:11 PM

2015-02-09T20:11:11-05:00

How long are they going to be able to induce people to step up and defend America when the public learns how poorly we care for our wounded and disabled, active duty and veterans?

Does anyone in the Administration ever think beyond the immediate consequences of their actions?

Oh look, we need more money to buy votes. Where can we get it? Increase taxes? No, that doesn't work. Let's skim some from the military. Yeah, that's good. There are a lot more people willing to trade their votes for entitlements than there are military personnel.

I've seen more good ideas come out of RallyPoint than Congress. Look at the suggestion posted by SGT Jim Z. Augment VA medical staff with contract doctors. Use Reserve duty medical service providers pull duty at VA facilities as well as military medical centers.

There must be better ways of solving problems...

Response by LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® made Feb 9 at 2015 8:13 PM

2015-02-09T20:13:36-05:00

if they need to. I think the priority needs to be the care of the veterans

Response by PVT Robert Gresham made Jun 23 at 2015 1:36 PM

2015-06-23T13:36:12-04:00

Absolutely !! Here in Alaska where there are, for many people, no VA facilities, we have a beautiful system which the VA now wants to use for the entire country. Congress has already passed the, "Choice Act." If your wait time is more than 30 days or you live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA treatment facility you are allowed to seek treatment outside of the VA system.

Unfortunately, the VA is (as usual) having trouble implementing the system that Alaska has already had in place, and has put the Alaska program on hold as well.