Friday, July 25, 2014

The Answer to the VA Problem.


You've no doubt read about the problem at the Veterans Administration Hospitals.  For those who've been living under a Wal-Mart dumpster, here it is in brief:

The V.A., the second largest budget item in our multi-trillion dollar economy, has been lying through its false teeth about exactly whom, and where, and how often it's been treating our vets.  Those who have agreed to fight and die for us deserve for us to keep our promise.  And that promise is that, when they need health care, they will receive it.  But the V.A. bureaucrats have been lying about delivering it. They've been lying about scheduling it.  And the result is at least 1,000 of our best and bravest have died waiting for care that would never come.  For shame.

We now have proof that certain of the V.A. hospitals, at least 47 of them in fact, have kept shadow lists of those awaiting care.  They've pretended that there's no extended waiting period, even though many of our vets have been forced to wait for six, or seven, or eight months, or even longer.  And some, those with cancer or heart disease, as an example, have been forced to wait so long that they have died awaiting care.  For double shame, again.

Why?  It appears those shadow lists were maintained to give the appearance that patient "throughput" was better than it really was.  The weenies that push paper around on their desks wanted to give the appearance that clinic visits were arranged and patients were seen in under a month, when in reality it was far too often several times that.  Why?  Money. No, not the money it would take to generate greater efficiencies, but the money the weenies wanted to earn in increased bonuses.  Pure greed.  That's why our vets were sentenced to death.  Shame, shame, shame.

Well, my friends, I have the answer to this problem.  There are 153 V.A. hospitals.  There are 773 community-based V.A. outpatient centers.  And there are 260 V.A. mental health centers.  I say close them all!  

I say abolish the Veterans Administration, sell off the property and issue Medicare cards to each and every one of our veterans.  I say give our vets the same care we give our seniors.  They've earned it.  Give it to them.  And stop trying to run a separate and distinct socialist-style healthcare system solely for our veterans.  It hasn't worked.  It will never work. I've lived a long and fruitful life, and throughout that fruitful life the V.A. has never, ever worked.  Nor will the socialist-style Obamacare the Gummint is trying its socialist best to inaugurate.  Give up, you bureaucrats!  Give up and use some common sense for a change!  

Eliminate the Veterans Administration and replace it with Medicare!

Did you know that the V.A. Wadsworth Hospital in Los Angeles covers an area of about one-half square mile? That's about 320 of the most valuable acres on the tony west-side of L.A.  That's about the most expensive ground in all of America.  My conservative estimate is that this dirt is worth about ONE BILLION DOLLARS!  Now expand that estimate to include all the other hospitals, and the clinics, and we're talking some serious money.  Serious even for Government numbers.  I say sell it all!  Sell it and use the proceeds to shore-up Medicare and reduce the Federal debt!

Got it?  I thought you might.  Now if you'd just put pen to paper, or put fingertips to keyboard, and pass along your thoughts to your elected representatives about this issue, perhaps we might finally put an end to this painful, expensive and shameful episode.  

By the way, I utilize the services of the V.A.  I'm a vet.  And I'm on Medicare.  I know intimately the strengths and weaknesses of each system.  I'm therefore eminently qualified to opine on this subject.  Those of you who haven't, or aren't, don't get an opinion.  So but out.

Thanks aren't necessary.  It's why God put me here...

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