PeakTrader.com Forum Index PeakTrader.com
Economics, Portfolio Optimization, and Technical Analysis
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 
Log inFast Charts

VA Hospital

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic     PeakTrader.com Forum Index -> Articles
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
administrator
Site Admin


Joined: 28 Dec 2005
Posts: 11966

PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 2015 6:01 pm    Post subject: VA Hospital Reply with quote

PeakTrader:

There are lots of undesirable effects from crony capitalism, regulations, subsidies, and taxes.

Who’s going to provide the health care “coverage?” Do we really want a VA hospital style health care system?

We’re in a depressed economy with a struggling middle class. Playing by the rules is becoming foolish.

it seems idealistic we can actually provide universal health care coverage, including for the poor and the aging Baby-Boomers, when there’s no more money or little room for trade-offs, unless we make big changes in priorities.

---

2slugbaits:

Peak Trader I think you’re wrong about the VA. The VA provides excellent healthcare…that’s one reason why so many people literally died waiting for VA care. Those people had the option of going to other non-VA hospitals but chose to wait for VA provided care. The VA was mismanaged by GEN Shinseki and VA leadership was criminal in lying to vets about wait times, but the medical care itself is first class.

I think you have some misconceptions about government. The problem with government provided goods and services is not that the government will undersupply that good or service, but that it will oversupply it. Single provider healthcare risks providing more healthcare than is optimal. Private healthcare has exactly the opposite problem; it tends to undersupply.

President Bush deserves a lot of the blame for the VA’s problems because Team Bush refused to increase VA funding to the extent that was needed. Part of the reason is that Cheney and Rumsfeld would not allow any government policies that implied casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan would be as large as they were. They sold the public on the idea of a low casualty war and expanding VA was not consistent with that message. And part of the problem was that wounds that would have killed soldiers in previous wars were non-fatal in Iraq and Afghanistan because of advances in troop protection. That was good news, but it also increased the number of wounded who needed healthcare rather than caskets. Note that even though bureaucracies are inclined to oversupply a good, in this case Team Bush acted like private sector agents and sought to undersupply VA healthcare.

---

2slugbaits, why would veterans pay for care somewhere else when they can get it free at the VA?

The private sector will meet consumer demands, while government will supply too much of what isn’t needed and too little of what is needed.

One major problem is VA doctors see far fewer patients compared to private sector doctors.

The veteran population has been in decline, while the VA budget increased:

http://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/quickfacts/Gdx-trends.pdf

Veterans Health Administration scandal of 2014 – Wikipedia

Obama Administration investigation

“President Obama’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Rob Nabors, reported to Obama on June 27, 2014 that he found “significant and chronic system failures”, a “corrosive culture”, damaged morale, and a need for additional staff. He reported that the goals for wait times for appointments of no more than 14 days are unrealistic, that data about patient wait times had been falsified by VHA employees, that there are a variety of problems with safety and integrity within the VHA, and that transparency and accountability are lacking. In response to the report, the Republican chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Representative Jeff Miller, said, “It appears the White House has finally come to terms with the serious and systemic VA health care problems we’ve been investigating and documenting for years” and that he would work with the White House to fix the problems. The independent chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Bernie Sanders, said, “No organization the size of VA can operate effectively without a high level of transparency and accountability. Clearly that is not the case now at the VA.””

---

Steve:

As a vet and physician, let me correct at least one thing here for you. Many vets are not eligible for VA care. The total population of veterans is not the important factor in VA expenditures. The number of people eligible, and the severity of injury/disease are major factors. The recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are a big deal for the VA. Also, Agent Orange exposure was recently deemed a valid cause for eligibility. So, in fact, the VA was actually hit with a large influx of patients. As to the quality of care, it is generally rated quite highly. Most vets like it and want to keep the VA running. Yes, the wait times of 14 days were unrealistic, as we don’t meet those in the private sector. Fortunately, this was mostly a problem at relatively few VA facilities, mostly those which have to deal with a large influx of seasonal patients.

---

PeakTrader:

It has always been the case many vets are not eligible for VA care. it may be easier to get now, but the declining population of vets is an important factor.

U.S. medicine has high standards. However, it seems, below average doctors would be attracted to the VA. They can’t be sued for malpractice and have government protections, although they’re paid less.

Nonetheless, I’m sure, vets are satisfied with the VA. Would you be more satisfied paying $30 for a filet mignon dinner or paying nothing for a sirloin steak dinner? And, isn’t it true those vets receive a check each month based on the percentage of their disability rating, along with other benefits?

---
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic     PeakTrader.com Forum Index -> Articles All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by PeakTrader 2.0.8 © 2001, 2002