deserving vets can't get timely care.

[sfc_darrel]

Gordon Mansfield's legs are paralyzed from a wound suffered at Ia Drang, the Vietnam battle depicted in the movie, "We Were Soldiers."

In June, on orders from his boss, Anthony Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Mansfield wheeled himself into six separate VA clinics in Florida. With service record in hand, he told staff he recently had moved to the area and, as a combat-disabled veteran, sought VA health care.

Four of the six clinics turned him away.


"They couldn't take care of him. They were too booked," said Principi, anger in his voice. "In one of the four clinics, one of my clerks told him, 'Mr. Mansfield, you have to understand that Congress created all veterans equal, so that if some affluent retiree who may have spent one year in uniform came in before you, we have to take him first.' "


In July, Mansfield, who is assistant VA secretary for legislative affairs, was denied access to care at two more clinics in Colorado.

"One clinic told him to go to Salt Lake City? to Utah from Colorado Springs to get his care! And we're talking about a guy who is 100-percent, service-connected, combat!"

That is going to change, Principi vowed during a July 26 interview.

"There is no place in the VA for that?If we can't take care of our service-connected disabled first, then, as far as I'm concerned, we may as well close the doors, because that's why we exist," said the VA secretary.

Because all veterans now have equal access, many of those most deserving, the combat-disabled, are just part of the crowd, often waiting months for VA care, like everyone else.

"I'm concerned it's causing quality to be degraded," Principi said. "To be told you have to wait six months or a year is not good medicine."

Because all veterans now have equal access, many of those most deserving, the combat-disabled, are just part of the crowd, often waiting months for VA care, like everyone else.

"I'm concerned it's causing quality to be degraded," Principi said. "To be told you have to wait six months or a year is not good medicine."

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?...4&article=9763

[judyvillecco]

The Florida clinics need to be investigated big time. There is funny stuff going on at them. Especially the St. Petersburg office! Hopefully he got the care he needed finally! Thanks for the update.

[theoddz]

...that most VA clinics and hospitals are the same way. This situation isn't about just the Florida VA's. This exists all over the country, and probably affects areas with higher veteran populations, such as Florida, California and other states.

It is disgraceful that service disabled veterans have to wait months for treatment of their service connected conditions in VA facilities. I remember, back in the 80's, when service connected vets had front of the line privileges for health care.

I keep telling everyone that the big mistake was opening up VA health care to anyone who ever wore a uniform for 90 days, regardless of ability to monetarily defray any of the expenses of their health care.

The problem is that spending for VA health care is not Congressionally mandated. It is what is referred to as "discretionary spending". The so-called "promise" of a lifetime of "free" health care at government expense was made to RETIRED military vets who served 20+ years and to service disabled veterans. I know a guy who served 3 MONTHS
(NOT service connected disabled, either), and this guy collects a VA pension AND gets FREE VA health care.

Does this make you mad, also??

Peace.

[phuloi]

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 2, 2002



High Praise for Veterans Health Care Funding Bill

WASHINGTONLegislation introduced in the House of Representatives by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Christopher Smith (R-N.J.) is a bold step toward providing dependable, stable, and sustained funding for veterans health care, according to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

The Veterans Health Care Funding Guarantee Act of 2002 (H.R. 5250) calls for a fundamental change in the way government funding is provided for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care system. "This shift in VA health care funding from a discretionary to a mandatory program would guarantee adequate resources to care for sick and disabled veterans," said DAV National Commander George H. Steese, Jr.

"Year after year, federal funding has failed to keep pace with medical care inflation and the mounting financial burden for veterans health care caused by rising costs and increasing demand for medical services. This has severely hampered, and in many cases denied, timely access to quality health care for our nation's sick and disabled veterans," Commander Steese said.

In introducing H.R. 5250, Chairman Smith said, "we have a sacred obligation to ensure that our nation's veterans receive the honors and benefits that they have earned through their service to this nation."

"A mandatory funding stream...will bring increased stability and predictability in funding the health care system designed to meet the needs of our nations veterans," said Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.), ranking Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, who cosponsored H.R. 5250.

"The House Veterans' Affairs Committee leadership has taken a bold step toward eliminating the year-to-year uncertainty about funding levels that has prevented the VA from being able to adequately plan for and meet the constantly growing needs of veterans seeking treatment," Commander Steese said.

"Many of America's sick and disabled veterans can't get the medical care they need because for decades policy makers and politicians in Washington have short-changed the veterans health care system budget," said Commander Steese. "With adequate funding assured, it would no longer be necessary for the VA to curb outreach efforts and ration care to veterans."

According to recent VA estimates, more than 300,000 sick and disabled veterans are either waiting for their first VA appointments or have been waiting for longer than six months for care.

The DAV is asking members of Congress to sign a pledge to actively support and work for the prompt passage of guaranteed mandatory health care funding for our nation's sick and disabled veterans.

A prepared e-mail message is available on our web site at www.dav.org.

[bbeil]

I just watched a local DAV program discussing the problems. It was mentioned that we have too many "NON-VETERANS" employed by the Vetrans Administration .
If we have non-veterans making decisions for our health care and other benefits we earned, my question is, how do they identify with our needs? The true answer is, they can't identify with our needs unless they had the honor of defending our country and are now depending on help that was assured to all veterans ( in particular those wounded in combat) by our country.

[Stick]

After I got out of the hospital this February I called the VA Hospital to set up an appointment to see a shrink. I had some real problems in my head and, mind you, I'm 70% PTSD and 100% unemployable. Didn't think there'ld be a problem to just set down and talk with my Doc. The first appointment available was in June so I took it. Got a letter in May saying that "due to circumstances beyond our control, your appointment has been cancelled. Please reschedule." Pissed me off but I did what they told me to and rescheduled for July since my head still wasn't just right and I didn't want to loose it. Three weeks later, "Due to circumstances beyond our control your appointment has been cancelled. Please reschedule." Now I'm getting really irritated. Rescheduled for August 5th and went to my bunker. Last Friday, "Due to circumstances bla-bla-bla!
On this past Monday I call the VA and talk to a guy. Tell him that if I didn't need to talk to sumbudy I wouldn't make an appointment but I really needed help. He says that he's sorry but would I like to reschedule for December? I told him that "I'm getting ready to take sumbudy out along with m'sef and get off the phone. 10 minutes later 7 Fayette County Sheriffs cars show up in the driveway. 14 cops get out with guns drawn. Want to freak me out? Let me see a rifle barrel aimed in my direction. Fortunatly I didn't see it but my daughter did. I get patted down and searched and then thrown to the ground. The Doctor called the Sheriff and told them that I was armed and threatening murder and suicide. I have no guns and have only had one in my hands since leaving VN. My daughters screaming to the cops that I'm not armed and don't own a gun. Takes a while but they finally believe her and eventually go away. My daughter drives me to the VA and they are sweet as molasses to me. See the same doctor that called the fuzz and my own doctor too. I feel much better now. Found out that the one pill that they gave me at the hospital in February, that I have to take for life, counteracts my anti-anxiety pill. Doctor prescribed different pills.
The VA for service connected vets? At their convenience, hope you understand.

[Arrow]

John on behalf of all of us out here that love and respect you I want to say I am so sorry that happened to you brother. It's a disgrace. sis

[bbeil]

To expect a promise to be kept is not unreasonable.

[Tamaroa]

My father served 15 years in the Navy. 6 on active duty and 9 in the reserves. Around 1955 in the midst of a budget crisis, he was one of many O-3's to be discharged because there were too many of them. At any rate, since he was a ww2 vet, we applied for long term care for him through the VA because he had Alzheimers and we just could not take care of him anymore at home.

Montrose, NY has a VA facility that accepted him. He lived out the last year of his life there. They were very good to him. I particularly remember two nurses, one a older silver blonde woman and one was a big black guy with the heart of a teddy bear. They took terrific care of Dad. we visited him without fail every weekend. His dementia was so bad by this time he knew none of our names. He could not/would not feed himself. The only signal we ever got that there was a flicker of a memory was that when we came and he saw us he would smile. He didn't know my name anymore or our relationship. he just called me the "Big Guy". They groomed him, cleaned him up made sure he was fed and did it with a smile. When ever we talked with them they were always kind and supportive.Every indication was that they cared about the patients in that ward.

I just wanted to say this because I agree that the bureacracy of the VA needs a big over haul and I think that an earlier poster hit it on the head when they said the VA should be run by vets as opposed to non vets. However, all the caregivers that took care of my Dad, were terrific people. I just wanted to go on record with that.

Bill