BUsh Administrations' Last Ditch Effort To Destroy VA Health Care

[Gimpy]

I have three pieces of information below that will show how the Bush Administration is attempting a LAST DITCH effort before leaving office to destroy the VA health care system as we know it. Can you say "privitization"? Higher costs and less care for veterans?


Notice that the Salisbury VA will now outsource much of its healthcare. This is just another example of VA Secretary James Peake and the Bush Administration moving to privatize the VA.


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FIGHT OVER SALISBURY VA SERVICE CUTS HEATING UP -- Rep. Mel Watt angered he wasn't told of cuts. Joins forces with Sen. Elizabeth Dole to demand answers from VA Sec. Peake.

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Fight over veterans hospital heating up


SALISBURY, NC (WBTV) 10-08-2008


- The fight over changes at the W.G. Bill Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury is heating up.


Many local veterans are upset that the emergency room is closing and in-patient care will be stopped.


WBTV has learned Congressman Mel Watt and Senator Elizabeth Dole are scheduling a meeting with Veteran Affairs Secretary James Peak to find out what's behind the sweeping changes at the hospital.

Watt says he's angry that he wasn't told about the changes before they were announced.


Now one of the nation's largest unions, the American Federation of Government Employees, is rallying veterans and VA workers for a fight.


Tomorrow afternoon a union representative from Washington, DC will meet with veterans, local leaders and anyone else who has a dog in this fight.


Meanwhile, county commissioners in Rowan have voted to support the veterans in their opposition to the changes.


Local vets think with that kind of help they may be able to force the VA into retreat on this issue.


They say if that doesn't happen, local healthcare for veterans will suffer.


The VA says it will contract with local hospitals for emergency care and expand its clinics in Charlotte, Hickory and Winston-Salem.


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UPDATE 10-29-2008 : CONGRESSMAN CONCERNED VA GOING AHEAD WITH CHANGES AT SALISBURY -- "The facility has been instructed to stand down on their planning efforts related to the Salisbury facility."

Watt concerned VA going ahead with Salisbury changes

By Kathy Chaffin
kchaffin@salisburypost.com


Congressman Mel Watt has raised concerns that the Hefner VA Medical Center is moving forward with eliminating emergency, surgery and inpatient services despite the Veterans Affairs secretary's promise to have his staff review concerns raised about the plan.


In a letter e-mailed to Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake last Friday, Watt wrote that his office had received telephone calls from constituents complaining that the Hefner VA is referring patients to private health-care facilities for procedures previously performed in-house.


Watt said Monday that his office, as of Friday, had received calls from three or four veterans.


Based on those calls, he continued in his letter, which was also mailed, "I am, therefore, concerned that you may be moving forward with implementing the plan that your letter of Oct. 15, 2008, indicates is being re-evaluated."


When contacted about Watt's concerns, Alison Aikele, press secretary for Veterans Affairs, said no changes had occurred at the Hefner VA and that the medical center has been instructed to cease implementation of any proposed changes.


"Veterans have always been referred out for care that cannot best be provided at the facility," she said. "The course of care for veterans will remain unchanged as it was before the announcement of future plans for the Salisbury facility.


"In response to requests from members of Congress and veterans, the facility has been instructed to stand down on their planning efforts related to the Salisbury facility."

Peake wrote in his Oct. 15 letter to Watt that he had asked his staff to review issues raised by Watt in a Sept. 22 letter and to provide the results of that review no later than Nov. 15. The Veterans Affairs secretary sent a similar letter to U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole, who had raised concerns about the plans in identical letters sent on Oct. 1 and 8.


Aikele said the internal team set up to review the proposed changes would consider all documents related to them.


"The results of the review will be submitted to the USH (undersecretary for health) not later than November 12, 2008," she said. "Upon receipt of the review, the USH will consider their findings and make a recommendation to the Secretary of VA."


Watt said his Oct. 24 letter was sent in an attempt to get assurance that Peake's request for a review of concerns raised about the plans was not just an attempt to "stall out people" to help get Dole re-elected.


"I actually think in my own mind," he said Monday, "that's what's going on. But I can't accuse them of that. But I do need them to respond to the letter I've written asking them what their plans are."


In his most recent letter, Watt asked Peake to respond immediately to his Oct. 16 letter. "My Sept. 22 letter requested a written description of the proposed changes, which I still have not received," he wrote.


"Surely a written plan of what was contemplated would have been in place prior to a public announcement about it," Watt continued. "And surely we could not be expected to evaluate the plan fairly without having a copy of it."


Watt also questioned in his letter what steps Peake is considering between now and the end of his staff's re-evaluation of the plans.


"Are you suspending any further steps to implement the plan until the re-evaluation is completed, or are you continuing to spend taxpayer money to move forward with a plan that presumably could be substantially changed or even abandoned after the re-evaluation?" he wrote.


If the review is genuine, Watt said Monday, "and not just something to kick the political football down the field, they should suspend any further implementation of it until the re-evaluation is completed."


Despite his concern that the VA plans are being used as a political issue, Watt said veterans haven't brought that up. Those veterans, he said, are "just concerned that they've been able to get services at the VA hospital that they're not going to be able to get anymore."


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 29, 2008

Contact: Kawika Riley (Veterans’ Affairs): (202) 224-9126

Jon Yoshimura (Akaka): (202) 224-6361

Steven Broderick (Rockefeller): (202) 224-6101

AKAKA AND ROCKEFELLER ASK FOR ANSWERS ON PLAN TO CHANGE VETERANS’ HEALTH CARE


Senators inquire after receiving document on plan to shift to leasing and fee-basis care


WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) and John D. Rockefeller (D-WV) wrote Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake earlier this week, after the Senators received a document outlining plans for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to shift away from renovating or constructing health care facilities in favor of leasing facilities or purchasing care from outside providers. Akaka and Rockefeller, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman and former-Chairman, respectively, inquired about the implications that such a plan would have on the VA health care system.

“Any major shift in VA health care policy, especially one being proposed so close to the end of the current administration, requires open review by Congress and the public. I look forward to a full and thorough explanation before any such plan is implemented,” said Akaka.

“Access to quality VA facilities throughout our rural state is enormously important to veterans and their families. If it is true that the VA is considering closing particular facilities across the country as a cost-saving measure, I have very serious concerns and I would like a response to our letter as soon as possible. I will always fight for quality healthcare for West Virginia – answers are owed to the veterans who have served this country with honor,” said Rockefeller.

Akaka and Rockefeller’s full letter is copied below:

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October 27, 2008

The Honorable James B. Peake, M.D.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs
810 Vermont Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20420


Dear Secretary Peake,

We recently obtained a document which appears to outline a new program that would utilize an expanded leasing program in lieu of major construction for the delivery of VA health care. As we understand the proposed program, VA would place greater emphasis on leasing space or providing fee-basis care, instead of renovating or constructing new facilities.

As the Chairman and former Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, we are interested in learning more about this proposal, including its current status. To that end, we ask that you address the following questions:

· The document makes reference to 22 proposed sites for this expanded leasing program. What are those sites?

· What studies of VA’s construction methods and process have been carried out to determine if the current approach is as efficient as possible?

· What is the full extent of the current backlog in construction? How much would VA need, over the next five years, to complete all currently planned construction, and to lease space or provide fee-basis care instead?

· What involvement have veterans’ organizations and others had in the development of this proposed new approach? Have community health providers been engaged to determine if they can support additional demand for inpatient care if VA no longer provides such care in selected locations?

· What are the ramifications for the delivery of long-term care if this proposal is adopted?

· What would be the ramifications for specialty inpatient care?

· Will the near term cost avoidance from not carrying out needed construction be beneficial to VA in the long term? How will VA be able to ensure that needed inpatient capacity will remain available in those areas in which the department closes all inpatient beds?

· How many jobs does VA project will be lost, both overall and by specialty, if the new proposal is implemented in the 22 proposed sites?

· Please describe any other alternative approaches that the Department is considering that would alter the current method of providing health care, or that would alter the structure or composition of the VA health care system.
Given the time sensitivity of this proposal, we ask for your response within two weeks. We look forward to working with you to further the interests of our veterans.


Sincerely,


Daniel K. Akaka......... John D. Rockefeller IV
Chairman ........................Senator


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So there you have my friends...................looks like a last ditch effort coming from the Bush Adminstration to thoroughly dismantle and/or destroy the VA health care system.


I tried to tell y'all eight years ago this would happen, didn't I?


Just asking.


Gimp

[Packo]

You and I are 2 of the biggest Veteran Advocates in the US today....I worked in that system, in NC for over 10 years. Salisbury VAMC has had problems for years...the main problem being not being able to justify having more surgical staff then needed. Our personnel office for the Vet Center, was Salsibury. I went down there weekly to visit patients in the Mental Health Ward. Mental Health was full, but not surgical. Salisbury is basically a HUGE clinic. The VAMC in Raleigh isnt' that far away an is attached to Duke's hospital. It is a teaching hospital for Duke, (yech, being a Carolina grad) University. The care there is decent. Many 100% SC vets I worked with from Rowan County opted for Fee Basis, which in this area I would for surgery having gone through the butcher I had in Chaleston, rather than use Salisbury for operations. The Naval Hospital I worked for, is basically, a huge clinic. The Navy can't afford to keep the necessary staff for all operations. They farm out to Beaufort and Savannah private hospitals. It's cost effective. We got rid of delivering babies years ago. At certain VAMC's, I'd rather see them do that, then waste the money on staff that will only work every once in awhile. It's NOT a way to destroy the VA, it's called COST EFFECTIVE. Of course, now that's it's become political for two Congress people, one Democrat, one Republican, it's a huge issue. Some places are just not cost effective, and I'd rather see the VA put that money into Benefits, Adjudication, more Vet Centers, etc. I swear this is true...I've been there. To keep a hugh surgical staff there would be ridiculous, so I believe now, that's what's going to happen. This in no way impunes what your reporting, but the issue is more election year histrionics than fact. You must remember the huge Naval Hospital that was built in New Orleans as Pork for a Louisianna Congress person. (I forget who) There is basically no Naval Ops in New Orleans. The damn thing was equipped with all the latest stuff at the time, but was almost always EMPTY. Sometime things aren't the way they seem. I'd rather see a Vet get Fee Basis then pay huge salaries for surgeons to sit around hoping to get a patient. The money can best be sent to facilities that need it. Don't ever stop reporting this stuff, but in this case, it's a red herring.

Pack

[exlrrp]

Thanks to both of you guys for this---a good discussion

[Packo]

Your surgeon for your Prostate was on a fee basis from the VAMC you were operated on, or the VA paid for it to be done in his facility....not sure but he certainly wasn't a full time VA Surgeon. They farmed you out for cost effectiveness and you got a great doc and a successful operation, which I am exstatic, (line) about.

Pack