VA Health Care???

Since the deadly VA appointment scheduling is captivating the news lately, I may as well throw in my two bits.  By the way, does anyone this day and time know what two bits is?  I’ll tell you at the end.  If you are under 55, you probably don’t know.  Alright, back to the subject at hand.

When I was growing up, I knew very little of what the VA was.  I did know that my older cousin, who came back from World II paralyzed, spent some time in their care.  As a young adult, I lived in Atlanta for a while, leaving there in 1967.  At this time, there was a VA facility of some kind in North Atlanta.  It was not unusual to read complaints in the paper, including editorial content, regarding the care or lack thereof, provided at this facility.  I don’t think it is there any longer.  From that time forward, I didn’t know much about the VA’s operation, except to hear an occasional vet’s horror story.  But I did hear a few good things, too.

A few years ago, I joined the VA and  dropped most of my Medicare.  It didn’t take long to see the bureaucratic aspects of the organization.  But my basic treatment was positive.  After a couple of years, I became much more dissatisfied with the VA treatment as opposed to that I had under Medicare.  With Medicare, I could call my doctor and have a response back by him or his nurse that same day.  With the VA, they promise a reply within 48 hours, and it usually the next day.  And since early this year, I have been hit with some severe financial problems as well.

When one calls a VA facility, the first message on the phone is “If this is a medical emergency, hangup and dial 911”.  The VA is supposed to pay for emergency services when not provided by the VA.  December, 2012, I was visiting my son near Mobile, Al.  He got quite concerned about my condition.  He called his sister, who flew down.  They transported me to a Mobile ER.  The next day I underwent emergency spinal surgery.  My Medicare A covered most of my hospital costs.   had to cover the rest.  the payment from VA for my surgeon, the ER physicians, and the radiologists have all been denied.  The VA has paid nothing, meaning I foot the bill.  Then in October, 2013, I went to my local ER at 2:00 AM on a Sunday morning.  My nearest open VA facility is 100 miles away.  Again, Medicare covered the hospital charges.  But again, VA found reason to deny the physicians charges.

Now let’s look at the quality aspect.  About 3 years ago, I came down with a severe case of bronchitis.  After 3 weeks, I called the VA.  It would take about 2 weeks to see my primary care physician, but I could see a nurse practitioner that day.  I did this and she treated me for sinus problems.  Three weeks, later, no improvement.  I again went to the nurse practitioner, who again treated me for sinus problems.  About 3 weeks later, I was still coughing.  This time I saw her with a little anger in heart.  This time, she prescribed me an antibiotic, which fixed the problem.  As for my primary care physician,  I have had 5 checkups with him.  Each visit consisted of taking my temperature, my pulse, my blood pressure (done by his nurse usually),  listening to my lungs and heart, and going over my medications.  These have been the least thorough medical exams I have ever had.  I have other criticisms, but these are the high spots.  I think you should get the idea.

I don’t think that the medical personnel are necessarily all that bad.  The problem is that the VA is a bureaucracy.  It can’t be expected to be any more successful than the Postal Service or Amtrak or any other business the government tries to operate.  But it does provide a very clear snapshot of what Obamacare will evolve into.  The best solution, in my opinion, would be to dissolve VA and give the vets cards like the medicare cards and let them go to civilian doctors and hospitals.  The only problem I ever saw with Medicare was the graft and fraud that went on within it.  This could have almost eliminated if the proper controls had been implemented.

I am seriously considering biting the bullet and paying the approximately $400.00 per month and going back on Medicare.  I never had a problem with Medicare other than the cost which seemed to increase a little every year or two.

Okaqy.  ’nuff sed.  See y’all next time.

Wait a minute. I promised to define 2 bits.  In the early years if this nation, the Spanish Milled Dollar was divided into eight parts called bits.  The American quarter was worth 2 Spanish bits, thereby the nickname of ‘two bits’.

Herb