Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Politics In General McCain Plan Moves Some Out of VA Care

I was pointed to this thread for my opinion. I think that there are several ways of looking at this topic, but hysteria is probably not the right way to do it. My personal interaction with the VA medical system has been very limited. The VA was a great assistance with my mother while she was declining, and then again when she was moved to hospice care. But having been through that experience, it would have been very helpful for us to have been able to work with the hospice folks and the local pharmacy to get what she needed to pass comfortably, than drive an hour to the VA, sit in lines for hours, then get what we needed and go back to the nursing home. A VA health card, similar to the medical insurance card that I carry, would have been great.

I don’t think that the idea of a VA Medical Card, that worked like an insurance card, wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing. And I can understand Senator McCain’s desire to limit the burden on the VA staff so that they can care for their in-patient responsibilities. You have to remember, the care that each of us receive is driven by the organization paying for it. Your health insurance company dictates what you get. If the VA handles care for their patients through the CA Card the same way that they do at a VA facility, then the patient should receive the same level of care.

So, pending more details on this plan, I will withhold judgment until those details are available. Hopefully the lessons learned when Tri-Care was put in some years ago would result in a better start to this program. But as usual with anything the government does, I’m not holding my breath.

Again, let me explain how this works within the political bipolarity:

• The left doesn't disrespect soldiers, they instead disrespect military institutions.
• The Right doesn't respect individual soldiers. they wave the flag about military institutions, but will wantonly slander and defame any soldier who has the temerity to speak truth to power about the evils of war.
• Liberals attempt to smother vets with syrupy sympathies.
• Conservatives roll down their car windows at highway offramps to curse vets unable to cope, and screech about "their money" being wasted at a VA so underfunded it cannot fulfill promises made to vets a long time ago.

It is; It has been; and It will be. This is the reality.

I direct your attention to Amendment No. 1937 to The Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006, introduced by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), October 5, 2005:
It ws defeated in Senate Roll Call Vote 251 on October 5, 2005 48-51-1. The vote was an almos straight party line vote with Republicans opposing and Democrats supporting. five Republican Senators supported it:

• Chafee (R-RI)
• Collins (R-ME)
• Snowe (R-ME)
• Specter (R-PA)
• Thune (R-SD)

One Democrat opposed it:

• Inouye (D-HI)

Nothing changes...

Oh come on folks, the politicians in DC have been f*cking over veterans for 200 years. This is not a news flash. I knew that because both of my parents were Army vets from WW-II and Korea. I didn't serve back in the early 80s for the benefits. Democrats, Republicans, it doesn't matter who they are. We go out, serve our country, get wounded, and some die. They didn't do it for politicians in DC. We did it for you. We expect to get the short end of the stick. So don't start whining about our benefits now.

No one has posted a link to details about the "plan" as such, I won't decide. You had appointments, I had a dying mother who needed meds. Different circumstances. And the Rand Corporation has a better track record, they probably are bidding on a contract to manage veterans health care.