Some VA hospitals in shocking shape

[JoFerret]

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,FL_veterans_040904,00.html

<<With 130,000 young American men and women putting their lives at risk in Iraq today, these conditions are particularly relevant. While current soldiers are treated in military hospitals, when they leave the service and need treatment, many will seek care at Veterans Affairs (as the Veterans Administration is now known) hospitals.

"Once you come back to be a veteran, it's like a black hole, you know - nothing," former Army Sgt. Vannessa Turner told ABCNEWS.

Turner was stricken with a mysterious illness while on duty in Iraq this past year. She retired from the military on medical grounds, and when she reported to a VA hospital for treatment, doctors scheduled her for an appointment six months later.

Not a Point of Pride

Veterans who responded to a survey by the American Legion in 2003 said it took an average of seven months to get a first appointment at a VA hospital. In some hospitals, patients have waited as long as two years. >>
<more>

[Laughing Mirror]

1. My WWII veteran step-father is denied treatment in VA hospitals

Told that treatment is only for officers and not for the enlisted men, such as him. Although he was promised when he fought in that war that he would be provided VA health care.

What promises are we making to our people in the service today that we will reneg on, once we've got from them what we want?

[bleedingheart]

2. Your StepFather was told a lie.

Get a news crew to go to the hospital to ask if that is their policy.

My father was an enlisted man and he was frequently treated at VA hospitals.

[Laughing Mirror]

3. Where? Not in the DC area.

But judging from this report, I don't think he want to go to them anyway. He's not the kind of person to go get a news crew. He just accepts that that's the way it is.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. No, he wasn't told a lie. My WWII Dad has been told it will be years...

...before Dad's name could possibly come up on the list of those to be treated. Well, that was a lie because the medical care has actually been revoked. And yes, my Dad was an enlisted man during WWII.

Court overturns ruling on vets' free lifetime health care
<http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/11/19/retired.veterans.hearing/index.html>

Excerpt:

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A federal appeals court Tuesday ruled that the U.S. government does not owe free lifetime medical care to World War II and Korean War veterans who agreed to serve 20 years in exchange, despite promises made to them when they were in the armed forces.

The ruling represents a victory for the federal government, which had argued the veterans were not entitled to the benefits. The ruling will potentially save the government billions of dollars in health care costs.

The 9-4 ruling by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C., overturns a ruling by a three-judge appeals panel in February, 2001, which ruled that the veterans were entitled to the lifetime health care based on the military's promises."

[Laughing Mirror]

5. Another "victory" for the lying and deceitful federal government

Saving them billions of dollars. Of course, that's what it's all about.

Thanks so much for the link, Media Lies.

[twilight]

9. how sad :(

To think that they are taking this ONE benefit away from those that served for our country is truly a disgrace. It USED to work the way I describe below.

Thanks for the link ... :grr: :grr: :grr: :grr:

:dem: :kick:

[twilight]

7. your are right

I once worked for the V.A. Medical Center. They have a priority system based on when you were in the service with regards to treatmet. You MUST have an honorable discharge but you don't have to be an officer to get care!

At the time I worked for them, WWI vets got 1st preference, WWII vets 2nd preference, Korean vets 3rd preference, Vietnam 4th preference and so on.

All soldiers in our country are entitled to medical benefits via the V.A. It may hinge on whether on not they have other benefits available perhaps. Things may have changed since I worked for them which was in the mid-1980s.

Their care was not the greatest in the world in the mid-1980s. I can only wonder what it may be like today.

My grandfather was a WWI vet and he was treated and cared for by the V.A. up until he died in 1957.

:dem: :kick:

[Laughing Mirror]

8. No you are not right, please read Media Lies' post 4 CNN link

And you will see the changes that have come about since the 1980s.

I suspect they're just hoping that the veterans will die off before, and that their elimination of health care for them will thus take care of itself.

[twilight]

10. question ... ???

What about those "clinics" they had established towards the end of the Clinton administration? Are they gone now too? They had prescriptions for $2.00 I remember and served all vets. This was not that long ago as I looked into it for someone that is a veteran that had no insurance at the time.

Are these clinics gone now too? If so, what a slap in the face to our veterans!!!!

:dem: :kick:

[rfkrocks]

6. this is what happens when neocons control the government!

starve the beast includes vets-hey they did their duty-"screw'em Bush"-he expects all the vets parents to now go and buy them major league baseball teams after their service-BTW I wonder how much Iraq is going to cost now?????Oh but we need to "make the tax cuts permanent".Evil days my friends evil days-maybe we should privatize our veterans benefits will smirk the evil GOP:grr: