VA HEALTHCARE – BUSH SYSTEM TOUTED BY REPUBLICANS AS DISASTER
By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER
graphic courtesy: Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele
Yesterday, Democrats, led by Rep. Henry Waxman, announced that veterans would be kept out of the new national health care system. This was meant to be a postive thing, I guess. With the veterans health care system being held up as an example of how terrible government health care can be, promising veterans more of the same is more of a threat than a promise.
Republicans use the VA system as an example of failure though our current system was under their control and oversight for the last 8 years. However, the issue isn’t really political. Politics simply makes the lies more absurd. Has human life become comedy? When the lives of veterans are involved, it seems so.
What is feared about "Obamacare?" Rationing? Denial of treatment? Bureaucratic incompetence? Patients rights gone? No choice of doctors? Months waiting for care? No accountability? These are the things brought up to scare us away from a national health care system. They are rumors.
On the other hand, these are the things veterans have always had to deal with. They aren’t rumors, they are fact. Veterans are already subjected to a "worst case scenario" of, not only bureaucracy, but dealing with a health care provider that has its own police and even wiretaps patients that complain.
Not even Republicans have threatened us with that possibility with Obamacare. What is a worst case? Send us all to VA hospitals, put us on benches all day, give us doctors who will falisfiy our records or give us dangerous radiation treatments?
Will we have to wait a year or more for referrals to specialists or continually be told medications or treatments are not allowed?
Every veteran has been subjected to this already. Why do you think Republicans enjoy bashing VA health care? All you have to do is check the news. If there is nothing today, wait a bit, some VA scandal will come crashing down. It always does.
Is any of this funny?
All it tells me is that our Republican friends are slimeballs willing to shift blame for helping cut veterans services for 8 years Democrats don’t care enough to know the difference much less know where to start when it comes to fixing the problem.
Blame?
Blame always goes one direction. We can blame service organizations. Who is really to blame?
Veterans.
Vets who turn to "mama" to look out for them, be it the VFW, Legion or whatever, and watch things get worse and worse while the organizations they support waste time, at least at the national level.
Only a few politicians, Senator Webb in particular, really get it. Webb, caring and working as hard as he does, must lead a frustrating life.
Last week I sat down with my VA doctor and discussed a new pain medication. He looked it up. It was new, around only 4 or 5 years and wasn’t allowed.
Where did I learn about it? Another vet told me. The VA is Arizona gives it out and it is helping him.
I was offered narcotics instead. Maybe I could move to Arizona. Is the VA suggesting we all do that? How would Arizona feel about that?
Like so many vets, I can balance stomach bleeding against liver damage in an unsuccessful attempt to manage pain due to service connected injuries that have never been responsibly addressed after many years of attempts thru the VA health care system.
I am supposed to consider myself lucky. Agent Orange hasn’t killed me yet and I don’t have Gulf War Illness.
Now I am being saved from Obamacare. I am relieved. The idea of being denied health care from different people was upsetting.
Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran and regular contributor on political and social issues.
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2009/08/21/veterans-saved-from-obamacare-too-good-for-vets/