REED

REED ain't the problem. It's only the high profile problem and will be used an an excuse to preserve a horrible system. Understand that Reed is NOT a part of the VA Healthcare System, but most think it is. This hearing about Walter Reed has as a part of the Congressional purpose, the preservation of the sometimes horrible VA Healthcare System while convincing all of us that they have solved everything. They won't, haven't, and will never.

First, Congress is at fault at Reed. Period. And they will never take responsibility. Never ever. They will cast a net of blame over everyone but themselves and focus on Reed so the public will think the problems within the VA will never be solved. They will hang the usual suspects over Walter Reed while totally avoiding the real villians: Congress.

As those of you who have read me off and on for the last four years know, I complained to each and every member of congress at least three times, to the VA officials ditto, every media ditto, and never once got so much as a reply. Except for one action taken under my name by a Congressman or Senator I don't know. And the fact that my name was known caused me problems til I bluffed my way through by claiming I had a relative in Congress.

Second, it's important to separate hospital care (surgery and recovery) out from patient care (care for long term recovery from the operation), and lastly, medical care for stuff like colds and cancer. Hospital care is good, but from what I'm hearing locally, the nurses are just awful; most don't speak English, and many are late for shifts resulting in the nurses on duty just going home and leaving patients without care. The union, don'cha know.

Locally: the VA is a teaching Hospital for UCLA (most VA centers are teaching facilities). In my case I was in for brain surgery, I was assured that a top surgeon from UCLA would do the surgery, but a student signed off and the operation failed. Doctors refused to see me for follow up. And I couldn't even walk, discern distance, or think very well. Some of the "student doctors" are openly contemptuous of veterans, believing us to be freeloaders, baby killers, and other leftist shit. The rest are very good. Overall, VA service is the least desirable part of becoming a doctor and you can imagine the results once in a while.

Now we get to what is called "out patient" care; a euphemism for "walk in traffic." Under the terms of enlistment, and especially under reenlistment, free medial care is guaranteed. Here is the rub. There is no way that total care can be provided for a couple of million guys without a budget in the tens of billions each year. Solution? Cut back on covered disease and sickness. This has been progressively done each year---so the budget will look the same---the result is that now things like dental care are just not provided (they will pull teeth). In other cases like arthritic hip replacement, the required operation is called "elective" regardless of the pain, and you may never get the replacement or the drugs necessary to relieve the pain. In cases like that you have crazed veterans doing everything you can imagine to relieve unbearable pain including the on street purchases of heroin.

But worse, is that guys that should be in rehab are simply kicked out and put into outpatient status. And if you complain you are carefully told that VA Care is not a Right, but a privilege, one that can be taken away.

It is this outpatient care that is a bureaucratic nightmare and the cause of most of the problems. Mental Health is of particular concern because a lot of guys are damaged goods (battle fatigue, post whatever disorder, fucking nuts, or whatever) and are in bad shape due to service; at least half cannot possibly function without curative therapy. It is the mental health portion of the care that is at the root of all complaints and it is here where you find: clerks diagnosing conditions; LVNs and PNAs (psych nurse assistant) doing the therapy; and wives and family being excluded from the useless therapy. Psychiatrists just throw drugs at whatever is the problem.

If you read the comments at the WaPo you will see that at least 40% of them inform everyone that the VA is National Health Care and it is this bureaucracy that has to scare everyone. It's the Congress and the horrid bureaucracy that is at fault.