Democrats Block Veterans Affairs Funding From Friday’s Omnibus Bill

[Steve-French]

Congressional Democrats have blocked — for now — controversial legislation that would offer military veterans more access to for-profit health care at taxpayer expense, a noteworthy setback to the Trump administration’s legislative agenda and for one of the president’s core constituencies.

It’s unclear what will become of the Caring for our Veterans Act, which on Monday appeared to be headed into the budget with a compromise plan supported by the White House and eight major veterans advocacy groups. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...egislative-priorities/?utm_term=.653bbc9ac878

I rely on the VA for health care, but I don't think this will effect me. I'm not disabled so I have a co-pay.

$8 a month if I need prescriptions
$10 a standard vist (labs, routine check ups, follow up appointments etc..)
$50 for a specialty vist (surgery, ER vist, etc...)

The only thing I'm worried about is if I can go to the civilian ER if I need to. seeing as the VA hospital is 80 miles away. The same goes for surgery too. I was able to have my ankle surgery at a civilian hospital too when I busted it a few years ago.

 

[Makani]

I can see both sides of this. It's kind of like the public school debate: Do we try to fix the thing we have or push that responsibility onto others?

 

[Bobby 3 Sticks]

I see where they're coming from this. The optics look fucking horrible. But, they're trying to avoid putting more money into for profit HC than already goes there. Good plan, terrible optics

 

[Dirt Road Soldier]

Considering how slowly the government moves to do anything to fix a small problem, a major one like the VA could take a long time to straighten out. Moving the workload into the private sector for the time being may actually be the best option while the VA gets a proper rebuild. Sucks, but this is what happens when you kick the can down the road for to long.

 

[Trotsky]

For the life of me, I can't understand how Democrats, a party of FAR higher principle and actual working policy, can keep falling for the GOP's traps and giving the GOP ways to distort and misrepresent the political dynamic at play between the parties.

 

[panamaican]

I find it a strange situation. On one hand, they're not doing anything to reform the private healthcare market but on the other hand they're trying to push more people into that market?

If we're not going to get the private market under control, I don't see any reason to send vets there. Spend the money rehabbing the VA's system. That said, more options for care is hardly a bad thing.

 

[Steve-French]

For the life of me, I can't understand how Democrats, a party of FAR higher principle and actual working policy, can keep falling for the GOP's traps and giving the GOP ways to distort and misrepresent the political dynamic at play between the parties.

 

[cincymma79]

I see where they're coming from this. The optics look fucking horrible. But, they're trying to avoid putting more money into for profit HC than already goes there. Good plan, terrible optics

The va sucks. I don’t know hardly anyone who’s a vet and uses them if they have options.

 

[Bobby 3 Sticks]

The va sucks. I don’t know hardly anyone who’s a vet and uses them if they have options.

Right, I understand that. The system needs an overhaul. That's why I said good idea on the dems I get why they did it but the optics of it are fucking horrible to the average voter who won't research

 

[Steve-French]

The va sucks. I don’t know hardly anyone who’s a vet and uses them if they have options.

All of my experiences with the VA have been great. I've been using them for about 6 years now. I use the civilian ER when I need to and it only costs $50. My ankle surgery also done by a civilian Dr only cost me around $250 when it was all said and done and that included prescription, Er visit, a walking cast, and follow up appointments.

There is also a VA clinic inside my local medical center that I use for my annual check ups and family Doctor. They have always been great.

 

[Trotsky]

The Democrats have actual policies that make sense and aren't unsustainable and completely rhetorical. The Democrats are actively trying to leverage policies that help people who need it, that upkeep our society, and that protect our economy from exploitation and instability.

But then they stake their position on DREAMers (a position I wholeheartedly agree with), and allow the GOP to dictate the conversation that "hey, we're trying to help out real American families and these traitors are shutting down the government for criminal aliens!" Even though the GOP is actively hurting middle and lower class families and basing 110% of their policies on looting the economy for their donor class.

Similarly, blocking this allows the GOP to say "hey, we're trying to provide healthcare for our HEROES, and these traitors don't appreciate our troops!"

 

[cincymma79]

Right, I understand that. The system needs an overhaul. That's why I said good idea on the dems I get why they did it but the optics of it are fucking horrible to the average voter who won't research

The va will never be fixed. Ever. It is a government organization. You think the government is going to fix the government?

 

[cincymma79]

All of my experiences with the VA have been great. I've been using them for about 6 years now. I use the civilian ER when I need to and it only costs $50. My ankle surgery also done by a civilian Dr only cost me around $250 when it was all said and done and that included prescription, Er visit, a walking cast, and follow up appointments.

There is also a VA clinic inside my local medical center that I use for my annual check ups and family Doctor. They have always been great.

Go somewhere else for a couple years. You don’t know what you don’t know. You just don’t get a bill and don’t know better. You’re getting what you’re paying for unless you got extremely lucky somehow.

 

[sub_thug]

The VA is broken, terrible system. No one in Congress wants to fix it because there is a VA hospital in every Congressional district in America, and no Congressman wants to be the one to push a few hundred jobs out of their district.

@Lionel Mandrake You can use a private hospital if you're more than 40 miles away from a VA hospital http://www.businessinsider.com/trum...ing-veterans-seek-care-private-doctors-2017-4

 

[ManCityFC9]

The Democrats have actual policies that make sense and aren't unsustainable and completely rhetorical. The Democrats are actively trying to leverage policies that help people who need it, that upkeep our society, and that protect our economy from exploitation and instability.

But then they stake their position on DREAMers (a position I wholeheartedly agree with), and allow the GOP to dictate the conversation that "hey, we're trying to help out real American families and these traitors are shutting down the government for criminal aliens!" Even though the GOP is actively hurting middle and lower class families and basing 110% of their policies on looting the economy for their donor class.

Similarly, blocking this allows the GOP to say "hey, we're trying to provide healthcare for our HEROES, and these traitors don't appreciate our troops!"

This is what politics has turned to, finger pointing and impact statements.

Compromise is a long lost art my friend and both parties do what you've stated in your post.

 

[KILL KILL]

The va sucks. I don’t know hardly anyone who’s a vet and uses them if they have options.

I use the VA and have health insurance. Honestly, if the VA was a bit closer, I would use them exclusively. That being said, I keep myself physically fit and don't have pre existing health issues of any kind (outside of the tinnitus I developed in the military).

I'm sure there are plenty of VA's that suck. In fact, I'm sure of it, but I haven't encountered it yet.

 

[panamaican]

I'm not sure what people mean when they say the VA sucks.

My dad was in private practice for 2+ decades before he retired to to the same work for the VA. MY mom was a nurse and did the same thing. From an administrative perspective, the VA certainly could be better and the pay is low. But are people complaining about the actual quality of care or something else?

If it's a wait time issue, I think that's an issue depending on where you live and what you need, VA or no.

 

[Diamond Jim]

Sen. Paul view of the bill.

 

[bobgeese]

Just tell them they’re illegals...

 

[Farmer Br0wn]

I see where they're coming from this. The optics look fucking horrible. But, they're trying to avoid putting more money into for profit HC than already goes there. Good plan, terrible optics

I find it a strange situation. On one hand, they're not doing anything to reform the private healthcare market but on the other hand they're trying to push more people into that market?

If we're not going to get the private market under control, I don't see any reason to send vets there. Spend the money rehabbing the VA's system. That said, more options for care is hardly a bad thing.

The fact that the idea of transferring some VA care to Private health care is even being considered, is a tacit admission that the private healthcare system is superior to one that's State-run.

How would either of you define "fixing" the private healthcare market in a way that isn't just more government control?