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Donald Trump Considers Moving VA Toward Privatization

I suspect the VA and Medicare are on the chopping block, along with Social Security if they can get away with. This is the GOP dream.

Also, the EPA Consumer Protection Bureau and financial regulation entities will be gutted, along with gutting anything that protects the people or impedes the monied and their corporations. Ditto for employment protections like minimum wages, overtime, OSHA, or unions.

Oh, let's not forget the expansive tax cuts for the monied and their corporations that will be paid by the working men & women of this country.

Essentially, it will a long step towards the completion of the third-worlding of America for workers and employees, and an unbelievable financial and regulatory utopia for the very monied and their corporate and other legally structured entities.

I've been calling-out this GOP dream for decades, with many dismissing me. Now, I'd bet my bottom dollar we are going to head significantly down the path I warned of. Think, "Kansas".

Third Worlding of America?

Come on Chomsky, you're far too intelligent to believe all this stuff you wrote.
 
I am not seeing the problem with this. The government has done such a poor job with the VA for decades that in my opinion they ought to just go to a Medicare Advantage type program instead for veterans.
 
Fair enough.

It's starting to sound like ObamaCare in that regard, and I'm worried it's going to be just as bad - if not worse!

Well, right now it's all just talk....We have to wait until we start to see the policies put in place before any of us should be ringing the panic bell...If I recall correctly that is exactly what those now running around decrying that the sky is falling were saying about Obama when he took office, but now seems not to be within their ability at present...
 
"President-elect Donald Trump is considering moving the Department of Veterans Affairs toward privatization, a transition team official said Wednesday, a policy decision major veterans’ groups have said they would oppose.

Mr. Trump is considering changing the department to allow some veterans to bypass the VA heath-care system completely and get care exclusively from private-sector hospitals and clinics, the official said. It is an option that could give veterans full choice over their health care, but which many veterans groups argue is the first step toward privatization and one that will reduce the quality of health care over the long term."

Donald Trump Considers Moving VA Toward Privatization - WSJ

The VA definitely needs attention, but I don't think writing vouchers to bypass the problems is the right way to go. I don't have the answer on how to fix the VA, but I know ignoring it and writing a check isn't a fix.

Bypassing the system temporarily and getting veterans the immediate care that some of them require could free up the system to make the necessary fixes.
 
It's the same old establishment status quo right wing members who want to slice and dice current programs and services. They all run to privatizing everything. They believe they'll have to work less than they already do if they privatize everything.

Ain't gonna happen.

Trump isn't a status quo anything. Especially he's not a Well, other than Trump Brand Status Quo. Trump doesn't really give a rats ass about any federal programs or social services. He only cares about what costs him personally. Since he doesn't pay taxes, which must mean that his tax bracket affords him write-off entitlements that lower income brackets don't partake in, then his concern level is low about Federal programs, etc..
 
Listen all, I know it seems like bypassing the VA may seem like a reasonable alternative to get the veterans their care. But those dollars would be better spent fixing the VA. Because the VA would have to run through a tremendous backlog catching up, which it can't do on a cut budget. I'm all for spending extra on veterans, if Trumps plan outlines a path to a healthy VA, as well as temporary vouchers for private care, sure. But if he is, and i suspect he will,plans on using VA money for private care. Then no, that's a bandaid that wont' last and make the problem harder when it comes time to fix it.
 
The reason why private care is not the way to go is because of the cost. A VA hospital network runs at cost, and charges the actual price of things. A private hospital network runs off of a chargemaster system. And charges up to 400 times the cost. The government might only pay $1100 for a procedure in a VA hospital, where as in a private facility same procedure would cost $30-40,000. The same goes for drugs, the VA gets their drugs way cheaper. Privatization would solve the admin problem, sure, but it would be also be way more expensive.


It would be better all around if we overhauled and digitized the VA admin systems. Expanded the VA hospital networks. And used them as a marker for the actual cost of care. With the actual cost of care, we can start going after hospital cartels keeping the prices astronomically high. Fixing the VA, can make all health care costs go down at the source for everyone.
 
If you can alleviate the load on the VA system proper, it can help fix some of the problems.

Get rid of some of the administrative bureaucrat jerkoffs in the VA as well. They're also part of the problem.
 
I suspect the VA and Medicare are on the chopping block, along with Social Security if they can get away with. This is the GOP dream.

Also, the EPA Consumer Protection Bureau and financial regulation entities will be gutted, along with gutting anything that protects the people or impedes the monied and their corporations. Ditto for employment protections like minimum wages, overtime, OSHA, or unions.

Oh, let's not forget the expansive tax cuts...

You really think so? Gosh, what a wonderful dream.


The VA is a dumb idea. Paying for veteran benefits is fine; government running hospitals for them is weird and inappropriate.
 
The government sucks at virtually everything. They don't have to account for waste or performance.
 
The government sucks at virtually everything. They don't have to account for waste or performance.

The typical response to a failed private sector project is cancellation, layoffs, possible bankruptcy and closure.

The typical response to a failed public sector project is to throw more of the taxpayer's money at it.
 
"President-elect Donald Trump is considering moving the Department of Veterans Affairs toward privatization, a transition team official said Wednesday, a policy decision major veterans’ groups have said they would oppose.

Mr. Trump is considering changing the department to allow some veterans to bypass the VA heath-care system completely and get care exclusively from private-sector hospitals and clinics, the official said. It is an option that could give veterans full choice over their health care, but which many veterans groups argue is the first step toward privatization and one that will reduce the quality of health care over the long term."

Donald Trump Considers Moving VA Toward Privatization - WSJ

The VA definitely needs attention, but I don't think writing vouchers to bypass the problems is the right way to go. I don't have the answer on how to fix the VA, but I know ignoring it and writing a check isn't a fix.

The problem with the VA is getting approved. Getting into the system which there are many road blocks and can take what seems forever. The care given is quality, care isn't the problem. A lot of veterans face a battle royal to get accepted into the system. A bunch die before getting in.

Fix the wait and the red tape, that is what needs fixing.
 
"President-elect Donald Trump is considering moving the Department of Veterans Affairs toward privatization, a transition team official said Wednesday, a policy decision major veterans’ groups have said they would oppose.

Mr. Trump is considering changing the department to allow some veterans to bypass the VA heath-care system completely and get care exclusively from private-sector hospitals and clinics, the official said. It is an option that could give veterans full choice over their health care, but which many veterans groups argue is the first step toward privatization and one that will reduce the quality of health care over the long term."

Donald Trump Considers Moving VA Toward Privatization - WSJ

The VA definitely needs attention, but I don't think writing vouchers to bypass the problems is the right way to go. I don't have the answer on how to fix the VA, but I know ignoring it and writing a check isn't a fix.

Great. More proof that President-Elect Trump is just a puppet for big business interests. Now he wants to sell our veterans health out to the lowest bidder.

The problem the VA faces is that of capacity, not outcomes. If we're committed to spending money, why don't we put it into improving the system rather than putting profits into hospital owners pockets?
 
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