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July 26, 2008 4:00 PM

McCain Calls for Change in VA's Mission

Posted by John Bentley
(CBS)

From CBS News’ John Bentley:

(SEDONA, ARIZ.) – The Veterans Administration should concentrate on treating soldiers with serious injuries and get out of the business of routine health care, John McCain said today.

“We have got to spend more effort and devote more time to the treatment of the battle wounds both seen and unseen,” McCain said, appearing via satellite at National Forum on Disability Issues. “I believe we need to relieve the burden on the VA from routine health care, put more of our assets in the unique capabilities of the VA for the treatment of combat wounds, both seen and unseen.”

McCain advocates giving each veteran a card that they can take to any doctor’s office, so the VA can concentrate on more serious, combat-related injuries, like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

“If you have a routine health care need, take it wherever you want, whatever doctor or health care provider and get the treatment you need, while we at the VA focus our attention, our care, our love, on these grievous wounds of war,” he said.

While McCain has been criticized for not supporting some types of funding for veterans programs because he believes they are not cost efficient or encourage soldiers to leave the armed services, the U.S. government spent over $80 billion on veterans in 2007, the largest expenditure in history.
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by kpealstrom July 27, 2008 7:05 PM EDT
Fascinating that McCain - with a full time job, senate health insurance and a wealthy wife - would suggest that the VA stick to battle wounds. What about guys like my dad, now 85, who has never asked the government for anything, but needs the routine care and coverage the VA supplies. Or more recent Vets who are unemployed, or where where they have no health insurance. We made a promise to our troops when they first enlisted - we need to keep that promise. Shame on you, John McCain! America is big enough and honorable enough to take care of both routine health care, and catastrophic care from war wounds. Let''s take care of what is on our plate now before we start dropping our vets off at the local ER!
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by jctolan July 27, 2008 4:25 PM EDT
John McCain''s proposal to change VA''s mission is right on target. The VA''s hospitals and clinics could be devoted only to service-connected veterans with war related injuries and health problems. Private sector hospitals and local physician clinics respond immediately and positively to patients with medical insurance coverage and they want patients to speak well of their services to others. As such, all patients are valued and respected and easy relationships exist between private sector patients, doctors and their staff. On the other hand, VA staff and physicians are largely antagonistic towards veterans and the VA is always decades late responding to marketplace changes. The VA is a "downward driven" federal agency. It is federally funded and an extremely slow and "confused" governmental agency. The VA reacts only to extreme pressure from Congress; and, only if, and, when they want to react. They are mostly low paid federal civil service employees and VA staff and physicians see veterans as free-loaders who add stress to their daily workload without adding money to their bank accounts.
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All veterans will be better off if they have a real voice in the matter. If they can choose to go to private sector doctors, hospitals and clinics; or, go through the VA. If the VA had to compete for federal funds with the private sector, that would force them to respond correctly and quickly to patients'' needs. Now, that would be a very good change!
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by tbweb July 27, 2008 5:04 AM EDT
The elephant in the room is the hidden cost to treat the over 28,000 military personnel injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, many of these injuries are serious, severe and involve lost of limbs. The cost to treat these brave active duty and Veteran personnel is so staggering its not even discussed. The cost is so high it can''t even be estimated! It seems like the Bush administration made decisions and never considered the ultimate cost or either didn''t care.
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by trbundro1277 July 27, 2008 4:43 AM EDT
Haven''t the republicans been in control of the government the past 8 years? SO Mccain is calling for Change in VA''s mission??? So Mccain is endorsing Obama for president???? IF you want change, vote Obama, if you are happy living in misery, vote mccain!
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by nobush3rd July 27, 2008 12:23 AM EDT
Perhaps the US Govt. should not get into wars they can''t afford, if the cost of healthcare to those doing the actual fighting, dying and getting wounded isn''t worth $80B a yr.
Congress has appropriated a total of about $368 billion for these three, but DOD has not provided Congress with the costs of these three operations. Approximately $261 billion for Iraq, $77 billion for OEF, $26 for military bases, and 4% unknown. Less than 1% is for medical care for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

DOD spent about $6.4 billion/month on Iraq in FY2005 (end 9/05), 28% more than in FY2004. The Dept. of Defense (DOD) provides these estimates, referred to as the %u201Cburn rate.%u201D They cover some costs, but excludes the cost of upgrading or replacing military equipment and of improving or building facilities overseas.

Based on an alternate path that assumes a drawdown from about 258,000 troops currently engaged in these operations to 74,000 in FY2010, CBO estimates that war costs could total $371 billion between FY2007 and FY2016. Adding that amount to the $440 billion already approved or requested, total funding for Iraq and the global war on terrorism could reach $811 billion by 2016.

From: http://zfacts.com/metaPage/lib/CRS-Belasco-2006-09-Iraq-Costs-RL33110.pdf

One very easy way to avoid the cost of repairing legs and eyes and arms and hands and everything else: STOP STARTING WARS.

No Bush Third Term
http://nobushthirdterm.com
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