McCain Calls for Change in VA's Mission
(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.
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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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!