The Lincoln Quote: Was the basis for the
VA
(Does it still apply under Trump, I wonder)
CinC and VA Secretary: Same Wall Conflicting Statements
This from the AP updates my notes on that which follows:
Trump has a huge tendency to overreach and fluff himself about his successes
in office while the W/H and others almost daily correct and set the record
straight – never have I seen any president lie and exaggerate as much as his
man does for his self-promotion and pleasure at others’ expense (usually) – it comes
naturally for him – which is the worst part. Examples:
During his Asian trip and
especially while visiting Vietnam (at least Trump can now say he went to Vietnam
– I guess his bone spurs are all nicely healed after 50 years, um?)
Trump told veterans of the
Vietnam War that the VA quote “has made amazing strides and already is a whole
new place.”
Short rebut:
Those remarks and a White House progress report at the VA did not and have not acknowledged
old problems that persist have been solved, let alone all addressed.
For example, a key effort to
improve waiting times by revamping the VA's electronic medical record system
may not be completed for eight more years — when Trump will be out of office.
Here is a look at some other statements about the VA and other topics raised
and bragged about by Trump which are false (my emphasis is added):
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: “President
Trump announced that the VA will adopt the same Electronic Health Record as
DOD. VA's adoption will ultimately result in all patient data residing in one
common system, enabling the immediate availability of service members' medical
records and seamless care between the departments.”
THE FACTS: While the
administration did announce in June that it would overhaul the VA's aging
information technology system, VA Secretary David Shulkin admitted to Congress in October that
the project to revamp electronic medical records won't be completed for seven
to eight years, and the full costs of the project also are not known and have
yet even been budgeted.
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: “President
Trump signed the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017,
taking action to streamline the appeals process for disability compensation
claims within the VA. More than 470,000 veterans are awaiting pending decisions
regarding their appeals.”
THE FACTS: Trump signed the
bill in August, part of a bid to reduce a rapidly growing claims backlog, but its immediate
impact is overstated, as it will have no effect on the 470,000 pending claims.
Under the legislation,
veterans will be able to file “express appeals if they waive their right to a hearing or the
ability to submit new evidence.” While lawmakers hope the
legislation ultimately could reduce average wait times to less than a year, it applies almost
entirely and only for new appeals.
VA Secretary Shulkin has said the VA would need Congress to approve an
additional $800 million for “hiring surges of additional appeals processors if the VA
hoped to clear its current backlog within 10 years.”
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: “President
Trump has ensured continued access to care in the Veterans Choice Program by
signing the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act, authorizing $2.1 billion in
additional funds for the Veterans Choice Program.”
THE FACTS: This statement
glosses over one of several budget shortfalls by the VA. Congress was forced in
August to approve $2.1 billion in emergency money to keep Choice running after
the VA had repeatedly understated costs of the program, assuring lawmakers for
much of the year that money would last until January. Shulkin subsequently
revealed an emergency shortfall in June that threatened medical care for tens
of thousands of veterans.
The $2.1 billion was intended
to last until February. But weeks after receiving the money, the VA
acknowledged that money for Choice would again run out sooner than expected,
requiring Congress to approve additional stopgap financing before the end of
the year or face disruptions to veterans' health care. Lawmakers have yet to
act, in part as the Trump administration sorts out longer-term costs to the
private-sector program.
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: “The VA
has launched its “Access and Quality Tool,” allowing veterans to see online the
wait times at VA locations.”
THE FACTS: An effort started
by Shulkin when he was VA undersecretary of health in President Barack Obama's
administration, the VA website www.accesstocare.va.gov provides data on wait
times as well as on veterans' satisfaction ratings in getting timely
appointments, something that no other health care system in the country does. The VFW have
faulted the data for being misleading and not depicting wait times the way a
typical person would view it.
The GAO noted that the data do not include
the amount of wait time from when a veteran initially asks for care and when a
scheduler reaches out to set an appointment, which it said could be lengthy.
In addition, GAO earlier this
year continued to find evidence that VA data can be unreliable because of schedulers
recording wrong dates or changing dates outright, though the VA says it is
implementing new checks and training to help identify “outliers in scheduling.”
FROM THE WHITE HOUSE: “The
White House has opened a brand new VA Hotline staffed principally by veterans
and direct family members of veterans to ensure that no complaint goes
unaddressed.”
THE FACTS: It opened, but it
did not get off to a smooth start. Trump pledged during the presidential
campaign to create a “private White House hotline” answered by a real person 24
hours a day to take complaints from veterans, leading the VA to create a
hotline beginning in June.
Originally scheduled to be
fully operational by August 15, it has encountered some delays. In a letter to
the VA last month, Sen. Jon Tester, the top Democrat on the Senate Veterans
Affairs Committee, complained: “The White House is frequently routing these calls back to
local VA offices, which are often understaffed and do not have the ability to
address the additional casework in a timely manner.”
My previous VA notes to show the conditions of Vets and the poor if not
totally lousy support they get – and lest we forget – we have been in war now
for over 16 years – think about that as you research the following:
Vets and the SNAP (Food
Assistance Program):
How many veterans are on welfare: The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a
nonprofit D.C.-based think tank, estimates that as many as 340,000
veterans rely on federal or state rental assistance. About 900,000 veterans live
on food stamps, and an additional 5,000 active-duty service members are food
stamp recipients.
H.R. 3016: The bill cuts the
housing allowance for military children attending college and redistributes the
money towards other programs such as (1) prenatal care for female veterans and
(2) K-9 training.
Some in VFW don’t believe
that is entirely a bad thing, saying in part: “We would never actively support
any stand-alone provision that reduces benefits for Vets or service members, we
feel that H.R. 3016, taken in its entirety, contained enough good provisions to
support its passage.”
The American Legion, the
organization that helped spearhead the very first iteration of the GI Bill after
World War II and pass the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008 supports the bill and VFW,
adding that this new bill adds a provision the current law lacks for example:
for the first time count the time a reservist spends recovering in hospital
from wounds and injuries toward GI Bill eligibility.
The IAVA, opposes the bill
because it “robs Peter to pay Paul.” Other veterans groups such as VVA also
agree that “cannibalizing” existing programs isn’t the way to go. More funding
across the board is needed for all Vets and families.
My summary: Seems either the VA or the White House has a serious issue
with the truth.
We have been at war for over 16 years – needs of the Vets will only
grow as well as cost. What are we prepared to provide?
Apparently, political rhetoric is cheap but results are not – how much
is your freedom worth?
Thanks for stopping – thank the next Vet you meet.
No comments:
Post a Comment