Saturday, November 11, 2017

"Only I Can Fix Things" /s/ Trump: Applies Silly Putty to VA Foundation

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.

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