Regarding Returning Vets

| May 6, 2021

How is the VA health care system going to handle a post-pandemic load of new patients after this one is over? And if many employees are nearing retirement, how is that going to be addressed?

This article takes a look at the impending problem, but mostly just asks questions without answering them. Please note that in the aftermath of the Vietnam war, there were many issues that veterans had with the VA’s health care system, enough to make anyone say ‘No, thanks, I’ll go elsewhere.”

https://www.armytimes.com/pay-benefits/2020/12/10/troubles-brewing-for-the-post-pandemic-va-health-care-system-top-doc-says/

As indicated, 60,000 new employees have been hired, including increasing the nursing staff by 11,000 new nurse hires. That seems like a lot, but how many more people will be leaving the military for whatever reasons in the near future, and seeking health care for service-related issues, but will have to be referred to local medical facilities for lack of adequate staff?

From the article:  The continuing stress on health care workers, a possible employee mass exodus at the end of the pandemic, and veterans delaying needed health care could combine to create even more of a strain on the Veterans Administration health care system after the pandemic ends, said the official in charge of that system.

“The workforce is tired, and they’re mentally exhausted….. I have very significant concerns that on the other end of this, we will see significant retirements that’s going to challenge us,” said Dr. Richard Stone, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, during a session at the annual meeting of the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Wednesday.

“Sometime in late 2021, we may see large numbers of people retiring. How do we maintain this very skilled, very mature workforce that represents the VA employee?” – article

This is a valid concern, considering that the military members coming back from the Middle East will be needing follow-up care for things that sometimes don’t show up right away until you get home. The exposure to Agent Orange and other defoliants in Vietnam is a good example of that.

The numbers will increase the load that health care workers have to shoulder. Addressing this now is a good idea, and one can only hope that it is addressed as something more important than alleged climate issues.

Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Afghanistan, Veteran Health Care

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BennSue

With the change in retirement benefits, I wonder if they will eventually (for financial reasons) change VA access to be limited to 1) actual retirees, both by time and disability and 2) everyone else who will get limited access/yearly checkups. The non-retirees will get moved to CHAMPUS/Tricare Prime care. Retirees are living longer. My father had over 43 years of retirement before he passed. It’s a financial impossibility to continue as they are doing.

Only Army Mom

hmmm… you mean, maybe returning to pre-2009 sensibilities for those seen at the VA?

ninja

BennSue wrote:

“The non-retirees will get moved to CHAMPUS/Tricare Prime care.”

I thought TRICARE Prime was only for Retirees…and once the Retiree turns 65, they turn over to Medicare and TRICARE For Life.

KoB

“…something more important than alleged climate issues.”

How DARE you!?! NOTHING is more important than climate issues!!! Just ask Greta…or Al. /s/

The Nation owes a debt to Veterans with Combat and or Service related health problems. If they weed out the phonies, grifters, and career political appointees that are sucking up the resources, there will be plenty of $ and personnel to take care of the ones truly needing help.

You want to fix the “VA Health Care Problems”? Just make the kongress klown kritters use them for THEIR health care.

MarineDad61

KoB,
Key word WEED.
VA could profit (reduce losses) for every dollar they spend on
VETERANS manning expanded VA fraud desks
+
The numbers of VA phonies and grifters booted from access to the VA.
VS.
The current system, which is apparently understaffed,
and those are mostly disinterested civilians,
perhaps some of them in on the grift.

Roh-Dog

I smoke and drink. Bad habits are a strategic decision to exit this plane of existence, post haste and before the VA has the opportunity to kill me.

“The workforce is tired, and they’re mentally exhausted….. I have very significant concerns that on the other end of this, we will see significant retirements that’s going to challenge us,” said Dr. Richard Stone.

A year-long paid vacation/MTO and tictok videos *IS* pretty grueling. May your [complete lack of awareness and rational professional understanding of cost/benefit analysis] set lightly upon you.

Rhetorical question: When Russia was taken over, didn’t the Soviets corrupt the medical system to use as a tool for societal control?

A Proud Infidel®™

Just look at the incompetence and corruption in the British and Canadian socialized medicine as well.

Roh-Dog

Keenly aware. The best feature of those countries’ national health is at the airport.
Lefties NEVER learn.

Prior Service

Three Iraqs, two Kuwaits, one Kosovo and one Macedonia here, but it’s the other 28 years in service (and counting) that are gonna require a whole lot of post-retirement health care…. glad I don’t put on all the kit anymore.

26Limabeans

“Sometime in late 2021, we may see large numbers of people retiring”

Covid is causing a lot of professionals to retire after a year of
this never ending bullshit. I lost a doctor to retirement in JAN
and just lost my dentist to it last week.
And that’s just the private sector. People gettin out while
the gettin out is good.

ninja

Ex:

Has anything changed since the article you posted was written in December 2020?