MTFs cut services for furloughs
The USAToday reports that military treatment facilities are cutting back their treatment of soldiers and their families because of furloughs;
The Pentagon’s top medical official, Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs, called the cuts illogical and a significant threat.
“We simply cannot continue to sustain the burdens placed on the military medical system if sequester remains the law of the land,” Woodson says. “The men and women who have fought tirelessly on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan … deserve much, much more than this.”
Thomas said that by sending patients to a network of private doctors who contract with the government for services, the Pentagon will spend more money in order to compensate for the automatic spending cuts.
“As we curtail … we will inevitably refer more care out to the network,” he says. “We’ll end up spending more money in the long run.”
At Walter Reed, the primary care facility for troops wounded in Afghanistan, the number of operating rooms has been cut from 23 to 20 Monday through Thursday and to 10 on Friday, when most civilians take their weekly furlough day, according to a memo July 15 from Navy Capt. Philip Perdue, deputy chief of surgery.
Of course, USAToday blames Congress, disregarding the fact that sequestration came out of a White House strategy session, also disregarding that the White House has threatened to veto a Defense budget because it doesn’t squeeze veterans enough, and threatens to veto any spending bill that contains any cuts to domestic spending. When Mitt Romney mentioned sequestration last year during the presidential debates, President Obama assured the American voters that sequestration “won’t happen”, yet here we are.
While we’re at it, lets’ talk about millions of dollars spent on the recent trip to Africa, the millions that will be spent on the Obama family vacation later this month.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Military issues, Veteran Health Care
Yes, how many troops could have been treated with the costs of all the world travels the POTUS and his family and Kerry take? The POTUS lied in the campaign and he’s made his lie come true while in office. God help our troops who need care.
Yeah, Jonn, it’s that way. The media has been having sit downs with the Prez (amazing that no one is covering that) and the talking points are coming straight from those meetings. The low information voters are getting that information and just parroting it. Most don’t even know that sequestration was Prezbo’s idea to begin with.
I’ll defer to others on this but it’s probably better than the treatment services are being farmed out to private doctors. If that’s true, I don’t care that it costs more. The treatment of our people is probably better outside of the system.
It’s piling up, higher and higher. At some point, like any other unstable pile of BS, it will collapse under its own weight.
So glad I did not vote for that clown.
The Obama girls are in the Bahamas, under the watchful eyes of the Secret Service. That’s nice. Millions spent on trips to Spain, Africa, many to Hawaii, and now Martha’s Vineyard with a staff of some 75 in tow. Ah, he truly is one with us. He truly suffers with the unemployed, the underemployed, and, of course, the men and women in uniform. What a guy!
@5 Well said. The troops and vets are the bottom of the totem pole…again or should I say as usual since Reagan, Bush left. Just MHO
As part of my look-see into this matter, I checked out the reporter, John Kass. I expected to learn that he is a lib with a disdain for uniforms. I learned otherwise. He is not a lib and actually worked for a living in the real world for years before starting his writing career. The needle is moving for me.
OOPS! WRONG THREAD FOR CMT 6. SORRY.
Watch the movie “Article 99”.
We have seen it for years, primarily in Air Force facilities. Lavish rennovations, upgrades, a prolifiation of flat screen TV’s, etc. Little Rock AFB is a prime example. Tons of money has been spent on physical plant, in an old building, and medical treatment farmed out to civilian facilities, a couple of which I would not take our dog to, and one in a Wal-Mart Super Center. But, they have great TV’s and comfortable chairs, and – of course, posh offices.
@10. Same thing at Peterson AFB, home of Northcom, Spacecom, et al. New training buildings, new east gate, updated hangars and housing. But, you know, different pots of money. I saw talking to a checker at the commissary two weeks ago and she said she was just trying to hang on until the 1st of Oct. Then things would get better. Didn’t have the heart to tell her she will be very disappointed when things get worse.
Yet another nail in the coffin of our military. I will do all I can to discourage any deserving youth from joining.
JBPHH has cut its weekend acute care hours, entirely.
why did we hear this when other were POTUS. HOW ABOUT LOOKING AT WHO TOOK THE MOST TRIPS.AND IF YOU CAN BE FAIR THEN DONT SAY ANYTHING THEY ALL GO ON TRIPS.STOP
@13…I just left there in March when I retired and I’m glad I got out before it got bad. Their hours were already short enough.