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<blockquote data-quote="SeniorGeek" data-source="post: 175155" data-attributes="member: 4823"><p>There is plenty of blame to spread around. When it comes to the budget, each President proposes a budget to Congress, Congress messes with it and returns it to the President for signature. If we look at funding for the healthcare part of the VA, the Clinton Administration/Republican Congress increased funding (in nominal dollars) or decreased funding (if adjusted for inflation) or increased funding (per veteran receiving health care, even after adjusting for inflation - because the number of veterans was decreasing). The Bush Administration/Republican Congress increased funding (in nominal dollars) or decreased funding (adjusted for inflation AND/OR per veteran receiving health care - a growing number). The Bush Administration/Democratic Congress will probably throw more money at VA and take lots of credit on all sides...then move on to whatever else is in the news.I wonder when those visits happened? My experiences were quite different. From 1982 to 1985 I drove patients to VA facilities. During that time, things deteriorated - the buildings and the service. Already decrepit buildings received no attention. (The hospital moved admitting to a different location when the lights quit working. Nothing was done about it for many months.) Wait times climbed from 1 to 2 hours to the 5 to 6 hour range! (I classify that as a customer service issue; I think the medical staff provided good quality of medical care.) During that time, some VA facilities stopped offering some services - so many patients had longer rides to more distant facilities. (I drove for a contractor that received some federal matching funds for those rides and others - it was not part of the VA budget, but VA patients qualified for the program. That funding went away at the end of 1985, but local agencies continued a smaller program.) </p><p> </p><p>My father's current experience is that wait times are down to the 3 to 4 hour range. This discourages him from making use of VA medical services.The fat lady has not even taken the stage. I hope that Christina Augilera does not shave <u>her</u> head, or the press might forget about the VA....</p><p>Damnit. Lately, I keep finding myself agreeing with tieguy. What happened to me?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="SeniorGeek, post: 175155, member: 4823"] There is plenty of blame to spread around. When it comes to the budget, each President proposes a budget to Congress, Congress messes with it and returns it to the President for signature. If we look at funding for the healthcare part of the VA, the Clinton Administration/Republican Congress increased funding (in nominal dollars) or decreased funding (if adjusted for inflation) or increased funding (per veteran receiving health care, even after adjusting for inflation - because the number of veterans was decreasing). The Bush Administration/Republican Congress increased funding (in nominal dollars) or decreased funding (adjusted for inflation AND/OR per veteran receiving health care - a growing number). The Bush Administration/Democratic Congress will probably throw more money at VA and take lots of credit on all sides...then move on to whatever else is in the news.I wonder when those visits happened? My experiences were quite different. From 1982 to 1985 I drove patients to VA facilities. During that time, things deteriorated - the buildings and the service. Already decrepit buildings received no attention. (The hospital moved admitting to a different location when the lights quit working. Nothing was done about it for many months.) Wait times climbed from 1 to 2 hours to the 5 to 6 hour range! (I classify that as a customer service issue; I think the medical staff provided good quality of medical care.) During that time, some VA facilities stopped offering some services - so many patients had longer rides to more distant facilities. (I drove for a contractor that received some federal matching funds for those rides and others - it was not part of the VA budget, but VA patients qualified for the program. That funding went away at the end of 1985, but local agencies continued a smaller program.) My father's current experience is that wait times are down to the 3 to 4 hour range. This discourages him from making use of VA medical services.The fat lady has not even taken the stage. I hope that Christina Augilera does not shave [U]her[/U] head, or the press might forget about the VA.... Damnit. Lately, I keep finding myself agreeing with tieguy. What happened to me? [/QUOTE]
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