“Get rid of the VA - give them a voucher for any local hospital
Does anyone see anything wrong with that idea?”
Yes. The problem with that is vets have a unique life story - one that 72% of the civilian population admits they do not understand. Vets need to be cared for by doctors who understand what they have been through and how to work with them. Farming vets to civilian care will increase suicide rates and decrease effective treatment for problems common to vets.
It sounded like Trump was saying that non-VA care would be used when the VA isn’t taking proper care of vets, as a backup. That would be in cases such as Todd’s, which is the one Trump was addressing.
“Vets need to be cared for by doctors who understand what they have been through and how to work with them. Farming vets to civilian care will increase suicide rates and decrease effective treatment for problems common to vets.”
The solution would be to integrate retired or reserve Medical Corps physicians into civilian hospitals so that there is always a medical presence that can understand and treat conditions unique to veterans.
“Yes. The problem with that is vets have a unique life story - one that 72% of the civilian population admits they do not understand. Vets need to be cared for by doctors who understand what they have been through and how to work with them. Farming vets to civilian care will increase suicide rates and decrease effective treatment for problems common to vets.”
For medical needs they can have a voucher for regular hospitals and doctors.
For their mental/emotional stress they can have vouchers for mental health professionals.
It would be less costly than maintaining the cumbersome VA system.
Longterm VA facilities could be maintained.