The VA garnished 50% of my disability. Why?? Because they said that I owe since 2007. Gee, what could I do? That disability is 30% of my military retirement, of which pays rent and bills. I was told a year later and still owing the VA that the VA will NOT communicate a lower payment plan at the time. Something is fishy here and it reeks with the stench of mismanagement funds based on organizational and systemic disarray. Dazed and confused, I am paying still. Meanwhile, I was living on USDA housing of 30% gross. New owners jacked up my rent, I went to court, paid my rent up to date and got evicted via sheriffs notice. This happened in Minnesota. With all this excitment I am in California helping my mom recover from a recent stroke. It is a little different out here in NorCal...there are Ginyuns (Virginians) helping us vets out here in California. Woot Woot...
Submitted by Mike Angelo (not verified) : Sep 7, 2015 3:18pm
With recent experiences with the VA before I sign off and support a budget request I would like to read or see (unlike our congressman) the budget request, and what oversight their will be to ensure the fund go where they are supposed to and not diverted to salary increases and bonuses for overpaid excectives.
Submitted by Bobby D. (not verified) : Sep 3, 2015 2:39pm
The VA has demonstrated an appalling disregard in fulfilling it's mission. No one in government seems willing or able to hold the VA accountable. It is criminal that the VA has a dollar amount calculated without any commitment to see it well spent. Set performance parameters with penalties for failure then give the VA whatever is needed.
need to examine this budget. Need to know if the money is being spent on services to the individual veterans or building castles for management. Is the veteran being taken care of or is money being spent on more frivolous programs programs?
Submitted by mclaughlin (not verified) : Sep 3, 2015 4:31pm
A case of pneumonia recently put me in Jesse Brown VAMC, Chicago. During my month there, I had several roommates with all sorts of schemes to improve their financial situations at the cost of other Vets. It is sad to see the VA health care reduced to Medicare fraud and all their losses caused by lack of oversight, or just plain negligence. Lots of government programs need fixes, but people of honor and integrity never get a chance. Wisely spent money helps those it is intended to benefit. Politics hurts all those in real need.
Submitted by Usaf Steve (not verified) : Sep 3, 2015 5:39pm
I agree with "Usaf Steve" like any other bureaucratic policy of good intentions it is usurped by those who deserve it the least. Beyond the cost to more deserving Veterans it is a financial burden on all taxpayers.
Submitted by Jim Creagan (not verified) : Sep 4, 2015 10:21am
The VA needs a leader that has ethics & accepts responsibility. Their change can only come from within & will not occur until enough pressure is put on our elected officials to act on this travesty of a medical system for all our veterans.
Submitted by 'Doc' King (not verified) : Sep 3, 2015 6:31pm
The VA should be eliminated and private health care insurance should be given to the veterans. It's insane the money being given to the VA and the poor quality of care that us veterans receive.
Submitted by Wayne A. (not verified) : Sep 4, 2015 11:56am
I totally agree with some of my fellow veterans concerning how our care should be turned over to private health care. Being a Vietnam veteran, I am now experiencing delays and unanswered requests as never before, with treatment put-off times close to 90 days. If this system wasn't so broken, it'd be a joke!
Submitted by An Old Cowman (not verified) : Sep 5, 2015 1:17pm
Talk,talk,talk and the same-o,same- keeps on and on. Oh yeah, they're going to get it all straightened out someday. Oh, I forget, they have to have time to straighten it out. Like maybe, 30 or 40 years. Give me a break !
Submitted by James h (not verified) : Sep 5, 2015 8:37pm
Before you can increase a budget for a broken program, you need to access what is being spent and where is it being spent. At that point you can effectively access what you need in order to continue, and what you need to fix what is broken and what you need to do to prepare for the future. Unfortunately this is an extreme mess and needs vigilance in order to take care of our veterans.
I hope we can get this done, but we won't by just throwing money at it.
Submitted by Doug Fox (not verified) : Sep 6, 2015 9:07pm
Working with veterans and as a former member of the military I do not for the life of me understand why the VA Health care system is so broken. Why not privatize the care to local physicians in the area similar to a HMO, or Tri Care, or Medicare???? the tax payers are spending an unbelievable amount of money on a broken system. The situation is only going to get worse with all the service men and women that have or will be returning from Iraq or Afghanistan or other points of deployment.
It can't be fixed. It needs to be dissolved and veterans should be given a card allowing them to find private care. It would be cheaper in the long run too.
Submitted by Jerry Radsek (not verified) : Sep 25, 2015 7:02am
Comments
The VA is so broken more
The VA is so broken more money is not going to fix it,local care is the answer.
The VA garnished 50% of my
The VA garnished 50% of my disability. Why?? Because they said that I owe since 2007. Gee, what could I do? That disability is 30% of my military retirement, of which pays rent and bills. I was told a year later and still owing the VA that the VA will NOT communicate a lower payment plan at the time. Something is fishy here and it reeks with the stench of mismanagement funds based on organizational and systemic disarray. Dazed and confused, I am paying still. Meanwhile, I was living on USDA housing of 30% gross. New owners jacked up my rent, I went to court, paid my rent up to date and got evicted via sheriffs notice. This happened in Minnesota. With all this excitment I am in California helping my mom recover from a recent stroke. It is a little different out here in NorCal...there are Ginyuns (Virginians) helping us vets out here in California. Woot Woot...
With recent experiences with
With recent experiences with the VA before I sign off and support a budget request I would like to read or see (unlike our congressman) the budget request, and what oversight their will be to ensure the fund go where they are supposed to and not diverted to salary increases and bonuses for overpaid excectives.
You can't fix a problem by
You can't fix a problem by throwing money at it...that is a large part of why our country is in such peril.
went to va to sign up had bad
went to va to sign up had bad experance will not use the VA ever
The VA has demonstrated an
The VA has demonstrated an appalling disregard in fulfilling it's mission. No one in government seems willing or able to hold the VA accountable. It is criminal that the VA has a dollar amount calculated without any commitment to see it well spent. Set performance parameters with penalties for failure then give the VA whatever is needed.
need to examine this budget.
need to examine this budget. Need to know if the money is being spent on services to the individual veterans or building castles for management. Is the veteran being taken care of or is money being spent on more frivolous programs programs?
A case of pneumonia recently
A case of pneumonia recently put me in Jesse Brown VAMC, Chicago. During my month there, I had several roommates with all sorts of schemes to improve their financial situations at the cost of other Vets. It is sad to see the VA health care reduced to Medicare fraud and all their losses caused by lack of oversight, or just plain negligence. Lots of government programs need fixes, but people of honor and integrity never get a chance. Wisely spent money helps those it is intended to benefit. Politics hurts all those in real need.
I agree with "Usaf Steve"
I agree with "Usaf Steve" like any other bureaucratic policy of good intentions it is usurped by those who deserve it the least. Beyond the cost to more deserving Veterans it is a financial burden on all taxpayers.
The VA needs a leader that
The VA needs a leader that has ethics & accepts responsibility. Their change can only come from within & will not occur until enough pressure is put on our elected officials to act on this travesty of a medical system for all our veterans.
The VA should be eliminated
The VA should be eliminated and private health care insurance should be given to the veterans. It's insane the money being given to the VA and the poor quality of care that us veterans receive.
THEIR NEEDS TO BE MORE
THEIR NEEDS TO BE MORE ALLOWING OF EACH HOSPITALS RECORDS CHECKUPS AND REASONS FOR BAKLOGS
I totally agree with some of
I totally agree with some of my fellow veterans concerning how our care should be turned over to private health care. Being a Vietnam veteran, I am now experiencing delays and unanswered requests as never before, with treatment put-off times close to 90 days. If this system wasn't so broken, it'd be a joke!
Talk,talk,talk and the same-o
Talk,talk,talk and the same-o,same- keeps on and on. Oh yeah, they're going to get it all straightened out someday. Oh, I forget, they have to have time to straighten it out. Like maybe, 30 or 40 years. Give me a break !
Before you can increase a
Before you can increase a budget for a broken program, you need to access what is being spent and where is it being spent. At that point you can effectively access what you need in order to continue, and what you need to fix what is broken and what you need to do to prepare for the future. Unfortunately this is an extreme mess and needs vigilance in order to take care of our veterans.
I hope we can get this done, but we won't by just throwing money at it.
Working with veterans and as
Working with veterans and as a former member of the military I do not for the life of me understand why the VA Health care system is so broken. Why not privatize the care to local physicians in the area similar to a HMO, or Tri Care, or Medicare???? the tax payers are spending an unbelievable amount of money on a broken system. The situation is only going to get worse with all the service men and women that have or will be returning from Iraq or Afghanistan or other points of deployment.
One either supports the
One either supports the budget request or not. Everything else is irrelevant to the question. I support the VA budget and receive outstanding VA care.
It can't be fixed. It needs
It can't be fixed. It needs to be dissolved and veterans should be given a card allowing them to find private care. It would be cheaper in the long run too.