When a soldier enlists in the United States military they make a promise to serve and protect our nation, putting their lives at risk to help keep America safe. Sadly when they finish their service they unknowingly enlist themselves in another war: to receive proper health care from VA. Things like long waiting times, understaffed facilities, and few care options for veterans in rural areas are just the beginning of the problems plaguing VA health care. Horrifying issues that are killing our veteran are beginning to surface such as employees falsifying records, outdated facilities spreading diseases, and patient neglect; all while key VA officials continue to scramble to cover things up. Our government must intervene quickly to fix the growing problems with VA health care so our veterans receive the care they were promised and should be receiving.
“The VA’s unchecked incompetence has gone on long enough; no more veterans should be compelled to agonize or perish while the government fails to perform it’s obligations.”(Williams) Taking care of our veterans is a cost of war. Our country spends trillions of dollars each year to send our men and woman to war, but only mere billions on VA health care each year. “Treatment of war wounds has been a legal guarantee to soldiers since Abraham Lincoln was president, and the law was enhanced in 1998 to promise free care for any medical condition, even if the condition is not attributable to military service." (Williams)
What is the VA? How Do Service Members Apply?
The Department of Veterans Affairs also known as the VA, is a government run benefits program that was established on July 21,1930. The VA is in charge of three major programs for our veterans: Medical care, burials, and benefits....
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Services for PTSD." Do Veterans Receive Adequate Health Care? Ed. Susan C. Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. At Issue. Rpt. from "Court Orders Major Overhaul of VA's Mental Health System." Los Angeles Times 11 May 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 8 June 2014.
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The United States has the most comprehensive system and programs of assistance for Veterans of any nation in the world. The first domiciliary, a residential home for Veterans was authorized by the Federal Government in 1811. After the Civil War, President Lincoln made a promise to care for widows, orphans and injured soldiers; many State veterans homes were established to care for indigent and disabled veterans. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Congress established a new system of Veterans’ benefits, including the addition of disability compensation and vocational rehabilitation. In the 1920s, the ever-increasing benefits were administered by three different Federal agencies: the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, the Veterans Bureau, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. The establishment of the Veterans Administration came in 1930 when Congress authorized President Herbert Hoover to consolidate the programs for Veterans into one government bureau. The Veterans Administration took over the responsibility of the National Cemetery System from the Department of the Army in 1973, but in 1989, President Bush established the Department of Veteran Affairs as a Cabinet-level position. President Bush was quoted as saying; "There is only one place for the veterans of America, in the Cabinet Room, at the table with the President of the United States of America." (United States Department of Veteran Affairs, 2010)
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
Originally, assistance for veterans began in the 1600 where the colony passed laws where soldiers that became disabled while fighting with the Pequot Indians would be supported by the colony. The DVA was established as a cabinet-level position under the Bush administration in 1989. The agency mission is based on a commitment statement that was developed by President Lincoln, which commits the organization to excellence.
While most countries around the world have some form of universal national health care system, the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, does not. There are much more benefits to the U.S. adopting a dorm of national health care system than to keep its current system, which has proved to be unnecessarily expensive, complicated, and overall inefficient.
The VA is the Department of Veterans Affairs and they provide loans to veterans and other eligible personnel to help them purchase a home with no down payment.
It was once assumed that the government would provide services for veterans, but nonprofit organizations and communities have been picking up the slack to help veterans get back on their feet after returning home. The government is dependent on nonprofit organizations to supply veterans and their families with the necessary goods and services. The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is an organization that provides services for veterans and their families. The WWP focuses on mind, body, economic empowerment, and engagement, all things that help veterans through post-war symptoms (The Wounded Warrior Project). The government is recommending giving less housing allowances, limiting pay raises, and having higher fees for health care benefits; other cuts would include stores being unable to give discounts to military families (Nissenbaum and Barnes). The amount of money veterans receive for housing, health care, and retirement is being cut left and right by the government and the money is being used and put towards other departments. In California, The County Veterans Service Officers Inc. plays a very important role in verterans’ lives (California Association of County Veterans Service Officers, Inc.) Many organizations help veterans who are in need of services because our government is not always able to provide...
For the last five years of my life I have worked in the healthcare industry. One of the biggest issues plaguing our nation today has been the ever rising cost of health care. If we don't get costs under control, we risk losing the entire system, as well as potentially crippling our economy. For the sake of our future, we must find a way to lower the cost of health care in this nation.
Veterans need to be taken care of medically, mentally, and financially, as promised by President Obama. "It's a commitment that begins at enlistment, and it must never end. But we know that for too long, we've fallen short of meeting that commitment. Too many wounded warriors go without the care they need. Too many veterans don't receive the support they've earned.
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder need to receive better care, because post traumatic stress disorder is curable, damages relationships, and veterans made many dramatic sacrifices. The health care for veterans needs to be more easily accessible.
...ts to cover their mistakes. This is the exact opposite of what the country needs. Why should costs go up because of denied treatment? The big concern is whether or not government really understands the great difficulty in trying to control HMO’s and other health care programs without a nationalized program. Since there are some 6 million people using Medicare in HMO’s something needs to be done to ensure these patients the treatment that they need.
Nardin, Rachel “Healthcare for vets - and all others” The Boston Globe. 11 NOV 2007: N. Pag. Boston.com. WEB. 10 Nov 2009.
In order to make ones’ health care coverage more affordable, the nation needs to address the continually increasing medical care costs. Approximately more than one-sixth of the United States economy is devoted to health care spending, such as: soaring prices for medical services, costly prescription drugs, newly advanced medical technology, and even unhealthy lifestyles. Our system is spending approximately $2.7 trillion annually on health care. According to experts, it is estimated that approximately 20%-30% of that spending (approx. $800 billion a year) appears to go towards wasteful, redundant, or even inefficient care.
What Seems To Be The Problem? A discussion of the current problems in the U.S. healthcare system.
In 1636 the “Pilgrims passed a law which stated that disabled soliders would be supported by the colony.” (VA History) This paved the way for veterans’ benefits and healthcare. It wasn’t until 1811 that the federal government authorized the first medical and domiciliary facilities along with benefits and pensions for the veterans and their families. When the United States entered World War 1 in 1917, Congress created a new system for veterans’ benefits such as disability compensation, insurance, vocational rehabilitation. These benefits were directed by three different agencies in the Federal Government, these branches were the Veterans Bureau, the Bureau of Pensions of the Interior Department, and the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. Ten years later congress authorized the president to “consolidate and coordinate Government activities affecting war veterans”; this action united the three component agencies into bureaus under the veterans’ administration. In the following six decades there were vast increases in the veteran population, and new benefits enacted by congress for veterans following Wo...
The American Health Care system has prided itself on providing high quality services to the citizens who normally cannot afford them. This system has been in place for years and until now it did a fairly decent job. The problem today is money; the cost of hospital services and doctor fees are rising faster than ever before. The government has been trying to come up with a new plan these past few years even though there has been strong opposition against a new Health Care system. There are many reasons why it should be changed and there are many reasons why it shouldn’t be changed. The main thing that both sides heads towards is money. Both sides want to save money just in different ways.