Medicare survey shows, VA hospitals out-performing private hospitals
This recent article on NPR was passed on to me after a recent conversation with Steve Early who along with Suzanne Gordon write articles on veteran’s affairs. Usually and in this instance, NPR is careful who or what they support. However, you still have to read things carefully.
Steve in conjunction with Suzanne Gordon and Jasper Craven recently released their book “Our Veterans.” I post on the bool most recently. The book “critically examines the role of advocacy organizations, philanthropies, corporations, and politicians who purport to be ‘pro-veteran.’ They describe the ongoing debate about the cost, quality, and effectiveness of healthcare provided by commercial interests and/or outsourced by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).”
The following NPR article touches upon the VA hospital care in relation to commercial hospital care.
VA hospitals are outperforming private hospitals, latest Medicare survey shows, NPR, Quil Lawrence
A nationwide Medicare survey released Wednesday is finding veterans rate Veterans Affairs hospitals higher than private health care facilities in all 10 categories of patient satisfaction.
(Performance Stats: Click on image to enlarge. You may have to go to the original site if too small)
The VA takes care of about 9 million veterans at 1,255 facilities and is the nation’s largest integrated health care system. Despite many widely publicized scandals, VA health care has been consistently rated as competitive with private care in dozens of peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Shereef Elnahal, VA undersecretary for health . . .
“I strongly believe the VA is the best option for veteran care. Study after study shows that quality and patient safety is at least as good if not better than our private sector counterparts.”
This most recent survey (chart), known as HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems), shows the VA beat out private facilities in all categories surveyed, such as patient satisfaction, hospital cleanliness and communication with nurses and doctors. Elnahal told NPR. . .
“This offers among the first opportunities to directly compare us with our private sector counterparts, and we’re really happy with the results but we won’t be content until 100% of hospitals are pinging in the right ratings.”
Favorably comparing with the private sector is important for the VA, because Congress has expanded the VA’s use of private care as an option when veterans have to wait too long or travel too far for a VA appointment. Private care is much more expensive then the VA and also for the VA.
Republicans in Congress, who generally support greater use of private care, have even accused the VA of obstructing it. Most recently, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost wrote to VA Secretary Denis McDonough about what he called his “complete frustration with the Veterans Health Administration’s lack of timely action to provide community care to veterans that … are in dire need of timely care.” Bost wrote . . .
“I hope you share my frustration. These roadblocks do not serve veterans well and we must do better.”
AB: There are instances of a failure to provide the proper care or administrative faux pas. A well known hospital was going to give me Heparin while there. Heparin thins the blood. The problem? My platelets were already low at 10,000. It gets frustrating and I always follow up and ask questions.
Privatization’s Four Ds are being used to Defund, Degrade, Demonize, and Dismantle VA Healthcare and Privatize it, Angry Bear, angry bear blog
Interesting. I am a non-combat US Army vet of 5 years service (well, 4 years, 7 months, 29 days service – released two days early at the convenience of the guv’mint.) I am entitled to no VA hospital benefits at all. I was warned early on to stay away from them due to terrible service. One recalls the terrible covid-fatalities early on at one of the major VA hospitals in Springfield MA. Not too long ago an aged vet in a nearby VA hospital (the one I would use if I had some eligibility) died in a corridor and was not discovered for several weeks.
I used to tell Mrs Fred that my benefits would cover me, to the extent that I could go over and pick up whatever pill-samples were available at the front desk. It turns out even that is not the case.
So it is with non-combat service vets. Who knew? I have no benefits & no complaints. I got out alive. I didn’t expect to.
Not too many years ago I was advised by a visiting nurse who also did work for the local VA that I should go over and pick up the free hearing aids that vets are entitled to. I explained my non-combat status to him. He aked if I was ever around gunfire. Sure! So I asked the VA about it.
For the first 8 months I was around gunfire a lot. We used to use cigarette filters as ear-plugs, because ear-plugs were not provided back in those days, except to the NCOs. Our ears hurt from the noise. That was not enough to entitle me to VA-supplied hearing aids. Nor should it be. Age-related hearing loss runs in my family.
Fred:
You should “still” apply to the VA. You would probably be a Grade 8. In which case you can use their healthcare facilities and other things applicable. I am not sure why the VA rejects vets. They need all the help they can get and that is one way to get it. I was in and out of Lejeune and I have a blood disorder where my platelets take a vacation every once and a while. Unknown cause. I still showered in and drank the water. I still have to apply for my years of being there.
Their obstinance pisses me off when they reject people because they whine when no one backs them up too.
‘No VA benfits at all.’ I take that back. I can get a free National Parks pass, if I pick it up at a ‘selected’ Nat’l Park. Who knows. Could other such benefits be out there?
Also, unrelated. I can & do use my DD-214 to get discounts at some restaurants.
Fred:
If you go down to the county and register your DD214, they should give you an ID card. You should also go to the county VA Commission and get their card too. Bring you DD214 papers with you to show the VA Commission.
Even though, I served overseas, I do not show my DD214 documents to anyone. It is none of their damn business. They are not authorized to see it and neither are they to ask for it. They are not the VA or the military. My VA and County documents and my old USMC ID are adequate for them. You really do not know what you are authorized as benefits.
You are starting to aggravate me. Come – on Fred.
Hmmm. I reside in what is technically no longer a county.
Most counties in MA technically disappeared several years ago, administratively. So, it’d be kind of hard to ‘go down & register.’
I am in fact registered with the VA & they are the ones who told me via email that I am not entitled to benefits, having never served in combat or a ‘combat-area’, unless Ft Meade counts, having been robbed at gun-point while there. I didn’t mention that to the VA.
Don’t bother to be aggravated by me.
Fred:
You are entitled to benefits. It might not be 100% free; but, You are eligible just based upon your service. Get the form and apply. You earned it. This is why the VA lacks greater support. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE IN A COMBAT AREA to use the VA. That is BS.
From an email I sent a friend a couple of weeks after being denied benefits…
‘What they did tell me is that back in 2003, a decision was made to make ‘veterans’ such as me who while having heard shots fired from loud weaponry, I was never in any actual jeopardy (having spent three years teaching in a basement classroom only)
I am not entitled to any VA health benefits.
Basically, VA benefits are reserved by those whose lives were on the line. Apparently, this also has to do with income levels, which they seem to have gleaned from our tax returns.’
I tried just now to reconnectwith them, but their ‘verification’ process is so tedious & complicated, I feel it isn’t worth further effort to do.
VA priority groups
What factors will VA use to assign me to a priority group?
We’ll base your priority group on:
Your military service history, and
Your disability rating, and
Your income level, and
Whether or not you qualify for Medicaid, and
Other benefits you may be receiving (like VA pension benefits)
We assign Veterans with service-connected disabilities the highest priority. We assign the lowest priority to Veterans who earn a higher income and who don’t have any service-connected disabilities qualifying them for disability compensation (monthly payments). …
… Priority group 8 (the last of 8 – the ‘lowest’ priority)
We may assign you to priority group 8 if both of these descriptions are true for you:
Your gross household income is above VA income limits and geographically adjusted income limits for where you live, and
You agree to pay copays
If you’re assigned to priority group 8, your eligibility for VA health care benefits will depend on which subpriority group we place you in. …