Donald J. Trump campaign releases plan for Veteran Administration reform

[NightHawkeye]

Veterans Administration Reforms That Will Make America Great Again | Trump for President

The current state of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is absolutely unacceptable. Over 300,000 veterans died waiting for care. Corruption and incompetence were excused. Politicians in Washington have done too little too slowly to fix it. This situation can never happen again, and when Donald J. Trump is president, it will be fixed – fast.

...

The Trump Plan Gives Veterans The Freedom To Choose And Forces The VA To Compete For Their Dollars

Politicians in Washington have tried to fix the VA by holding hearings and blindly throwing money at the problem. None of it has worked. In fact, wait times were 50% higher this summer than they were a year ago. That’s because the VA lacks the right leadership and management. It’s time we stop trusting Washington politicians to fix the problems and empower our veterans to vote with their feet.

Under a Trump Administration, all veterans eligible for VA health care can bring their veteran’s ID card to any doctor or care facility that accepts Medicare to get the care they need immediately. Our veterans have earned the freedom to choose better or more convenient care from the doctor and facility of their choice. The power to choose will stop the wait time backlogs and force the VA to improve and compete if the department wants to keep receiving veterans’ healthcare dollars. The VA will become more responsive to veterans, develop more efficient systems, and improve the quality of care because it will have no other choice.​

Gotta love it. Competition the old-fashioned way.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Ah, so the Donald is going to open up Medicare to veterans... Socialized Medicine, then.

 

[Willtor]

Ah, so the Donald is going to open up Medicare to veterans... Socialized Medicine, then.

Socialized medicine: It works.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Socialized medicine: It works.

Noting that Donald J. Trump explicitly called for opening up the VA to external competition from private providers operating in competition for customers.

 

[Willtor]

Noting that Donald J. Trump explicitly called for opening up the VA to external competition from private providers operating in competition for customers.

Oh, I misunderstood. He wants veterans to have to start paying for it. Oh. Yeah, I think that's the wrong direction to be going.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Oh, I misunderstood. He wants veterans to have to start paying for it. Oh. Yeah, I think that's the wrong direction to be going.

Not only that. Now, you're just making things up.

 

[Willtor]

Not only that. Now, you're just making things up.

I am.

But, to be fair, Trump really is advocating socialized medicine for veterans. It's a medical system with exactly one customer: the Government.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Noting that Donald J. Trump explicitly called for opening up the VA to external competition from private providers operating in competition for customers.

Paid for by taxpayers... who do you think funds Medicare?

For that matter -- who funds the VA?

 

[Willtor]

Paid for by taxpayers... who do you think funds Medicare?

For that matter -- who funds the VA?

The Free Market, of course! Duh, TLK Valentine! Try to keep up, buddy.

 

[TLK Valentine]

The Free Market, of course! Duh, TLK Valentine! Try to keep up, buddy.

of course -- a taxpayer-funded institution goes into competition with... another taxpayer-funded institution...

 

[NightHawkeye]

The Free Market, of course! Duh, TLK Valentine! Try to keep up, buddy.

Exactly! (Yes, I realize that was not your stated intention though.)

Free market competition which allows veterans to choose from among multiple independent medical providers.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Exactly! (Yes, I realize that was not your stated intention though.)

Free market competition which allows veterans to choose from among multiple independent medical providers.

While taxpayer money foots the Medicare bill... just like the VA.

So where's the competition?

 

[NightHawkeye]

While taxpayer money foots the Medicare bill... just like the VA.

So where's the competition?

See post #11.

 

[TLK Valentine]

See post #11.

Taxpayers competing with taxpayers, then. Government competing with itself.

Where's the motivation for either system to improve?

 

[NightHawkeye]

Taxpayers competing with taxpayers, then. Government competing with itself.

Where's the motivation for either system to improve?

Thought my earlier statement was abundantly clear.

Free market competition which allows veterans to choose from among multiple independent medical providers.

Independent medical providers competing with each other for the business of veterans.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Thought my earlier statement was abundantly clear.

Independent medical providers competing with each other for the business of veterans.

All of which are paid for by the same taxpayers...

Don't get me wrong; I'm glad that the Donald is embracing Socialized Medicine on a small scale -- when it works, it'll be easy to expand to the rest of the American population.

 

[NightHawkeye]

All of which are paid for by the same taxpayers...

Don't get me wrong; I'm glad that the Donald is embracing Socialized Medicine on a small scale -- when it works, it'll be easy to expand to the rest of the American population.

Noting that the Donald is not expanding socialized medicine.

Instead, he is contracting it ... in an important and competitive way ... after the socialized medicine which was the VA utterly failed.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Noting that the Donald is not expanding socialized medicine.

Noting that Medicare is paid for with taxpayer money.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Noting that Medicare is paid for with taxpayer money.

Noting that socialism comes in degrees.

Eliminating socialism is best done in a similarly gradual fashion.

 

[TLK Valentine]

Noting that socialism comes in degrees.

Eliminating socialism is best done in a similarly gradual fashion.

So is expanding it.

First, our veterans get government-funded healthcare at any facility they wish... not just the VA...

When the program succeeds, the civilians will ask for it... and the Donald will be more than happy to expand on his original success by throwing it open to the American people... especially if he can do it during his first term to seal his re-election deal.

I'll give Trump credit -- he's got hard-core conservative cheering for socialism...