David Edwards posted an article on The Raw Story about Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney. Romney told a group of veterans that he might introduce "private sector competition" for veteran's health care benefits by possibly creating a "voucher" system. Basically each soldier would get so much money attributed to them and they would have the choice of using that money for private or government based health care.
I think this is a great idea. While the article was rather vague regarding the details, I would like to learn more about this possibility.
Being a disabled veteran, having the choice of where to be treated is very appealing to me. The level of care that I have received from VA health care facilities is not acceptable and the way some veteran's are treated is even more unacceptable. I have four herniated/bulging discs in my upper back and the VA won't perform surgery because I am too young by their standards. I was told by the surgeon who was extremely short and rude with me (during the visit I had to drive four hours to get to) that "This isn't a simple tooth extraction, it's a very complicated surgery. You should look forward to a lifetime of chronic pain." I have to accept his diagnosis, getting a second opinion is not a possibility. That is why I welcome this proposition with open arms.
I would love to be able to choose my doctor and be treated respectfully instead of being demeaned.
I also think that this could be a good way to provide health care for veterans. I have several friend who have suffered similar situations as yourself. The VA won't really do anything big to help them, like surgeries, but when they try to obtain health insurance from other providers, they consider their circumstances as preexisting conditions and won't cover them either. The only option is to pay cash for any operations. This would be nearly impossible, unless one of them won the lotto or a jackpot on a slot-machine. I think that health insurance companies have been screwing everyone over in this country by charging outrageous premiums that make it difficult for any American to get coverage. I think that we need some new ideas to find ways to improve this system. I definitely think that veterans deserve better than that.
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