What are some veteran issues you feel are being ignored that someone could write about?

Read "Waiting for an Army to Die" . An indictment of government policy on Agent Orange. It applied to Gulf War Syndrome and PTSD, as well. it is all about the $$$$$$, as far as VA Health Care Policy. Formulated by politicians. In the VA bureaucracy, it is all about career, power and taking Care of the VA employees and political employees first and foremost.

I'm retired and I'm on Tricare Prime. I was seeing an off-base doctor for a number of years and had built a history with him. One day I get a letter in the mail stating the base commander (Tyndall AFB), had ordered all retiree's back to using the base hospital and my primary care manager was changed. It has changed several times now (don't know who it currently is), there is no rapport or history between us, and I have to drive 30-40 minutes each way now for any medical appt. My question is this. Since I pay deductibles off base, does the base get any payment now if I use them? And if so, doesn't that give the base commander the power to take business from local doctor's and assign it to his medical group? I'm fed up with how retiree's are treated. My father is retired Air Force, stage IV cancer, and was recently told by the V.A. that he's not a Vet, he's a retiree......yes, seriously, they told him that.

I could give you a list starting with seeing a different medical professional every time I go in. Rarely a doctor. Locum (contracted) doctors who have no idea of service related injuries and make crappy comments in front of you regarding your service related disability. To making everything so difficult (getting to appointments, getting testing done, shipped off to 3-4 different facilities, etc) I am relatively mobile with my own transportation and I am employed and they make my life hell...I feel horrible for the older vets and their families who have to put up with this kind of treatment!!! Also, I am a business owner, and try to help Vets whenever I can but using the usual channels to hire is a bureaucratic nightmare! Feel free to get with me for a longer list.

Why is it that the government completely controls the VA system and yet cannot begin to fix it, and who is profiting from this debacle.

If you want to stir the pot go back to the Viet Nam Agent Orange devastating effects. Now that the Vets are in their 60s and up the ongoing issues are stacking up. Maybe so big you cant get your arms around it by now but something to consider. The impact on the Vietnamese as well could be highly indicative if you have any cancer statistics that are off the charts of normal.

The most pressing item in my mind is the huge loss of veterans to suicide. The last figure I have heard is twenty-two a day. One third of the population is automatically predisposed to PTS. We send troops to serve multiple tours, increasing the odds for high stressors. The VA has the responsibility to treat veterans and are, quite honestly doing the best that they can. Those still in the military avoid getting psychiatric help because of the stigma of such can have a deleterious affect on their careers. Mandatory evaluations for all returning from deployment might be one way to diminish some of the problems, but is very costly, even if it were effective. Another is to decrease the number of tours. This too is costly and would require a larger standing force. Good luck with whatever you decide to take on.

The length of time it takes to get to see an actual doctor for "serious/severe back nerve pain issues" is about a month and a half. One can get in to see the nurse but NOT the doctor.. Thank GOD almighty I was able to get help/treatment as a dependant through my husband who is currently active duty!! The pain I was in was so far beyond excruciating based off a scale from 1-10 and my pain level had to be like 15 or so last year to the point I considered suicide just to make the agony stop. Our Veterens need to be taken Seriously, not brushed aside like a worn out shoe!!!

I am a veteran with 100% disability. I chose to not take Medicare since the VA healthcare system said they would be there. Well they weren't and Medicare doesn't consider VA medical as a covered medical plan. I'm paying over $200 a month for it because I can't count on the VA medical to care for my needs even in the priority 1 group. They need to change this. I don't mind paying what all Medicare recipient pay but I'm not in a group where there isn't a cap on what they can charge me.

It would be nice if Military personnel some were in the tour of duty whether it be a career service or a 2 or 4 year service member be educated on the VA benefits available to them and another biggie to me is some of the government job opportunities which a lot are working back along with the military. I didn't find out anything what was actually available till I had been our of service for 20 years.

I get good help and taken care of by my va provider But the time to get a appointment is to long we need a lot more care units and providers