Trump considering plans for privatizing VA medical options

Under the current VA medical system, if you are too far away from a VA Medical Center or have to wait too long to be seen, they can send you to a private sector physician. The care I receive in the VA system has been generally good, although follow-up isn't always the best and they don't always explain that you will be charged for certain things. They also don't tell you that you can be reimbursed for mileage, but you must apply for that within 30 days of being seen. I'm still trying to figure out why I got sent a $167 bill right after I paid another $40+ bill. Not that it's a lot of money for health care, but when I joined, I was promised free health care that included dental -- for life, if I retired. So much for free...

The concern I have is that when the system gets privatized that it becomes more expensive for veterans. My gut tells me that's going to happen and I'm not real enthusiastic to call that a positive change.

Under current law, your distance from the closest capable VA medical center and the availability of medical teams to meet your requirements indicates whether or not you would be treated by the VAMC or by the VA choice system SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
I selected "Change the VA medical system" because while I receive great care where I live I know other veterans are in areas where treatment by the VAMC is not stellar.
I don't see any significant difference between "Leave the VA medical system as is" and "Don't change the VA system."
The VAMC system certainly can be improved. The biggest changes needed are
1. Stop non-medical bureaucrats from reviewing and modifying medical decisions for VAMC doctors.
2. Allow common sense and medical training to determine which automated boxes need to be filled in for each appointment. I use the Blue Button process to down load my records periodically.
Every appointment from primary care through podiatry, cardiology, skin care has mandatory blocks filled on my suicide risk, diet and exercise, etc. which have no bearing on what I was seen.
LTC Stephen C. LTC Thomas Tennant MAJ Ken LandgrenCapt Seid Waddell CW5 (Join to see) SGM David W. Carr LOM, DMSM MP SGT 1stSgt Eugene Harless SFC William FarrellSSG Leo Bell SSgt (Join to see) Sgt Joe LaBranche SGT (Join to see) SGT Forrest Stewart SrA Christopher Wright PO3 Steven Sherrill PO1 John Miller Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM

Change is needed, but privatizing it may not ne the "whole" answer