Sure it costs money. But how much? The VA's budget has gone up 235% since 2001. How much more does it need to go up before it stops the corruption within the agency?
Sure it costs money. But how much? The VA's budget has gone up 235% since 2001. How much more does it need to go up before it stops the corruption within the agency?
Actually, in constant 2011 dollars, the VA budget approximately doubled from 2001 to 2012 (the most recent inflation adjusted figures I could find.) Not 235%. Additionally the number of VA enrolled patients has increased by about 60%. Notably, the patients that joined during this time generally have far larger medical needs than those who were patients before 2001, for obvious reasons.
I've found a better answer:
According to Vox VA per-patient funding has been increasing at a rate a little lower than health care inflation has been happening. So while VA funding is growing, they are in fact losing ground.
http://www.vox.com/2014/6/6/5786104/three-charts-that-show-the-va-is-badly-overloaded
The question is, if the employees are turning in reports that indicate they are staffed sufficiently (in order to receive their bonuses), who's fault is it?
This isn't about whether or not the VA is at fault, as they clearly are. It's just that the idea that they are awash in funding is incorrect.
By your own facts, the funding was raised in line with inflation-maybe a little low but that's what you do when you're looking at productivity reports that say you're adequately staffed.
Eskimo, I know you like to blame Congress as much as possible. Sometimes, its well deserved. In this case however, the VA is responsible for its own funding issues. A warning system was set up to determine when they were understaffed. Employees subverted it for their own personal financial gain. Ergo, they broke it they own it.
Matt1970
Lifer
- Mar 19, 2007
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Well first off, I rarely watch TV, much less Fox news. Tell me Einstein, how well has all the money we have thrown at education worked out? Highest per capita spending yet we can't even break the top 20 countries for quality of education?
They did not utilize the funding that was available.
There were authorized positions for physicians and support staff that were not filled.
That is a fault of management unless one can show that there are no qualified people either in the geographical area of the VA facility or none that applied for a position and were willing to relocate.
I don't know how you got the impression that I was blaming Congress from what I wrote.
I think some decent oversight is needed before throwing any more money at the problem, lest they spend another $500 million on a conference room and some office makeovers. In the meantime let those who need care now get it wherever they wish, that's not a lot to ask is it?
You were arguing they were under funded. I was just making sure we were on the same page on why they were underfunded.
I was not actually arguing that they were underfunded, I was responding to Genx87 who was saying that their funding had increased 235% since 2001. The fact that their per-patient funding had increased at slightly less than the rate of health care inflation is important context to that statement.
They don't need to. It's the word that's been passed down from on high. It's one of the new memes coming from the American right. The 'private sector' is salivating at the chance to take over the VA. Money, money, money...
Oh please! If the VA were privatized it would pay the hospitals and doctors just like medicare does now, a pittance.
My mistake then, I didn't realize you thought the VA was adequately funded. :beer:
I'm not sure if it is or not, but regardless if the VA isn't being truthful about their circumstances they have only themselves to blame.
On that we completely agree.
Every person who participated in this fraud to receive bonuses should spend 20 to life in prison.
They will be allowed to resign with any charges be brought.
Maybe a low level peon to satisfy Congress will become a sacrificial goat.
The actual truth will be hidden by the bureaucracy.
The article doesn't say where the $500M was leftover from. It likely wasn't the VA.
Nice bit of unfounded attribution as a slime attack, however.
1) VA has the money it just isn't used right (ala the 500m used on office decor)
2) what offsets are being proposed to cover this increased in funding to the VA or does
3) what else is tacked into this bill that wont be talked about but passed with it ?
2) what offsets are being proposed to cover this increased in funding to the VA or does
3) what else is tacked into this bill that wont be talked about but passed with it ?
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