My husband is a disabled veteran, and we have used VA hospitals since 1996. I can't say that I have ever thought his care was excellent.

He did have a good doctor when he went to the VA in Durham, but wait times were a problem, but when care got really cruddy was when we moved to NH, and there are only one real VA hospital in the area, and a series of very small clinics. When we moved here, it was almost 8 months for him to get an initial appointment with a VA doctor. Also, their well touted drug plan stinks, many of the drugs my husband does best on are unavailable through the VA system.

Our experience in the military and with the VA system doesn't at all encourage me that the US government could provide quality medical care to everyone.

I also wonder if those in favor of universal healthcare will now continue to use the VA as a model of care-I have said multiple times the picture of the VA system they paint isn't the reality.

I guess with a half trillion spent on the fiasco in Iraq (and more to come!) we could have built solid gold hospitals with cyborg doctors that served the entire planet for free.

Priorities, I guess.

Chump change Hal...chump change.

Tano,

Thankfully, we have the Democrats who enacted Medicare.

Anderson,

Over at the Volokh blog’s threads, there’s quite a bit of opinion that Dana Priest can’t always tell the difference b/t an Army hospital and a VA hospital.

Time will tell, I suppose.

There is that. I was wondering what connection/overlap if any there is between the two.

another matt,

My step-father has been in the VA system for a while now and says it has been pretty damned good, so it might be a regional thing. Still, it isn't something that will go on forever unless something is done about Medicare and health care spending in general.

Edgardo,

I'm aware of government's tendency to fail at fiscal reform. Just don't mention it to Tano, his world view can't handle it.

Americans think the U.S. health care system needs major fixing, according to a CBS News/N.Y. Times p...

Time will tell, I suppose.

I guess with a half trillion spent on the fiasco in Iraq (and more to come!) we could have built solid gold hospitals with cyborg doctors that served the entire planet for free.

Priorities, I guess.

Especially when you elect Republicans, or others who push that self-fulfilling line about government being the problem.

My wife works as an administrator for the same hospital. After hearing the notion of expanding the VA system for all citizens I asked her if she would be willing to submit herself to the level of care that she sees provided. She says that she probably would BUT that there are definitely problems with wait times (e.g. someone not getting an appointment until waiting for 6 months).

Please keep in mind that I have no idea how this one particular hospital compares to others in the VA system (it is also a research hospital which might have a large impact on the level of service).