Portland VA Budget Crunch Cancels Surgeries

October 14, 2004

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This is good information to spread wide and far!!!

Bush said it himself on the debate tonight that he

had increased spending for our soldiers, but did

NOT discuss cuts in "accessible health care" nor

did he acknowledge the below truth about

"VA cuts" for our soldiers and veteran soldiers!!!

He refuses to acknowledge and tell the "whole story".

Hence people without "full knowledge/facts" are

being deceived. Of course the number of veterans

applying for benefits has increased 150%. Reread

the facts below.........

It will be even higher because of the soldiers being

deployed for the Iraq War. They've got serious

service-connected health issues. We need to take

care of them and make sure they have access to

quality health care and make it affordable ... especially

while they are unemployed from injuries and health

issues they incurred during their time of service.

We cannot turn our backs on them.........

Just me......

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On Wed, 13 Oct 2004 22:02:06 -0400 "luckypig" <luckypig writes:

The Republicans of Ohio bring us VA Outpatient Clinics that leave our elderly Veterans behind, BUT did nothing to stop the closing of Brecksville, Ohio VA Hospital

http://www.house.gov/sherrodbrown/BrecksVA21304.html.

Meanwhile Veterans in Portland, Oregon begin feeling how much Congress "Supports America's Veterans."

Bobby Hanafin

Veterans for Change in 2004

Portland VA Budget Crunch Cancels Surgeries

By Larry ScottIn the last few weeks the Portland, Oregon VA hospital has been sending a letter to veterans informing them that their non-"life-or-limb" surgery has been cancelled or postponed. The Portland VA facility, with a satellite campus in Vancouver, Washington, serves veterans in Oregon, southwest Washington and parts of Northern California. It all boils down to dollars, or lack of them. The Portland VA, like every VA facility, is caught in a funding crisis with no end in sight. Funding for the VA has increased every year, Internet myths aside. But the dollars have not kept up with the number of veterans seeking health care. While VA funding has increased about 50 percent in the last eight years, the number of veterans applying for benefits has increased nearly 150 percent in the same time frame. Who are these veterans? There are two major groups. The first is veterans who, because of a sagging economy, are now unemployed or under-employed, have no health care benefits, have never used the VA system before, and are now applying for VA benefits for the first time. The second is veterans on Medicare who have never used the VA for health care, but find the savings offered by the VA system necessary to maintain a decent standard of living. Simple math shows that the $7 VA co-pay for prescriptions can be a great savings compared to Medicare prescription costs. One veteran interviewed for this article stated he is saving over $400 a month because he no longer uses Medicare for his prescriptions. Patricia Forsyth, Public Affairs Officer for the Portland, Oregon VA hospital, cites "a dramatic increase in the number of veterans" who now seek health care as the reason surgeries are being cancelled or postponed. "Some examples of surgeries that might be postponed are arthroscopies (diagnostic or treatment), total joint replacements and hernia repairs," she said. Ms. Forsyth could not give exact figures as to how many veterans are having surgeries postponed or cancelled, but stressed that no surgeries for service-connected conditions are being affected. It is important to note that there is no such thing as elective surgery at the VA. Every surgery has been scheduled by a medical doctor who has ascertained that the veteran has a debilitating condition that can only be remedied by a surgical procedure. Ms. Forsyth cannot anticipate when the cancelled or postponed surgeries might be rescheduled other than to say it would be as soon as possible. When asked for an estimate as to what time that would be, Ms. Forsyth said, "I would guess until spring [2005]." It is a difficult situation, as 2004 monies have thinned to the point where the Portland VA cannot keep its operating rooms up and running. Currently there is no 2005 budget and everyone is holding their breath, hoping for the best.

A document leaked from the White House indicated a $910 million cut in the 2006 VA budget (although the administration has backed off on this number).

Author's View

Earlier this year the VA announced findings for CARES (Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Service), with plans to build new facilities and programs. At the same time, three VA hospitals were closed. Does the good news outweigh the bad news? In a May 2004 article posted on the VFW website, then-VFW National Commander Edward S. Banas, Sr. supported the CARES program, stating, "The VFW fully understands that the closing or consolidation of some facilities may inconvenience some veterans, but the VA has offered reassurances that no veteran will be denied or have their health care delayed during the transition." Mr. Banas must be very disappointed, as are the veterans served by the Portland VA who have been "denied" needed surgery or been told there will be a "delay" before a medically necessary procedure can be performed.

About the Author

Larry Scott (former E-5) served four-plus years in the U.S. Army with overseas tours as a Broadcast Journalist at AFKN HQ, Seoul, Korea and AFN Lajes Field, The Azores, Portugal and a stateside tour as a Broadcast Journalism Instructor at the Defense Information School (DINFOS). Larry was decorated four times including the Joint Service Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. He was awarded DOD's First Place Thomas Jefferson Award for Excellence in Journalism. After the Army, Larry went back to radio news, working in Indianapolis as a News Anchor on WIFE Radio and then in New York City as a News Anchor on WNBC Radio. He receives VA compensation for a service-connected disability and uses the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington VA facilities for healthcare. Today, Larry resides in Southwest Washington and operates the veteran's help website YourVABenefits.org. To contact Larry Scott email larry.

Sonya PLoS Medicine

The open-access general medical journal from the Public Library of Science

Inaugural issue: Autumn 2004 Share your discoveries with the world.

http://www.plosmedicine.org

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