Rand Corporation reports that the VA outperforms other US medical care systems
 

I posted some of this elsewhere but it might need its own thread:

Rand came out with a study recently that claims that the VA outperforms all other medical systems in the US, public or private:

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9100/RAND_RB9100.pdf

• VA patients received about two-thirds of the care recommended by national standards, compared with about half in the national sample.

• Among chronic care patients, VA patients received about 70 percent of recommended care, compared with about 60 percent in the national sample.

• For preventive care, the difference was greater: VA patients received about 65 percent of recommended care, while patients in the national sample received 20 percent less.

• VA patients received consistently better care across the board, including screening, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.

• Quality of care for acute conditions—a performance area the VA did not measure—was similar for the two populations.

• The greatest differences between the VA and the national sample were for indicators where the VA was actively measuring performance and for indicators related to those on which performance was measured.

And this article claims that VA costs are stable, doing better than the HMO sorts:

How Veterans' Hospitals Became the Best in Health Care - TIME

We currently have a health care industry that goes to great lengths to avoid dealing with sick people.

The Rrs in Congress and in general don't have much to say about the recent proof we've gotten that the insurance industry in general is sorta whacked.

Talk about your entitlement mentality, these folks, along with bankers and too many doctors, operate on the assumption that 6, 7, and 8 figure incomes are rightfully theirs, and scaring those monies out of the public somehow is good and proper.

Don't look now, but we operate at a competitive disadvantage with most other nations in this regard. That's part of why our auto industry is struggling. Forcing small businesses to provide overly expensive health insurance to their employees has to inhibit their growth or even their founding.

Govt. as nanny? How about employer as nanny?

One more reason why I don't understand the rabid opposition to a gov't healthcare system, whether the sole provider, or simply an alternative provider.

Oh wait -- you already explained it:

Quote:

"....these folks, along with bankers and too many doctors, operate on the assumption that 6, 7, and 8 figure incomes are rightfully theirs, and scaring those monies out of the public somehow is good and proper."

:sick2:

Plenty of examples of people getting expensive gee-gaw devices or procedures that they really don't need but which funnel $$ into various pockets, from the doctors on out.

I mean, many or most doctors are quite admirable. And plenty of them are not happy with the current set-up either.

Being in the VA system I do agree with most of the findings but d not agree with peoples perception of the VA. Those being but not limited to:

1. Many of the doctors and specialist work very cheap or pro bono which may skew the numbers. A large number of the doctors and nurses are active duty or reservist that work for a fraction of what the private sector pays. In many cases I think that the doctors and nurses are superior to their civilian counterparts simply because they have brains and a sense of servitude also many finish out their careers in the VA system so the experience level is much higher than the civilian system.

2. The VA is not a "public" system, its a system for people who have served in the US military and their dependents, just like a company sponsored HMO

3. The VA does not have to deal with the legal system like private hospitals.

Healthcare reform should take the same tack -- a govt HMO for people who prefer not to use private services.

How is it possible for you to have 2 infractions after just 17 posts? :confused:

I would ask you a question but I don't want another infraction.....keep a close eye in my post count after this.

I'll try. I think you might be a record-holder. :)

Medmech is a real go getter!

That is kinda like cherry picking what you want from this and what you want from that. Are you able to have the other conditions? If not, what you have is a totally different animal. Sounds like a friend who told me that he'd love to marry a girl who is a virgin but with all the sexual knowledge of a slut.

He has made more than 17 posts. Posts on OD do NOT count towards your total.

The post counter only runs for posts elsewhere. Back when, a few people had posts in the 10 to 20 thousand range and most were on OD. Much easier to post some meaningless joke or put down than to answer, intelligently, a question about car care.

My post is half way high because I came in before that policy was instituted, and Med Mech did a sabbatical and came back, so started at zip.

Good info. The VA is not public but it's operation is not much like HMOs in general, best I can tell. Sort of acts like an ideal public health care plan would, but that's IMO and there's a lot I don't know. (cheering arises around the nation as those last 6 words are read)

3. The VA does not have to deal with the legal system like private hospitals.[/QUOTE]

Unless they don't use proper procedures for sterilizing equipment.....