A whole new world of California surfing has opened up to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kento

Duke status
Jan 11, 2002
68,691
20,903
113
The Bar
I guess I am ignorant to this but why even have a VA at all? Why not just give all veterans a standard PPO with a wide network, covering all premiums with a very low deductible/max out-of-pocket so they can see any doctor they please? With a 2 trillion dollar budget, the money is most definitely there to do so.

Reading what you guys have described above pisses me off a bit. For as cavalier as our country is about never-ending war, the people actually fighting are getting the shaft and that's bullshit.
 

rts265

Phil Edwards status
Oct 19, 2007
6,190
1,307
113
Yeah Kento I hear you. My dad could get on my moms insurance and access better providers but he’s loyal to the va for some reason. The whole situation is screwed up ime. Have other families that are the same. They insist on going to the va
 

VonMeister

Duke status
Apr 26, 2013
20,251
6,976
113
JOE BIDENS RAPE FINGER
I guess I am ignorant to this but why even have a VA at all? Why not just give all veterans a standard PPO with a wide network, covering all premiums with a very low deductible/max out-of-pocket so they can see any doctor they please? With a 2 trillion dollar budget, the money is most definitely there to do so.

Reading what you guys have described above pisses me off a bit. For as cavalier as our country is about never-ending war, the people actually fighting are getting the shaft and that's bullshit.
They could do it with zero deductible, zero out of pocket and still save money. Just send the two trillion to Kaiser and tell them to cover vets. They will figure it out.

VA clinics are dreadful places. I don't know about the hospitals but I can't imagine they are any better.

The doctors are either 100 years old or horrible, but what kind of person goes to medical school to earn 120k per year as a VA doctor.

On the other hand, military hospitals are great. I don't know why the VA can't just replicate that. Maybe put the VA under the DOD and allow the military to staff it.
 

casa_mugrienta

Duke status
Apr 13, 2008
43,214
17,644
113
Petak Island
I guess I am ignorant to this but why even have a VA at all? Why not just give all veterans a standard PPO with a wide network, covering all premiums with a very low deductible/max out-of-pocket so they can see any doctor they please? With a 2 trillion dollar budget, the money is most definitely there to do so.
Because as is with all government administered healthcare the government doesn't want to pay.

This is no different than the thread where we discussed declining Medicare reimbursement for hospitals while Medicare is about to explode with Boomer recipients.
 

casa_mugrienta

Duke status
Apr 13, 2008
43,214
17,644
113
Petak Island
The doctors are either 100 years old or horrible, but what kind of person goes to medical school to earn 120k per year as a VA doctor.
Have heard plenty of complaints here that doctors make too much money. lol.

We had a thread where I tried to explain that implementation of a government insurance or socialized medicine in this country would either lead to
insane waiting periods
OR a bunch of doctors shipped over from places like India, Pakistan, and Africa to work for pennies

A lot of posters were OK with this. "Dude, the foreign born doctors I've had have been awesome!"

I tried to explain they were not foreign-born doctors who were shipped over on a visa to work for pennies. They were foreign born doctors who were educated in the very best schools in their home country or the United States and then completed residency in hospitals in the US or Europe.

It didn't resonate.
 

Ifallalot

Duke status
Dec 17, 2008
88,305
17,592
113
People think that socialized medicine will be something like Kento described when in actuality it will be much more like the VA
 
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Muscles

Michael Peterson status
Jun 1, 2013
2,596
3,597
113
California/Hawaii
My father had a lot of hearing loss from working on the flight deck during Vietnam
Combined with presbycusis he is now practically deaf - he will not hear an alarm going off next to him if he's sleeping.

He has probably needed hearing aids since his late 30s - could not get them until his 50s.

It was always the same story until he often couldn't hear the phone ring: "Your hearing tests fine."

I have friend in his late 30s going through the exact same thing right now with the VA
Noise induced hearing loss from combat.
Like my father was, the hearing loss is readily apparent within a few interactions
He went to get checked
"Well they told me my hearing tests fine.":rolleyes:

And then you wonder why people in this country get turned off to socialized Medicine.
I have the same problem. I have ringing in my ears and have suffered a noticeable difference in my hearing from my early 20s. My guess is its from working and flying in military aircraft for years. I'm still in the military and every time I take a hearing test they say that I'm fine.
 

stonejode

OTF status
Feb 23, 2002
150
2
18
Norcal
I have the same problem. I have ringing in my ears and have suffered a noticeable difference in my hearing from my early 20s. My guess is its from working and flying in military aircraft for years. I'm still in the military and every time I take a hearing test they say that I'm fine.
I have the same problem but mine is from engines, I drive everyone nuts because I need the volume turned up just to hear anything and yet the quacks keep telling me I'm fine. Never mind the fact that it takes about 45 days to even be seen by a doc, ugh now I'm all fired up at work! I can't wait to have it be even worse when I get out in a few years.
 

lagunaboy

Michael Peterson status
Apr 24, 2017
2,414
454
83
Fcuk it. I’m not really disabled, but if the VA wants to keep sending me a check every month that’s on them.:ROFLMAO:
 

Duffy LaCoronilla

Duke status
Apr 27, 2016
38,642
27,984
113
I guess I am ignorant to this but why even have a VA at all? Why not just give all veterans a standard PPO with a wide network, covering all premiums with a very low deductible/max out-of-pocket so they can see any doctor they please? With a 2 trillion dollar budget, the money is most definitely there to do so.

Reading what you guys have described above pisses me off a bit. For as cavalier as our country is about never-ending war, the people actually fighting are getting the shaft and that's bullshit.
Why have a VA? So bureaucrats can skim money and give family and friends cushy jobs.

Come on, man. It’s 2020. Cat’s out of the bag.

#epsteindidn’tkillhimself
 

Kaser1

Tom Curren status
May 3, 2004
10,271
262
83
Maine
Mugu security is notorious for harassing people surfing. The new law gives service connected disabled vets MWR access so the cottages at San Onofre, Barbers Point, and of course the beach at Mugu should be open.
YOu'll wanna look up Barking Sands on Kauai, I've stayed there 2x's with my dad, retired AF. The beach cottages are nice and there's plenty spots to surf out front. Prices around 125 for a 2bd cottage.
 
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Kaser1

Tom Curren status
May 3, 2004
10,271
262
83
Maine
I was a military dependent until I was 23 and had an ID. While going to college in LA, I would surf Mugu whenever the conditions would lineup and I could make the drive up. I would get hassled so hard (being a brown kid) eventhough I had a legit ID and could surf/be on base whenever I wanted. Most hassled I've ever been on any base was surfing Mugu. Like someone said above, they go car to car. Sometimes they'd loop back and double check the brown kid lol.

Scored some foggy weekdays either by myself or with less than 10 people total, spread out.

I was also, didn't have use of my military ID til 23, only a couple years after high school. Living in north OC in the late 80's I'd drive my vw bus down to Camp Pendelton in the evening, park empty campsite at church, and luck into some great south swells. Many times I'd catch it well overhead any only a couple out. I'd spend a few days down there surfing all day and camping. Damn pre-cell phone/internet had its perks.:giggle:
 

HarryLopez

Phil Edwards status
Jan 17, 2007
6,580
544
113
Neck deep
YOu'll wanna look up Barking Sands on Kauai, I've stayed there 2x's with my dad, retired AF. The beach cottages are nice and there's plenty spots to surf out front. Prices around 125 for a 2bd cottage.
Tiger sharks come free with that package?
 
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