American Legion Report on the Future of VA Healthcare
I was honored to be asked to co-author, with Phillip Longman, a report on the future of VA healthcare for the American Legion. The Legion just published the report on its website and is distributing it at its annual convention this weekend in Reno. I encourage you to read it and share, and like it. Thank you so much. Here is a brief sample.
VA Healthcare: A System Worth Saving
by Phillip Longman and Suzanne Gordon
Executive Summary
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care system continues to perform as well as, and often better than, the rest of the U.S. health-care system on key quality measures. These include patient safety, patient satisfaction, care coordination, and adherence to evidence-based medical practices. Wait times at most VA hospitals and clinics are typically the same or shorter than those faced by patients seeking treatment from non-VA doctors.
VA also provides highly integrated treatment specific to the needs of veterans – care that is typically not available at any price to patients outside the VA system. Although there are opportunities for VA to improve its performance by entering into partnerships with other health-care providers, no evidence supports the claim that privatizing VA or substantially outsourcing its services would bring veterans better care. READ MORE
