Akaka Endorses VA Healthcare System
Clarified on 07/02/09: Although Akaka has been eligible for VA benefits before, he isn't now and wasn't when he left the service.
By Amanda Ruggeri, Washington Whispers
As chair of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii oversees the VA's healthcare system. But that doesn't mean the World War II veteran uses it himself. "All these years I've used my own private system," he says, going to his doctors in Hawaii. But that's because it's "easier," not because he doesn't like or trust the VA. Akaka notes that he's worked for the government for years, first for the state, then in the House, and eventually in the Senate, so he's chosen to use government healthcare. Akaka also wasn't eligible to use VA benefits when he first left the service and isn't eligible now, although he has been for a handful of years in the past. He says, "It's not that I don't want to use the VA system. . . . From what I know about the VA today, I would tell you their system is good, and I would tell you that the VA generally provides high-quality care for millions of veterans across the nation."
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The system
Dear Lost and in Pain, I totally agree with 3Dogman. I've seen it with my own eyes. The Doctor in Texas that I first went to see for my 4 blown disks, Dr Arun Sharma, was just picked up last week by the FBI for conducting a "pill mill". Check it out. I figured it out after my third or fourth visit and left, but by looking around at the other deadbeat tatooed, body pierced, ignorant scum that were his patients and what he was trying to get me to take, I left for a reputable doctor.
I had a guy and his girlfriend who worked for me at a small money loosing businesses that were the same way. (There work was more of me giving them a small job as a hand out). The taxicab would be called and take her across town to Houston to a doctor, then back home then another one would take her to the pharmacy, then back home. How much do you think that cost. She aand her boy toy always had transportation to their drug and beer partys. And sure enough half the pills were sold because that was the third or fourth prescription they had filled. They would sell half their pills, load up on beer, then their other deadbeat friends and family would find out and sure enough show up and party until the next month rolled around. They ended up bringing trash to my business that I had to chase out at gunpoint. The worst thing is that they are still out there doing it on our nickel yet today. That is why your deserved slice of the coverage pie is so small, because you are sharing the medical funding with a pool that is made up of 90% deadbeat bums. That's why those that are truly in need as you appear to be an now myself, who after 38 years of work, (half of which was two jobs at once as an Air National Guardsman and the other as an airline pilot), get such a small, poor portion of the safety net that exists. If the dead beats were flushed out there would be plenty to go around but as 3DOGMAN describes the ones who fall through the crack are the crackheads, and deadbeats, but they fall through the filtering crack that should keep them out and you in!
To lost and in pain
It sad to see that you are another citizen just like me that has fallen thru the cracks? My comments were not directed at you or people like you.You have paid into the system only to be treated like leper for asking for assistance.
The system is broken and I see very few politicans stepping forward to fix it.
In my opinion,you would not be helped any better by nationalized health care when the system allowed 9 people in Texas to make over 2600 emergency room visits in 3 years costing the state over 3 million dollars.YOU DID NOT FAIL THE SYSTEM,THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED YOU!
Nationalized health care would only further delay your treatment because of the increased load of 30-50 million people into the system.This number does not reflect the millions of illegal aliens that will be allowed into the system after they are given ammesty and given full citizenship.
How many of these people have had any inoculations as a child? We are facing a medical nightmare of epic proportions if we allow them into our country.We will have more outbreaks of diseases that we thought we had under control and we wont be able to get treated as quickly as we do now.
My advice is to found a good Social Security lawyer and go after them.Social Security wont take care of everything but you can pay a few bills to keep the wolves away from your door.He also might be able to help you get your doctor bills paid. People treat you different when they know you have a lawyer.Its sad but TRUE.
Try finding a local massage therapy school and volunteer to be a guinea pig to get a free massage for training a new therapist.They wont charge you and you will give a student a real learning experience.
Use your computer to locate others like yourself for support,educate yourself on your condition and to relieve your anger as I have done in my previous post.I now have a four year degree in VA ADMINSTRATION and burned up 2 computers doing it.
If no one hears what I have posted then no one will know that there is a problem.
OUR ELECTED OFFICALS ARE TOO BUSY TRYING TO GET THEIR FACES ON TV AND LINING THEIR OWN POCKETS WITH OUR MONEY AND NOT SPENDING ENOUGH TIME TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE ELECTED THEM.
My comments were not directed at persons such as yourself. They were directed at the systems failure and welfare clients that dont work.They complain if you try to make them and they have tons of backers that will fight you because they claim you are picking on poor people.
On the first of month many of them(not all of them)use their govt check to buy illegal drugs or cases of beer. They sell the drugs for a profit,then buy more drugs or get drunk then bitch at us for not giving them more money.Just look at our current president taking hard working families money and giving it to these bums.Our president wants to give them even more and the rest of us in America will be forced to pay for it.
Good luck and keep fighting for what you have earned!
proud American
I am a veteran and use VA for my service connected disabilities. However, my dad is a veteran of the Korean War, but he doesn't use VA because he wasn't injured while in service and his income was always too high to qualify for VA healthcare. I am sure there are millions of veterans, like my dad and Senator Akaka, that rely on other health insurance because they can't use VA.
Senator Akaka is not service connected for injuries or disease and, though I don't know his income, wild guess is it is above the national income threshold. So he is not eligible for VA healthcare.
Two days before the birthday of our great nation, the media should spend more time thanking all veterans for their service and their sacrifices that protects their freedom of the press! Amanda should be thanking Senator Akaka for his work as Chairman of the Senate Veteran's Committee and the increase and improvements in benefits for veterans he works through legislation instead of telling a fraction of the truth as a way to generate controversial talk around the water cooler. It's nonsense. To my fellow veterans, thank you for your service. Don't always believe what you read. And God Bless America and the men and women who have served and are serving!
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