The U.S. government promises a lifetime of guaranteed healthcare for veterans, in recognition of their service to our nation in the armed forces. What do the promises mean? This site provides an overview of the benefits, the barriers to obtaining benefits, and how to determine whether VA health care is for you.

Health Care Benefits Offered to Veterans

Veterans Administration facilities offer a wide range of services to millions of patients.

• Outpatient Care at VA Facilities: Primary care visits for a $15 copyayment and preventative care services with no copayment required for health fairs, outpatient visit for preventive screening and/or immunizations, laboratory services, flat film radiology services, and electrocardiograms.
• Medication for approved: Most veterans are currently charged $7 for a 30-day or less supply of medication.

Barriers to Using Veterans Health Care Benefits

While millions are served, these represent a mere fraction of eligible veterans. Why do many seek other avenues for health care?

• Congress talks about supporting Veterans yet prefers to fund pork. In 2005, Congress demonstrated its disdain for Veterans by refusing to fund promised benefits, and at the same time approving $220 million in funding for Alaskan “bridges to nowhere.”
• Services primarily are delivered at a limited number of VA facilities that are not accessible by many. Congress has been asked to allow Veterans access to public and private hospitals, yet it declines to do so.
• Quality of Care is a Question Mark. Perceived quality varies by location. While the Federal Department of Health and Human Services lists the performance of many hospitals on a location by location basis, the VA results are not provided for each location. Many Veterans do find their VA health care services satisfactory.
• Eligibility is limited. If you are a veteran and have service connected disabilities, are catastrophically disabled, or destitute, you may be eligible to access benefits. Congress has restricted access that was promised to all. In this regard, while World War I veterans were afforded full eligibility, our Congress has segregated defenders of the Constitution eight separate classes. Eligibility in some cases can now depend not on whether the veteran served honorably in conflict, but on whether paperwork was filled out prior to January 17, 2003.
• Prescription drugs offered are often second rate. The VA listing of approved drugs excludes many modern prescriptions. Patients often prefer to use drugs that are recognized as superior, and so do not accept the VA drug formulary.

How Can I Get My Veterans Health Care Benefits?

If you satisfy the current narrow qualifications, e.g., you are destitute, severely disabled, or have won the Medal of Honor (there has been only one such recipient from the Iraq conflict, and he gave his life in the action), you can fill out a form. Most veterans must complete VA Form 10-10EZ, Application for Health Benefits. link https://www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/.

If you do not satisfy the narrow conditions, you are one of millions.

Do Any Congress Members Support Strong Veterans Benefits?

Many Congress members support our troops. Veterans could benefit from establishing lobbying as the sugar cane growers do. Interested parties can contact their Congressmen and ask them to support our troops by funding fully the promise of health care.

John Grantz writes for http://www.geocities.com/veteransbenefits.

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Signs are pointing to a coming physician shortage in America. With the headaches that will bring, universal care should be the last hardship the government hangs around our necks.


The Los Angeles Times reported earlier this week that the “Demand for doctors is accelerating more rapidly than supply.” The results will be and already are in some places frustrating: longer waiting periods to see physicians, particularly specialists; more trips to see a doctor; and decisions by many to simply forgo care.


Sounds a lot like Canada’s nationalized health care system.


Canadian health care, held up by many as the model the U.S. should adopt, is a disaster largely because of the enormous demand it has created. Consequently, Canadians are suffering through a pandemic of poor health care at a time when technology should be helping them live much longer and healthier lives than could have been imagined a generation ago.


North of the border, unreasonably long waiting periods are the cause of much suffering even death. Drugs and modern medical equipment that most Americans take for granted are in short supply. Hospitals are overcrowded, and doctors and nurses, fed up with it all, are quitting.


Blame a system under which a third party (the government, using tax dollars), pays for health care, thereby stimulating demand. When someone else pays the bill, people will consume more health care than if they were paying for it themselves. This is common sense. With demand artificially ratcheted up, the system cannot provide enough services to keep up.


Such a system is unsustainable. So why force a similar one on the U.S. when there aren’t enough doctors now to keep up with the growing demand for medical services?


Physician search firm Merritt, Hawkins & Associates says it already takes an average 24 days for U.S. patients to see a dermatologist for a routine skin cancer checkup. And that’s in our biggest cities, not rural areas. Waiting times are similar for gynecologists (23 days) and cardiologists (19). Universal care will only make these and other waits longer.


America’s doctor shortage doesn’t lend itself to a public policy solution. It’s largely demographic: As baby boomers retire in record numbers and likely get sick in record numbers as well doctors within the baby boom cohort also will be retiring. By 2020, the U.S. could be short 90,000 to 200,000 doctors, Merritt, Hawkins estimates.


That means even longer hours for younger doctors, at least those who haven’t been run out of the profession by excessive malpractice insurance premiums fueled by outrageous malpractice lawsuits and jury awards.
Medical schools want to boost enrollment in response to the low supply. But as long as the financial incentives of the profession are clipped by sue-happy trial lawyers, runaway juries and obliging courts, the shortage is unlikely to self-correct.


What are you to do? Take health care into your own hands of course. Try homeopathic or nutritional supplementation. Thus, eliminating the expensive cost of health care, time needed to see a doctor and the overall problem of even getting sick.


An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take control of your health today. The health & wellness industry is expected to be a “Trillion Dollar Industry” by 2010. Supplementation use is growing and being fueled significantly by baby boomers. Now is the time to get on board the prevention and wellness industry. To investigate your future and income opportunities in this trillion dollar industry visit: http://www.shaklee.net/natural-nutrition/distIntro


To the best of your health,
John


For more on the future of your health visit us at:
http://www.natural-nutritional-supplement-info.com/index.html

Web Author, followed the nutrition and supplement industry for over 28 years.

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As you grow older, housing may pose more and more of a concern, especially if your health is failing. If you are worried that you may not be able to take care of your basic needs as you age, such as cleaning, cooking, bathing and maintenance, then looking at your long term health care options is an important choice. Let’s start right away with your options.

In-Home Care
In-home health care is the best option for people who have a higher level of fitness, and want to remain as independent as possible throughout their later years. In this situation, home health care nurses may come and visit you daily, or every couple of days, to take care of your everyday medical needs. Also, a housekeeper may be utilized, as well as a personal health care attendant, who would be responsible for more of the day-to-day living help - such as a companion, driver, cook or the like. In-home health care is quite easy to locate; just contact a nurses’ association or look in the Yellow Pages.

Continuing Care
An intermediary between nursing homes and independent living, continuing care, or retirement communities, offer a wide variety of health benefits and services to their inhabitants. These communities are usually all-inclusive, where dwellers receive lodging, meals, social events, varying levels of health care, and sometimes other perks as well.

Entrance fees for these establishments can be quite high (ranging from $10,000 to over 300,000); added to their monthly fees (ranging from $800-4000), and this option can prove to be expensive health care. However, services are guaranteed for the remainder of your life if you choose this option, and if your health falters, you can always be moved to the nursing home portion of their health care facility.

Because of the all-inclusive nature of this kind of health care, you’ll want to read the fine print carefully in your contract. What are all of the recurring and one-time fees? What exactly is covered with those fees? What health care options are, and are not offered? Do you need to purchase extra health insurance to cover your specific care costs? Also don’t forget to check up with the Better Business Bureau about the status of the facility you are interested in; if you plan on living there the rest of your life, you may want to double check it’s reputation, too.

Nursing Homes
In a very simple sense, nursing homes will take care of your health care needs when you are no longer able to. This may be for a short period of time while you are recovering, or for a longer period of time as you age. Nursing homes are the whole meal deal of health care for the elderly or otherwise incapacitated. If this is an option that you think you may require, there are many things to discuss and consider when looking at your options. Does the home provide the type of care that you will require? Research the history of the nursing home; are there any black spots on their record? Talk to people who have lived there, have used their services, or who are still living there now, if at all possible. Get their viewpoint.

For more more information about health care please visit http://www.1health-center.com/articles/How-To-Jump-Rope-For-Health-and-Fitness.php

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