You ever find a nice quiet place to relax or grab some lunch and hope that word doesn’t get out and ruin your little secret spot?
That’s what the government’s doing with the VA. If word got out that a federally funded single-payer healthcare system wasn’t actually worse than the for-profit system that’s milking us dry, then EVERYBODY is going to want one.
To be fair, the right wing war on the VA has made it a spotty resource. Some facilities have outstanding care, some make you wonder if it’s safe to enter.
The VA is some of the worst medical care in the country, except for all the others.
People don’t like doctors, ever. People get mad when they tell them what to do to help with a problem. People get more mad when there isn’t a clear answer what will help and they have to try some things to see what works. People get absolutely livid when stupid laws and regulations prevent them from getting the help they need, regardless of how much the doctors try to help. That doesn’t mean it isn’t some of the best doctors you can ask for. It just means people who shouldn’t be running a hot dog stand are being elected to do the bidding of profiteering ghouls and using vets as pawns in their money games.
If Trump were under care of a physician for his mental issues, he’d have been institutionalized back in 2015.
The data I heard included the VA actually having better patient satisfaction ratings than any other government medical system, falling short I think only of private concierge care for billionaires who employ their doctors directly.
Plus there’s a political upside to sharing facilities with the most “deserving” welfare recipients.
