| Right now, there’s
a great deal of discussion taking place about our health-care
system and whether a government-run health-care program
is a good or bad idea.
What is sometimes overlooked is that we already have two
government-run health-care programs in place: Medicare and
the VA health care system. In fact, the VA is the largest
independent federal agency in terms of budget and second
only to the defense department in the number of employees.
Due to the unique characteristics of our present war, there
are many more cases of post-traumatic stress disorder and
traumatic brain injury, and disability claims have skyrocketed.
Despite additional funding and staff additions, the VA
has been hard pressed to keep up with the dramatically increasing
demand. Even though problems certainly exist, my husband
Val, a veteran who served in the Merchant Marine in WWII,
has received excellent routine health care at the VA hospital
in West Haven. His experienced and thorough primary physician
at the VA coordinates his care with his other medical specialists
whom he sees as part of the Medicare program.
A nurse comes to the house every two weeks (at very low
cost) to set up the confusing array of medications he now
must take, and psychiatric help is available if Val finds
the dialysis treatments he must undergo are causing depression
or other problems.
We have been so impressed with the VA services that I decided
to research the history of the VA because there may be many
who are not aware that they are entitled to receive VA help.
First, Connecticut has two VA medical centers: West Haven
and Newington. There are six clinics and three veteran centers.
Anyone who served in the active military, naval or air service,
may qualify and in many cases, spouses and family may receive
certain benefits, as well. To apply, complete form VA10-10EZ,
obtainable on-line at http://www.va.gov/
or call (877) 222-8387.
Help for disabled veterans has a long history going way
back to the English Colonies in North America. The first
law, enacted in 1636 by Plymouth, provided money for those
disabled in the Colony’s defense against the Indians.
During the Depression, veterans who had not stayed home
and benefited from high war-time wages, were especially
hard hit, and there was a march on Washington to have immediate
payment of certain “bonus certificates.” A near
riot ensued and President Hoover had to call in the federal
troops.
America belatedly realized there were shortcomings in the
treatment of its veterans and passed, what many consider
one of the most significant pieces of legislation ever produced
by the federal government, the GI Bill of Rights, a comprehensive
benefits package with three key provisions which covered
payment for education and training, guaranteed home, farm
and business loans with no down payment and third, unemployment
compensation. When the GI Bill program ended in 1956, 7.8
million had received training and the VA had guaranteed
5.9 million home loans, transforming the economy and the
society of the U.S. The dream of higher education and home
ownership became realities.
General Omar Bradley headed the VA in 1945, and at that
time the VA hospitals became affiliated with medical schools
and offered resident and teaching fellowships. Now VA facilities
are affiliated with more than 105 medical schools and more
than half of the physicians practicing in the U.S. had some
of their professional education in the VA health-care system.
VA researchers played key roles in developing the cardiac
pacemaker, the CT scan, improvements in artificial limbs,
and their clinical trials established new treatments for
tuberculosis and high blood pressure.
Now celebrating its 79th anniversary, despite some glaring
problems with a few hospitals, the VA medical programs have
garnered many awards for excellence including quality of
service, patient safety and satisfaction.
Jean Cherni is founder of Senior
Living Solutions, a retirement advisory service. Contact
her at jeancherni@sbcglobal.net or 15 The Ponds, Branford
06405.
H. Pearce Company REALTORS®
is a full-service real estate company with more than 100
agents and branch offices in greater New Haven and the Shoreline.
Corporate and & Commercial offices are located in North
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