Mitt Romney: Maybe Veterans' Health Care Should Be Privatized

[JoeB131]

"Spit-balls" versus "brainstorming"?

Kinda depends which side the spitballer is on, huh?

Obama spitballing is brilliance.

Romney tossing out ideas is a reason for multiple threads criticizing him.

Well, as a veteran, I find it rather insulting that this draft-dodging POS is going to try to make his buddies rich by "outsourcing" veteran's care.

Let's not forget, this is the same Mitt Romney who went to France to do "missionary work" while brave young men were dying in Vietnam.

The same one who supported the war, but said his sons working on his campaign was the same as those guys serving their country in the military.

 

[JoeB131]

Can't post link, but if you google patient satisfaction and the VA one article from 2006 states that satisfaction is higher for patients of the VA than among Americans and private sector care. It also stated that had been higher for the last six years. Unless this has had a dramatic change, why should we change their health care?

Because there's a bag of money somewhere Mitt's rich buddies haven't gotten their "Mitts" into.

come on, try to keep up. Mitt represents the "PLutocratic" wing of the GOP.

 

[JoeB131]

Mitt is an idiot for suggesting this on veterans day.

The idea wouldn't be any less idiotic on any other day, but I'd agree.

 

[Charles_Main]

By Michael McAuliff

WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney floated an eyebrow-raising suggestion on Veterans Day: privatize veterans' health care.

Speaking with a dozen vets in an occasionally emotional roundtable discussion in South Carolina Friday, the GOP presidential contender sympathized with the service members' difficulties obtaining treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which one vet described as "adversarial."

Romney, who has already proposed privatizing Medicare, suggested that maybe giving wounded warriors an outside option would force VA health bureaucrats to be a little more responsive.

"When you work in the private sector and you have a competitor, you know if I don't treat this customer right, they're going to leave me and go somewhere else, so I'd better treat them right," Romney said. "Whereas if you're the government, they know there's nowhere else you guys can go. You're stuck.

More: Mitt Romney: Maybe Veterans' Health Care Should Be Privatized

You guys are so funny. You just shake in your boots when ever anyone suggest anything might be done better by Private Industry than Uncle Sam.

You think Government is the only Reliable solution to every problem, when government is actually almost never the solution to any problem, and more often one of the causes of the Problem.

 

[California Girl]

According to the article quoted by the idiot who started this thread, Romney suggested "that maybe giving wounded warriors an outside option would force VA health bureaucrats to be a little more responsive."

Maybe. Option. He didn't suggest it be privatized, he said maybe, it there was a private option, that would force the VA to be better. What the fuck is wrong with that?

Idiot leftists.... the only consistent thing about them is their absolute lack of intellect.

 

[Greenbeard]

You guys are so funny. You just shake in your boots when ever anyone suggest anything might be done better by Private Industry than Uncle Sam.

See Post #20. The VHA offers better quality care and significantly higher customer satisfaction ratings than private sector payers and providers, and it does so at a lower cost.

 

[Inthemiddle]

Maybe. Option. He didn't suggest it be privatized, he said maybe, it there was a private option, that would force the VA to be better. What the fuck is wrong with that?

Well, one thing I find "wrong" with it is that it doesn't make logical sense. Having additional options is not going to change anything within the VA hospital system. But, overall, I think this really is not that big of a deal. This comes across to me as something that simply rolled off the top of his head in the course of the discussion. He wasn't setting it as a priority. He wasn't even saying he thought it was a good idea. It was just an idea and he voiced it. The thing that is pretty pathetic in all of this is that after a little bit of thought Romney is going to realize, "Eh, that's not really an effective idea after all." And when he does that, he's going to abandon it, and people are going to flip their lids bitching that he allegedly flip-flipped. When in truth it was never something he was actually proposing to the American people. It was little more than thinking out loud.

 

[JoeB131]

According to the article quoted by the idiot who started this thread, Romney suggested "that maybe giving wounded warriors an outside option would force VA health bureaucrats to be a little more responsive."

Maybe. Option. He didn't suggest it be privatized, he said maybe, it there was a private option, that would force the VA to be better. What the fuck is wrong with that?

Idiot leftists.... the only consistent thing about them is their absolute lack of intellect.

Given his sleazy business history, I certainly don't want this guy screwing with my veteran's benefits. Let's be honest, Bain said that it was this "Scheme to make rich people richer".

Incidently, I haven't had to deal with the VA a lot, but the few occassions I have, they've been responsive, helpful and got me the assistance I need right away.

I really can't say that about other government agencies, many of which are useless.

I think the fact he is singling out the VA, a bureaucracy that often works well, says a lot.

 

[Charles_Main]

You guys are so funny. You just shake in your boots when ever anyone suggest anything might be done better by Private Industry than Uncle Sam.

See Post #20. The VHA offers better quality care and significantly higher customer satisfaction ratings than private sector payers and providers, and it does so at a lower cost.

So what, so they do one thing better, what is your point.

You realize the whole premise of this thread is a lie right? Romney did not suggest we privatize it. He suggested if there was a Private alternative to it, it might make the VA Better.

 

[Charles_Main]

According to the article quoted by the idiot who started this thread, Romney suggested "that maybe giving wounded warriors an outside option would force VA health bureaucrats to be a little more responsive."

Maybe. Option. He didn't suggest it be privatized, he said maybe, it there was a private option, that would force the VA to be better. What the fuck is wrong with that?

Idiot leftists.... the only consistent thing about them is their absolute lack of intellect.

Given his sleazy business history, I certainly don't want this guy screwing with my veteran's benefits.

That just it, you lying, Propaganda spewing fuck wit. Suggesting there be a Private industry alternative to the VA IS NOT MESSING with your Benefits. It's actually giving Vets MORE OPTIONS. If the VA is so awesome as you guys now suggest (even though under Bush it was nothing but stories about how bad it was) then it should have no problem with a Private competitor. In fact the Private Competitor should FAIL to get enough business to stay afloat if the VA is just so wonderful.

 

[Seawytch]

Wow...Mr. Corporation wants to try and send some more cash the way of the Health Insurance companies. I'm shocked...truly shocked.

The guy that came up with the individual mandate that gives the health insurance companies more clients by law. So surprising!

 

[Charles_Main]

Maybe. Option. He didn't suggest it be privatized, he said maybe, it there was a private option, that would force the VA to be better. What the fuck is wrong with that?

Well, one thing I find "wrong" with it is that it doesn't make logical sense. Having additional options is not going to change anything within the VA hospital system.

That is the first valid point anyone as made against this idea in this thread.

The VA isn't likely to change just because a Private company is taking away customers.

However why does that matter? In order to Take away those customers, you would think the Private Company would have to provide a Competitive Product. Even a better one, than the VA, or they would not get any Customers.

 

[Inthemiddle]

[If the VA is so awesome as you guys now suggest (even though under Bush it was nothing but stories about how bad it was) then it should have no problem with a Private competitor. In fact the Private Competitor should FAIL to get enough business to stay afloat if the VA is just so wonderful.

One problem. It would increase tax dollars spent on Veteran health care.

 

[Charles_Main]

Wow...Mr. Corporation wants to try and send some more cash the way of the Health Insurance companies. I'm shocked...truly shocked.

The guy that came up with the individual mandate that gives the health insurance companies more clients by law. So surprising!

So you must just Hate Obama for Passing it on a Federal Scale eh?

Or do you give him a pass?

lol

 

[JoeB131]

According to the article quoted by the idiot who started this thread, Romney suggested "that maybe giving wounded warriors an outside option would force VA health bureaucrats to be a little more responsive."

Maybe. Option. He didn't suggest it be privatized, he said maybe, it there was a private option, that would force the VA to be better. What the fuck is wrong with that?

Idiot leftists.... the only consistent thing about them is their absolute lack of intellect.

Given his sleazy business history, I certainly don't want this guy screwing with my veteran's benefits.

That just it, you lying, Propaganda spewing fuck wit. Suggesting there be a Private industry alternative to the VA IS NOT MESSING with your Benefits. It's actually giving Vets MORE OPTIONS. If the VA is so awesome as you guys now suggest (even though under Bush it was nothing but stories about how bad it was) then it should have no problem with a Private competitor. In fact the Private Competitor should FAIL to get enough business to stay afloat if the VA is just so wonderful.

Right. Because those private guys won't be in Washington lobbying for more business, sending out hot babes to sleep with congress people, greasing the skids to get more of the money going their way.

They will totally abide by what the preferences of vets are in what service they get.

Hey, remember those stories about how they outsourced all those military jobs to private contractors in Iraq. And you had stories about $20.00 hamburgers, faulty wiring in barracks that electrocuted soldiers, contractors who created diplomatic incidents by shooting civilians by mistake. Man, what a horrible idea that was.

But someone got rich off of that, and someone in our government went along with it.

I have no problem applying principles of efficiency to government agencies, but please don't delude yourself into thinking that any private entity isn't going to see a government contract as a big payday.

 

[rdean]

The private sector can't wait to get its hands on Social Security, Medicare, and veterans health care.

It's why they are buying up every Republican politician they can.

And you suggest that they have less interest in democrats for some reason?? My ass your leaders are bought by the Oligarchy to.

I'm not suggesting it. I'm flat out saying it.

It's why the US Chamber of Commerce gives to Republicans over Democrats 9 to 1.

It's why 8 of the 10 largest donors give to Republicans over Democrats. The other 2 are unions. And unions are only around a measly 10% of the entire American workforce. Most of the money Democrats get is from people or from employees.

And Republicans, don't be so fucking lazy. Instead of crying for links that have been posted a dozen times, links you won't read, go do some research on what your party is actually doing. You sit in front of the damn Internet. You can find out anything.

 

[Greenbeard]

You guys are so funny. You just shake in your boots when ever anyone suggest anything might be done better by Private Industry than Uncle Sam.

See Post #20. The VHA offers better quality care and significantly higher customer satisfaction ratings than private sector payers and providers, and it does so at a lower cost.

So what, so they do one thing better, what is your point.

Well, when we're talking about a health system and the "one thing" it does better is providing higher quality care and a better patient experience at lower cost, that's a bit significant, don't you think?

 

[California Girl]

It's why they are buying up every Republican politician they can.

And you suggest that they have less interest in democrats for some reason?? My ass your leaders are bought by the Oligarchy to.

I'm not suggesting it. I'm flat out saying it.

It's why the US Chamber of Commerce gives to Republicans over Democrats 9 to 1.

It's why 8 of the 10 largest donors give to Republicans over Democrats. The other 2 are unions. And unions are only around a measly 10% of the entire American workforce. Most of the money Democrats get is from people or from employees.

And Republicans, don't be so fucking lazy. Instead of crying for links that have been posted a dozen times, links you won't read, go do some research on what your party is actually doing. You sit in front of the damn Internet. You can find out anything.

Yea, but some of us (admittedly, some of us are not Republicans) need a slightly higher level of evidence than the HuffPuff.

Google is not fucking research. Being someone who claims to respect science, I would have thought you would know that. Idiot.

 

[editec]

By Michael McAuliff

WASHINGTON -- Mitt Romney floated an eyebrow-raising suggestion on Veterans Day: privatize veterans' health care.

Speaking with a dozen vets in an occasionally emotional roundtable discussion in South Carolina Friday, the GOP presidential contender sympathized with the service members' difficulties obtaining treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which one vet described as "adversarial."

Romney, who has already proposed privatizing Medicare, suggested that maybe giving wounded warriors an outside option would force VA health bureaucrats to be a little more responsive.

"When you work in the private sector and you have a competitor, you know if I don't treat this customer right, they're going to leave me and go somewhere else, so I'd better treat them right," Romney said. "Whereas if you're the government, they know there's nowhere else you guys can go. You're stuck.

More: Mitt Romney: Maybe Veterans' Health Care Should Be Privatized

You guys are so funny. You just shake in your boots when ever anyone suggest anything might be done better by Private Industry than Uncle Sam.

You think Government is the only Reliable solution to every problem, when government is actually almost never the solution to any problem, and more often one of the causes of the Problem.

It AIN'T broke, so don't fix it.

 

[California Girl]

More: Mitt Romney: Maybe Veterans' Health Care Should Be Privatized

You guys are so funny. You just shake in your boots when ever anyone suggest anything might be done better by Private Industry than Uncle Sam.

You think Government is the only Reliable solution to every problem, when government is actually almost never the solution to any problem, and more often one of the causes of the Problem.

It AIN'T broke, so don't fix it.

Mitt didn't say it was broke. He said 'maybe' there should be a private 'option'. Idiot.