Next, you are going to tell me that Vet's don't know what they are talking about. Maybe they are lying?
http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=14560
"Veterans who recently used VA services and were interviewed for the 2005 ACSI survey gave the VA's inpatient care a rating of 83 on a 100-point scale -- compared to a 73 rating for the private-sector health care industry. Veterans gave the VA a rating of 80 for outpatient care, five percentage points higher than the 75 rating for private-sector outpatient care and 9 percent higher than the average satisfaction rating for all federal services."
Medicare was sabotaged to bankrupt in order to push it into the private market.
Nice picking the low hanging fruit that happens to agree with your perspective there.
Now let me let you in on what it is actually like to be seen by the VA in most circumstances:
#1. For serious medical conditions I have been made to wait for over 6 months now, necessitating trips to the emergency room twice for said condition.
#2. I have ear trauma related to combat. This was confirmed during my exit physical by an otolaryngologist at Fort Hood prior to leaving. This has left me with balance problems due to damage to my eustachian tubes. I saw the doc at the VA here in Seattle, and he took a look in my ears (Initial intake exam after moving up from California), and told me, and I quote, "They look just fine. Looks like you might have a minor ear infection, and maybe that's playing with your balance. This can happen.".
I ask, "Is there anything odd or unusual or any interior damage to my ear?".
He says, "No, everything looks good.".
I follow up with him a grand total of two times after this meeting, and he tells me again, my ears look fine.
He advised me to seal off my ears with cotton balls and vaseline to kill off the moisture.
Fast forward 3 weeks, and I collapse in the hall because god damn it I can't tell up from down, left from right, and forward from backwards.
My buddy cruises over to take me to the ER.
ER doc takes one look in my ears and the first thing he says is "Whoa, you have some significant scarring on your eardrums. Have you had any concussions or any other head trauma like a fall of some sort?".
Yes I have.
He then gives me a test while sitting and then laying down to figure out my symptoms.
He says, "Ok, well I'm giving an initial diagnosis of BPPV. I will get you some meclizine for the balance, and we'll see how that works for now. All we can do is wait for the otoconia to reset or be reabsorbed, and until then I advise against driving, or any other physical activities.".
I go back to the VA doctor.
I ask him to take a look in my ears, and he says, again, "Looks good. Looks like the infection is going away.".
So I ask him, "Hey doc, so I had to go to the emergency room for complete loss of balance, and while there the doctor says I have significant scarring on my eardrums.".
He says, "Oh yes well...you see...".
I cut him off with, "How come you never told me this before?"
He says, "Well I thought you were aware, that you know, you had...".
He then suddenly finishes up with, "Ok well is there anything else I can do for you?".
I said, "No doc, thanks. I think I have had enough.".
This is the consistent pattern of treatment that I have observed with other veterans in the hospital, whether in Sacramento, Oakland, or here in Washington.
Some other things for your, "Stellar review":
http://www.citizensforethics.org/files/Letter%20to%20Armed%20Services%20re%20PTSD.pdf
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_va_adjustmentdisorder_051508w/
Just to show a couple of what is really a myriad of problems with the VA.
Your article is convenient in that it is a government site, praising a government agency on behalf of the constituency.
Any vet who has EVER been in the VA system knows that the VA likes to make stuff up on the fly so long as it suits them.
It's just a fact of the system.
Now, since 7.5 million veterans have serious issues just getting the regular medical care they need, let alone reasonable health care, let's throw another ~196million patients into the mix.
Reality is a bitch.