Is to see to it that veterans get world cap worldclass health care and they get it in a timely way. However we do that the important thing is to get it done. We had some bumps i have met with some of our private contractors and i appreciate those meetings and their confidence in the job that they can do. They may not have been cooperating before. See to it that the two are working seamlessly and if they cant, they will never work. You have to understand their contracts are not just subject to their performance for the veterans but their willingness to work cooperatively. There are some who do not like the nonhealth care v. A. Provisions anyway. They will have to get used to it. We will make this thing work and we will not put a square peg in a round hole. Today, the hearing is important to your report from the v. A. And contractors and later from the v is so vsos they risked their lives for each and everyone of us to be here today we can expect no less at the get the best health care.
We have a vote on the floor which should be over in the next ten minutes. I will talk a little bit and tell you what i want you to know. I will start with testimony from sloan gibson. Make the note that his staff said that was okay. I want to take extra time because this is an important hearing. Last year culminating with the passage of the veterans choice bill problems in raleigh, denver come orlando and answers that were in completed for understandable reasons. Just left about a year early. Gone as well. There was a transition. There is no excuse for the plethora of problems, and the transition should have been much better, but was not. Va demonstrated that they were finally listening. All i was hearing was nothing but stonewall until finally sloan walked into the hearing, pulled out a new rule to make the number of miles driven which i think everyone in this committee appreciates and agrees with. I believe we are satisfactorily working toward the care you need. It will happen in the
Thought. So explain your logic in terms of not allowing them to make that choice than elves. We have spent a great deal of time talking about this. One of the things for us to keep in mind is that 81 of the veterans we provide care for have Medicare Medicaid or some form of private Health Insurance. Oftentimes what you see today, you mention this fact earlier that the veterans have given the option for toys and somewhat elect to stay in and that is precisely what happens today. Roughly half of 40 to 50 depending on whos the survey you are listening to. I would tell you my perspective part of those are deciding to stay because they are getting great care and they enjoy the camaraderie with other veterans, they have continuity of care because they have been receiving care for a long time and others come there because they have an economic and others come there. So they have 20 copay for a procedure and you look at that colonoscopy or whatever it happens to be where the Knee Replacement w
Disease and you dont have money to treat them and, frankly, i think its time to talk to the manufacturer of this drug and ask them if they are being very generous in providing these drugs, hepatitis c drugs, for free. Very generous. For whatever reasons they are doing that. But maybe at a time when their profits are soaring, maybe they might want to respect the veterans of this country who might die or become much sicker because they dont have access to this wonderful product. And as senator blumenthal mentioned, if they are not prepared to come to the table you think youve done well by getting the prices down by half, im not impressed. Paying 540 bucks per pill for people who defended our country. You sit down with them and say youre prepared to use 28 usc 1498 to break the patterns on these drugs unless they are prepared to come down significantly lower than they are right now. Its not a question of taking money. I know youve requested to take money out of the Choice Program. Maybe t
Despite inroads made by online book retailers over the years, independent booksellers in Nova Scotia say they have been able to thrive thanks to support from their local communities.