Health Care Hither and Yon:An Invitation to Scream about Socialism | Fred On Everything

Health Care Hither and Yon:An Invitation to Scream about Socialism | Fred On Everything

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Almost all advanced countries, if not all, have national medical care. It is telling that in the debate over Obamacare, few looked at systems in other countries to see how well what worked. The reason seems to have been a mixture of the classic American arrogance and lack of interest in anything beyond the borders. Characteristically, discussion usually turned on the evils of socialism–for some reason, Europe is thought to be socialist–and who was going to make money.

Giving housing to the homeless is three times cheaper than leaving them on the streets - Vox

Giving housing to the homeless is three times cheaper than leaving them on the streets - Vox

Giving housing to the homeless is three times cheaper than leaving them on the streets

Matthew Yglesias @mattyglesias

Feb 4, 2015, 10:50a

The final week of January saw an annual ritual in government statistical gathering that few people know about — the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Point-in-Time survey of the homeless population, in which HUD recruits volunteers around the country to go out and try to count up all the homeless people living in America. This year, White House Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough even joined up, volunteering as part of the San Francisco PIT crew.
Counting the homeless is, of course, a critical element to making appropriate homelessness policy. But good policy also requires greater awareness of a discovery that research continuously confirms — it's cheaper to fix homelessness by giving homeless people homes to live in than to let the homeless live on the streets and try to deal with the subsequent problems.
The most recent report along these lines was a May Central Florida Commission on Homelessness study indicating that the region spends $31,000 a year per homeless person on "the salaries of law-enforcement officers to arrest and transport homeless individuals — largely for nonviolent offenses such as trespassing, public intoxication or sleeping in parks — as well as the cost of jail stays, emergency-room visits and hospitalization for medical and psychiatric issues."
Between 2005 and 2012 the rate of homelessness in America declined 17 percent
By contrast, getting each homeless person a house and a caseworker to supervise their needs would cost about $10,000 per person.
This particular study looked at the situations in Orange, Seminole, and Osceola Counties in Florida and of course conditions vary from place to place. But as Scott Keyes points out, there are similar studies showing large financial savings in Charlotte and Southeastern Colorado from focusing on simply housing the homeless.
The general line of thinking behind these programs is one of the happier legacies of the George W Bush administration. His homelessness czar Philip Mangano was a major proponent of a "housing first" approach to homelessness. And by and large it's worked. Between 2005 and 2012, the rate of homelessness in America declined 17 percent. Figures released this month from the National Alliance to End Homeless showed another 3.7 percent decline. That's a remarkable amount of progress to make during a period when the overall economic situation has been generally dire.

Army Accounting Off By TRILLIONS Audit Reveals

#VAFail - VA Spends Millions on Artwork for VA Facilities - Concerned Veterans for America

By Emilye Bell

08.02.16

#VAFail – VA Spends Millions on Artwork for VA Facilities

Looking to take in some breathtaking works of art? Thinking you will have to travel overseas to Le Louvre or to Washington, DC, to visit the National Gallery? Pricey artwork may not be as far away as you think; they could be as close as your local VA facility.

According to a recent report, the Department of Veterans Affairs has spent a whopping $20 million on art over the last 10 years. OpenTheBooks.com did some research into exactly what that $20 million
was spent on, $16 million of it being during the Obama administration,
and what the found is a little absurd. Keep in mind that there are still
hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting to see a doctor or hear back
on a disability claim as you read these.

VA decorators have fine and exquisite taste when it comes to sprucing
up their facilities. Just a few of the items purchased include a
$21,000 artificial Christmas tree, $32,000 worth of “local pictures” for San Francisco’s VA, and artwork totaling $610,000 to beautify a new facility in Puerto Rico.

Most likely the worst expenditure that OpenTheBooks brought up is the $670,000 spent on two sculptures. Yes, that is bad enough, but wait.
These sculptures were purchased for the Palo Alto Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center in California. Expensive art was purchased to decorate a center for blind veterans.



Taxpayer dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen.

Benefits for Landlords

Benefits for Landlords (Taken fron US Department of Veterans Affairs)

• Guaranteed income: See reliable monthly rental payments through the local housing authority and fair market rent on your property.
• Having a say in security deposits: Set your own amount based on local standards.
• Annual property re-certification: Third-party inspections help to maintain quality.
• Benefit of VA services: Ongoing case management provides a safety net for tenants and lowers default risks.
• A chance to honor those who served: HUD-VASH landlords are part of the solution to ending homelessness among Veterans, who sacrificed so much to keep our country safe and free.

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This is the true benefactor of HUD-VASH program, LANDLORDS!!!  There is more outreach to bring in landlords with these overwhelming benefits.  The HUD-VASH benefits landlords greater than veterans just as stated above with very little oversight, on time delivery of payments, no immediacy to correct housing issues brought by the veteran and if so; there's a long if ever process of resolving the issues.

Veterans are constantly under the gun to comply to guidances designed to exit them from the program.  Landlords are not subjected to financial oversight and questioning of every penny found in their old jeans, substance abuse violations, consistent review of your viability as well as an indifference to you as a client.  There is nothing altruistic that landlords are doing to assist in housing veterans.  Through this program, landlords are doing better while doing the least as compared to the open market of renting properties. In the HUD manual, property owners are assured that VA caseworkers who are assigned to each veteran under the VASH program, will keep any veteran inline over any concern to the owner.

Veterans are conduits for the tax-payers money to flow fast and furious into the coffers of landlords while being penny-pinched from HUD-VASH and receiving little to no support from the VA or HUD in critical concerns for veterans health, finance, self-determination and ironically; the return to homelessness..

Abby Nixon

Retired veteran tells how Trump University scammed him out of $26,000

A retired veteran tells CNN how Trump University scammed him out of $26,000

 

What are the typical demographics of homeless veterans?

What are the typical demographics of homeless veterans?

Homeless veterans tend to be male (91 percent), single (98 percent), live in a city (76 percent), and have a mental and/or physical disability (54 percent). Black veterans are substantially over represented among homeless veterans, comprising 39 percent of the total homeless veteran population but only 11 percent of the total veteran population.
As troops return from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the face of veteran homelessness has changed: homeless veterans are increasingly younger, female, and heads of households. Despite this, homeless veterans are still most likely to be males between the ages of 51 and 61 (43 percent) and to have served in the Vietnam War.
And, in the next 10 to 15 years, it is projected that the number of homeless veterans over the age of 55 could increase drastically.

VA staff helps homeless Veteran reunite with family after 22 years - VAntage Point

VA staff helps homeless Veteran reunite with family after 22 years

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German A. Leon was born in Panama. He moved to the U.S. as a teenager with his mother and two sisters, and enlisted in the Army at the age of 18. According to Leon, much of his life following military service is hazy, and he can’t recall details other than he had lived with his mother and sisters as a young adult.
Patrice Green, a social worker at the Atlanta VA Medical Center, took an interest in Leon’s case.

Veteran German Leon at the Gateway facility in Atlanta, which provides temporary shelter for homeless Veterans.

“I asked him how long he had been wandering around homeless, and he replied ‘years and years’,” Green said.
Now 53, Leon had been homeless for nearly half his life and for 10 years in the Atlanta area. He’d been living in parks, wooded areas, under highway overpasses or in temporary homeless shelters. He had no identification of his own, which was needed to apply for benefits, housing or for him to receive assistance of any kind.
Leon had not had contact with his family for at least 22 years, and couldn’t begin to guess where they might be. He knew their names, which he shared with Green. It was a start.
A group of VA social workers from Atlanta began the search for Leon’s family using sites like People Search and through contact with the U.S. Immigration office. When they hit a dead end, one of them suggested turning to social media — in this case, Facebook — as a resource.
With Leon’s permission, they used fragments of information from People Search to craft a Facebook post, including the names of Leon’s two sisters.
The next day, Green received a phone call from one of the sisters. She’d seen the post and asked Green if it was a joke. Green assured her that it was not; her brother was being cared for by VA. The sister said that the family had been looking for Leon, and expressed that she wanted to come pick him up so they could be together.
“I’ve been a social worker for 30 years and I’ve never experienced a case like this,” Green explained, saying it reminded her of “why I do what I do and why I choose to work for the VA.”
With help from the sisters, VA staff was able to collection missing information about Leon, including his original immigration documents and reunite him with his sister. Unfortunately Leon’s mother passed away earlier in the year.

Veteran German Leon with his sister Marta Judge Sallie.

The sisters say their mother “never gave up hope” that Leon would come home someday.
Leon now resides with his sisters in Charleston, South Carolina.
The care VA provided Leon was arranged through the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans program (HCHV), which aims to provide temporary shelter for homeless Veterans. The goal of the program is to reduce homelessness among Veterans by conducting outreach to those who are the most vulnerable and not currently receiving services and engaging them in treatment and rehabilitative programs.
If you know a homeless Veteran in need of help, dial 1-877-4AID-VET to reach the National Homeless Veterans Call Center.

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Editor’s note: Eric A. Brown, public affairs specialist at the Atlanta VA Medical Center, contributed to this story.

Cuts to or flatlining of existing programs: The Budget proposes significant disinvestments in homeless programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Housing and Urban Development. The budget proposes that for Fiscal Year 2016:

• The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program be funded at $300 million, a flat funding from the previous year and $75 million less than had previously been appropriated in advance for this year,
• The HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program receive no additional funding for new vouchers or VA case management this year, and
• The Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program be funded at $201 million, a decrease of $49 million from the previous year.
• The Homeless Veteran Reintegration Program (HVRP), administered through the Department of Labor, receive a flat funding allocation of $38.109 million
• These disinvestments would significantly impact the ability of communities to serve homeless veterans in need. NCHV is actively working to ensure that you have all of the resources that you need to do your job and end veteran homelessness in this country.

Please keep your eye on your email inbox in the coming days and weeks as we will be reaching out to you in order to follow up on these budgetary developments. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via email or phone with your concerns, comments, or questions.

Ensuring Veteran Retention and Positive Attrition

7.  Ensuring Veteran Retention and Positive Attrition

"The first version of this document focuses mainly on activities that help streamline and expedite the HUD VASH leasing process. In future versions, an equal if not stronger focus should also be placed on retention and making sure that Veterans, if and when they exit the program, do so for positive reasons. We will not be able to realize our goal of ending Veterans homelessness by 2015 if the Veterans we serve do not achieve and sustain housing stability. Therefore, to expand this section, HUD will continue researching and soliciting contributions on retention and helping Veterans become more self sufficient. 

A preliminary practice that should be highlighted under this section is the linking of HUD VASH with HUD‟s Family Self- Sufficiency program."

REMARK:

I can't speak for everyone's experience with HUD VASH but this is not the experience I've encountered through the program. The 'Housing Specialist' have done everything conceivable, primarily being incompetent and indifference.  I could have never conceived the level of damage can or will be done under the guise of a program created to solve homelessness.  From both sides; HUD and VASH, there has been a willful intent to direct a process of attrition on veterans with the knowledge that there's thousand more dire idiots to utilize.

Landlords Benefitted Greatly while Veterans Return to Homelessness

While Veterans Struggle While Housed, Landlords Relish the Rewards by HUD-VASH Payments

Look up any brochure for the HUD-VASH program to house chronically homeless veterans and you'll see a slew of appeals to landlords to revile in this gold rush of dollars from the federal government.

Landlords, understandably are in it to make money and are not in it for altruistic reasons.  It's a goldmine and veterans are the conduit to cash for others while the veteran is overwhelmed by multiple unrealistic compliances to stay in the program.  A path that may have been wrought with overwhelming challenges such as mental, physical, financial, imprisonment, alcohol and drug abuse.

While landlords do nothing more or less as they would for anyone else including noncompliance for safety, care for the facility or basic needs regulated by law.  A veteran will be thrown out back onto the streets for the simplest infraction.  You are to walk a straight path despite all that would be in your way.  Budget cuts to the program place the Veteran, not the HUD-VASH program into legal and dismal actions because the despite pre arrangements of support can be dropped at a moments notice.

HUD AND VA TEAM UP TO FIND PERMANENT HOMES FOR 5,200 VETERANS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS

This is the PR happy feeling releases put out by the HUD-VASH to put a smily face on the reality of sending veterans back to the streets through attrition while in the VASH program.

HUD No. 16-082 Shantae Goodloe (202) 708-0685 FOR RELEASE Thursday June 2, 2016 HUD AND VA TEAM UP TO FIND PERMANENT HOMES FOR 5,200 VETERANS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HUD-VASH vouchers build on national effort to end veteran homelessness WASHINGTON - To help end veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are awarding nearly $38 million to help more than 5,200 homeless veterans find a permanent place to call home. The rental assistance announced today is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA. HUD-VASH works in reducing veteran homelessness because it provides funding for both the housing and supportive services that are essential for ending homelessness for tens of thousands of veterans nationwide. See the local impact of the housing assistance announced today. HUD-VASH is an important part of the Obama Administration's efforts to provide critical housing and services to veterans experiencing homelessness. This effort also includes HUD's Homeless Assistance Programs, as well as VA's Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and Grant and Per Diem (GPD) programs. “Supporting the brave men and women who served our nation is not only our honor but also our responsibility,” said Secretary Julián Castro. “Joining the more than 111,000 formerly homeless veterans who have already found homes through this successful program, thousands more brave veterans will be able to start a new chapter in their lives. It’s a privilege to partner with communities dedicated to ensuring that no veteran has to call the streets their home.” “Community by community, we’re making significant progress preventing and ending homelessness among Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald. “The housing voucher awards announced today will provide thousands of the most vulnerable Veterans with access to affordable housing from HUD and wraparound services from VA so that each one can become and remain stably housed.” Since 2008, more than 79,000 vouchers have been awarded and over 111,000 homeless veterans have been served through the HUD-VASH program. Rental assistance and supportive services provided through HUD-VASH are a critical resource for local communities in ending homelessness among our nation's Veterans. Additionally, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness serves as a roadmap for how the federal government will work with state and local communities to confront the root causes of homelessness, especially among former servicemen and women. To support communities as they progress towards the goal of ending veteran homelessness, USICH has identified strategies that increase collaboration and coordination among programs serving veterans experiencing homelessness. In the HUD-VASH program, VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) assess veterans experiencing homelessness before referring them to local housing agencies for these vouchers. Decisions are based on a variety of factors, most importantly the duration of homelessness and the need for longer term, more intensive support in obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. The HUD-VASH program includes both the rental assistance the voucher provides and the comprehensive case management that VAMC staff offers. Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. VA offers eligible homeless veterans clinical and supportive services through its medical centers across the U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. ### HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov. You can also connect with HUD on social media and follow Secretary Castro on Twitter and Facebook or sign up for news alerts on HUD's Email List.

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Army Reservist Fights for Honor, Country... and a Crown

Steve Marcus / Reuters

On Sunday, June 5, 2016, a 26 year-old Army reservist who serves as a

Logistics Commander for the 988th Quartermaster Detachment Unit at Fort

Meade was propelled into the national spotlight. First Lieutenant

Deshauna Barber didn’t pass the grueling Army Ranger course, she didn’t

outperform her male counterparts at an exercise designed to test women’s

grit and endurance, and neither was she promoted to a high ranking

post. Instead, she donned a sparkling golden gown and made what might be

one of the most compelling arguments for the full inclusion of women in

combat that this country has heard yet. She was named Miss USA.

At first glance, First Lt. Barber may seem unique as a pageant
contestant. But, she is not the first member of the U.S. Armed Forces to
compete for a pageant crown. In 2008, Army National Guard combat medic
and Afghanistan War veteran, Sargent Jill Stevens, represented Utah at
the Miss America competition. During her reign, she was an eloquent
spokeswoman for the strong parallels between the drive and
competitiveness of pageant contestants and those who dedicate themselves
to serving their country — women like First Lt. Deshauna Barber.

The Known Soldiers REALITY is Unknown

 This is the reality to the "Pin a flag on the Collar" wearing politicians and most of the country.  Ceremony is the approach but it doesn't resolve the reality.  Veterans are placed in precarious situations because many are left behind and this is with both the politicians as well as the American people who take comfort in rhetoric and parades.  Whereas politicians and civilians who ran out on the country when the call of duty came upon them, they ran and now they're running away from the ones who actually answered the call of duty on their return home.

Budgets cuts benefit the rich, well off and connected at the expense of veterans.  A veteran who's homeless, suicidal, unemployed or in jail provides income to many segments of society.  An individual veteran down on his luck is a conduit to to economic security to many as he remains economically unstable and treated as a kid.  As a matter of fact, they're treated worst with restrictions that prevent grown men and women to grow beyond their situation and they're situations are many.

Earlier this year, the GOP had a chance to prove that it could fund veterans' health care as eagerly as it borrowed for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Long before the current VA crisis, an event described as "a gift from God" by Dr. Ben Carson, Senate Republicans had a chance to vote on a landmark bill. Before the Senate vote, organizations devoted to the needs of veterans and their families offered widespread support to the Comprehensive Veterans Health and Benefits and Military Retirement Pay Restoration Act of 2014.

On January 21, 2014 the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) wrote a letter to Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsing the legislation.

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans: Webinar – Using SOAR to Access Social Security Disability Benefits
Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 2:00 pm EDT

The National Veterans Technical Assistance Center (NVTAC) hosted the webinar “Using SOAR to Access Social Security Disability Benefits” on Thursday, April 21 at 2:00 pm EST. Social Security disability benefits are critical sources of income for Veterans with disabling mental or physical health conditions, and lead to increased housing stability and improved healthcare outcomes. SSI/SSDI Outreach, Access and Recovery (SOAR), is a federal program sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to increase access to disability benefits among people who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Since 2006, states report 27,226 approvals on initial SSI/SSDI applications, with an approval rate of 65 percent in an average of 81 days using the SOAR model. This presentation described best practices for utilizing SOAR with Veterans who access HVRP services, with special emphasis on employment and housing stability.

Jen Elder from the SAMHSA SOAR TA Center at Policy Research Associates, Inc. led the discussion.

Why so many Vets get Evicted from HUD Housing? | vnsla

Why so many Vets get Evicted from HUD Housing? | vnsla: by Terry Richards

Los Angeles County, CA alone in round numbers has about 11% of the Nation’s estimated 2011 count of 74,000 Homeless Veterans, so designating in round numbers 900 Vouchers (11.4%) is reasonable.

Congress also appropriated funds for Grant Per Diem (About $40 per day per Veteran) for Homeless Veterans Transitional Housing Programs at VA Domiciliaries and non-profit agencies like the Salvation Army’s Haven, New Directions, Vet-To- Vet, U.S. Vets, Cabrillo, and the Ballington Plaza, Weingart, and Rush Hotels/Motels (All three located in “skid-row”), and all which are located in Los Angeles County.

According to William L. Daniels, Chief of the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare system and its Homeless Programs, there are currently about 3,200 Homeless Veterans in these transitional housing programs/Grant Per Diems including the two aforementioned Domiciliaries. Since Veterans in these transitional programs are still technically homeless until they obtain permanent housing, that still leaves 10,000 Veterans who are homeless in Los Angeles, but because of the 3,200 in transitional housing only 6800 are living on the streets of Los Angeles assuming these figures are correct???

The Obama Administration has set its goal for zero (0) homeless Veterans by 2015 but in Los Angeles at least, even if the homeless population remains status quo and Vouchers were increased to 1,000 per fiscal year, it would still take 10-years or until 2022 to obtain Housing for the current homeless Veterans population of Los Angeles.

HUD-VASH Mythbusting, w/ Your Host, KAIT MILLER!

Published on Dec 18, 2013

Are you having HUD-VASH problems? Do you constantly find yourself rejecting veterans from the program who seem like they should be eligible? Myths about HUD-VASH afflict countless people throughout the United States...but you don't have to live with them anymore! In this 7 minute video, former HUD-VASH Housing Program Specialist Kait Miller will walk you through the five biggest myths about HUD-VASH to make sure you're not turning any vets away unnecessarily. It's easy, it's free, and it could change your life!

You've lived with your HUD-VASH problems for too long. Watch this free video today!

Another View -- Roger Wilkins: We can't let our heroes down | New Hampshire

Another View -- Roger Wilkins: We can't let our heroes down | New Hampshire

By ROGER WILKINS

Two years after the secret healthcare wait list scandal within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs made national headlines, veterans’ care is still inconsistent and unreliable. It’s an especially important issue for the more than 115,000 New Hampshire veterans, many of whom rely on the VA for their medical needs.
 The first step toward reform is realizing the massive scale of the problem. VA officials first tried to dismiss the excessive and dangerous waits for doctor appointments as isolated in nature. Yet recently published reports by the VA Inspector General’s Office reveal these harmful practices were widespread, including here in New Hampshire.