00:00:02.440 - 00:00:36.360

sort of like your president in my place. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, ever since. Okay. Thank you. Hello. Gentlemen, this is Senator Graham. Hi. How are you finding what is your name? My name is your shooter. Of course. Your home is well. We live here and one here.

00:00:36.940 - 00:01:04.450

I can't say the same about five. I have. Yeah. Thank you for having me. It was never about Dave Franklin. Sarah. So yeah. One of the registrar Chase. How frequently. Yeah, and we'll make it into Okay. I tried a couple of times. I don't think we're very best.

00:01:04.840 - 00:02:29.390

Me? I'm going to use my own equity talk. Yeah, Yeah. For one final time. Yeah, Well, 67 months old. I know the highway, Right. Hi. Senator Allen MacDonald from Yes. Where? Where do you live? Last time I shook your hand with Thank you. Well, good morning.

00:02:29.570 - 00:02:59.560

Good morning. I hope everybody had a good booster holiday. I got to spend it with our eight grandchildren. We don't very often get them all together. In a matter of fact, I just happen to have pictures. Oh, Uhh! We've got to have eight in such a hurry because our third daughter gave us the privilege of being grandparents to triple.

00:03:00.640 - 00:03:27.350

They had their first birthday. This is for those of you who who are from the North. This was this was our triplets during the last snowstorm. Yeah, February. And, uh, they live in Great Falls, Virginia, which is just outside. That's the That's the whole All eight of them were with us over Easter, so we had a great time.

00:03:28.640 - 00:04:00.560

Uhh friends, I appreciate very much your sharing part of this morning for what I hope will be a very informal opportunity for me to learn something about your experience and about, uh, kind of health care that you have receive elsewhere in the system and what you're experiencing here at Bay Pines or at other via healthcare facilities in Florida.

00:04:00.570 - 00:04:29.260

Last Tuesday, I met with a very similar group in Fort Myers. Fort Myers does not have a hospital, but it does have one of the most active outpatient clinics Certainly in this state, probably one of the most active in the country. And I got a good doctrine nation and information on what the experience of those veterans have been.

00:04:29.740 - 00:04:57.950

So if I could, I just like to go around the circle and ask you for your experience in terms of services where you have used the to elsewhere and then what you've experienced here in glory, maybe for the benefit of everybody. If I could ask if you could give your name and, uh, 20 words a free advertise.

00:04:58.440 - 00:05:17.560

And did you want us to say something? No, I think just keep it to the veterans here. Okay. Uh, Herbert Hoover, I uhh. Coming for the winter down here. And I've never had any anything to do with being Gilbert first. What was your military service? Army.

00:05:18.340 - 00:05:43.520

In what years? When I was in 43 to 46 year and I've never I never needed anything. I've always carried good insurance, but mm, people that I had before they went bankrupt who I worked for for 35 years. I want to come down here and see if I get some content.

00:05:43.670 - 00:06:07.870

How did that for medical or drugs? That's the reason why I'm here. Yeah, So you've never used to outside of the here, take mine. And we come here to Clearwater in two years ago or three years ago. Three years. So I figured, trying to say thank you.

00:06:08.840 - 00:06:42.960

Yeah, kind of about three and $500 in mind. Your medication is spying. Uh huh. Heart patient. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. My name's Dave Frankel. I live in Sarasota Permanent Reservoir here. When I moved here 93 to Sarasota from Phoenix, Arizona, where I did use the V A facilities with her, and they were excellent.

00:06:44.040 - 00:07:09.460

They took care of all my ailments and all my rooms came up here. I couldn't get the time and date. I spent two trips up here, waited eight hours each time and was told that I should move to a state where there are fewer better if I want together taken care of as far as medications.

00:07:10.740 - 00:07:35.550

And I said I'm a disabled vet. Have a disability. Golconda. I have a priority Medical. Medical. Whoa. Our budget constraints don't allow us. I said I'm not a snowbird. Do you own a piece of property in Sarasota and registered voters? The state of the art? Yeah, I got so angry I would never come back.

00:07:37.540 - 00:08:06.000

So where are you getting your healthcare? You have to take care of it. I fight so security and it cost me about 400. Mm, my just the medication. And plus, I carry I have Medicaid, Medicare, not Medicaid. And I carry a supplemental insurance, which is growing up to 126 of them on top of the Medicare.

00:08:06.410 - 00:08:46.350

So that each up totally sorry. Your your Medigap in $26 a month, you say? Well, yes. With AARP. Prudential. Yeah. And just sort of leaves you strategy, particularly when the hospital in Phoenix took care of everything. In fact, I had been being a portion of the prescriptions, and they stopped at the last six months that I was there because I don't know for what reason, but they even rebated $3 that you were paying for Forage Prescription Floyd sharply.

00:08:47.040 - 00:09:07.290

And nobody ever said they're going to move to a a state that had fewer veterans. They seem to take care of everybody. Mm hmm. Yeah. Yes, sir. Thank you. I think you've stumbled on one Dallas. People tell you part about this. Did you do at the time?

00:09:07.300 - 00:09:27.290

Would you give everybody your name? Oh, you're working on. My name is Glynn Decker were only involved with Pennsylvania. I'm a life member of Best Post Commander 34 98 and life number gave me 1 15, which meets in three weeks. Royal Pennsylvania. I'm an annual display memory of the American Legion.

00:09:28.440 - 00:09:57.500

Yeah, Yeah. About 1992 Communication officer named Mr Hopps. Officer named Mr Hoscheit. Send me letters saying that I was due for unemployed building. And I was at the time, maybe what, 68 or 773 And I was I was told to fill this out, which I did the 21 1 89 40 which is veterans application for increased compensation.

00:09:57.510 - 00:10:19.460

Facebook building How to calm down when you get over your shape. I immediately went to Mr Davis Philadelphia and transfer this debate point because my records of the Dayton accord, the baby and the power of attorney in safety, which they I've not really been satisfied since.

00:10:21.340 - 00:10:42.660

For the reason they have a long, long list of my record going back to 1947 7 operations on the right ankle right down there. I can no longer teach and I can navigate beautiful. And I'm very strong, but I can't leave Bend over. And recently I came here with muscle spasms in my next guest.

00:10:43.140 - 00:11:02.450

It's called the Gas trot. Name IUs Solis Muscle. Charge your neck and I can hear it right now. Which means when I sleep at night, I have to take a pill so it doesn't spasm in the Meanwhile, I found out from David Cord that I have a meeting with them and what's called dead.

00:11:03.040 - 00:11:22.150

A meeting with regional office of the veteran administration to see if I melt and Senator I am alter. And I think Marty recent for being here. And I was requested to be here that I'm just not satisfied with the adjudication officer in my hometown now. Safety.

00:11:23.240 - 00:11:49.100

And I appreciate if you would investigate this control bottom finished, I'd like to point out I'm wearing these deep Member dip magazines are in real trouble. Records 96. By eliminating complicated and restrictive eligibility rules and by focusing more on preventive and primary medicine, the the health care costs could be trimmed by several $100 million a year.

00:11:49.300 - 00:12:05.360

I agree with that. I agree with you. I think you can get it better. You can do it better. You start looking around where the deadwood is around here and I'm not making a specific in March to anyone. I will say this right away. Doctor. Hot hockey H allies has been the best way to keep guys in the world.

00:12:06.410 - 00:12:26.960

Somewhere along the line, we're slowing down way behind my my 100% disapproving requested plane. It's under 1992 or 93 I've got two operations on my ankle in the meanwhile and having worked in 1992 because I work in a country club and you don't carry golf balls, bags around with a bad back, leaning over and say south from it and I'll sit down.

00:12:27.530 - 00:12:43.860

I lost a job in Yardley, Pennsylvania, by sitting in a chair to open to him today when I'm supposed to be working, so they're not definitely. I came home, he said. The letter down the rainwater and meanwhile, Sally G. L. A. Gear. Appreciate your time. Say hello to honorable time box.

00:12:46.080 - 00:13:11.140

It's not your testicles. You know what he is? Yes, I'm betting he's a great man. Talk to him here for you. She's peace. Peace. I'm even Jamling. I'm well, thank you somewhere away. And we're from Ohio and the so some and I come down. I just want to see if I can get medication here.

00:13:11.140 - 00:13:31.560

Then when I go back to Ohio, get medication there. They claim I'm a service connection. I can't get them. Can you? Can you get medication? I'm going to try when I get back. I was looking into it when we come back tonight. Go back up. But everyone claims I can get it.

00:13:32.240 - 00:13:53.240

But if they got so much money in Ohio, which is quite empty, distributed around the ones that need it. I mean, the Curva hospitals. I keep it up there, All the beds and they're coming down here. Mm. Yeah. I just need I thought I could use a little help.

00:13:53.240 - 00:14:19.850

I served my country and just everybody was equal serving. And I think we should have a little federation future eventually. Mhm. Thank you. My name is Jean Hatfill. I'm living in ST Pete's now from Cleveland. Behind originally Mhm. Last week I injured myself on the trampoline.

00:14:20.840 - 00:14:40.260

Get my knee up in my mouth. Evolution. All my front teeth put a real deep gash in my look. I called the veterans hospital cause I'm between jobs just moved here. Any decision? Cool. It's not service connected. Don't even bother. I'm hoping my teeth don't fall out by the time it gets better.

00:14:40.740 - 00:15:01.760

Like a brother. Uhh! In Cleveland, I've done to Wake Park Hospital. Grab my leg. They took an awesome esteem later on in there. Mhm. In all my medication. No charge. And in Amarillo, Texas. So I slipped on ice. I hurt my back. They took it right in.

00:15:02.640 - 00:15:25.170

Take care of me. Not like I may not have a a all the time, but when I needed to the V A They've been there for me. You have to. So you received medical services for nine. Service company has an injury in Texas, and it always parked in several years.

00:15:29.440 - 00:15:59.910

Very good service. Mhm. Good. Thank you. Yeah. Nervous? Yeah. Mm. Eventually. Mhm. Yes, sir. My name is Alan Valvano. Came from Brooklyn, New York, and I live in Laval since 1970. Florida. Uh huh. I want to visit the Fort Hamilton V a hospital. And they will take care of this was in the sixties.

00:16:00.060 - 00:16:28.460

But they do take care of. And I've also you cried about that. But this particular hospital here and plus my father, we have. Why the doctors saying that there was something wrong with our hearts? Only three Doctor wanted to say yes, I can take care of but told me that there was not enough funds to take care of you, which I complain of paints for the chest.

00:16:28.840 - 00:16:42.650

He took an E k g and said the e k G did not read that good. He said, I cannot do any more for you because there's no more money for you. I had a bad swollen leg. Come back to the clinic again. They did not want to see me.

00:16:43.040 - 00:17:04.860

I said, You're supposed to evaluate people, get them on the way. This hospital did not evaluate me. So being persistent of waiting around five hours, they sent me to another doctor. That particular date. He gave me a thorough examination and he check my lungs and says something is wrong.

00:17:05.240 - 00:17:23.510

I'm going to set up a test for you. Two weeks later, they denied it. There are two doctors now that said there was something wrong with me. But then when it passes the physicians in this hospital, they do away with it. They will not see you.

00:17:23.520 - 00:17:48.490

My father was in Tampa last week and there was Joseph Romano. A specialist says, Go back to the Bay Pint and here's a slip. You'll receive a appointment. They refused him. He even served in the Vietnam. I'm excuse me. He served in World War Two. I served in Korea, in fact, by the way, but not in the wartime.

00:17:48.500 - 00:18:14.410

In 1958. So here are three doctors who have a degree who have a license to practice medicine in the state of Florida said that there was there was something wrong with us. But this hospital delighted Dan, like this gentleman had says, I forgot his name. I was told by the patient representative department that go up north because you cannot receive treatment on it.

00:18:14.420 - 00:18:33.760

And they said, In fact, if you were to get hit by a car, were the only way Do you be treated now? Senator, I believe that every person is a vet, regardless, if he's hurt or not, he served this country honorably. He should be taken care of.

00:18:35.040 - 00:18:52.460

A veteran is a veteran, and that is, and that's the bottom line. But your humiliated in this hospital. They do not treat you like a veteran. I'm not looking for for a million dollars. I'm not looking to be taking care of what? Nurses? I just want to be evaluated.

00:18:52.470 - 00:19:09.550

Tell me something is wrong. Take care of me to be on my way. I know money is tight, but when you're told to leave I've been here 27 years. My son was born in this air state. I love this air state. But tell you the good one Northern V a hospital.

00:19:10.640 - 00:19:32.960

I saw you going to pay my way. So this is my biggest complaint, sir, is that number one? Doctors evaluate and say that something is wrong, but then when it goes higher, the hospital will stop it. Well, stop it. I tell you, No funds go to a lower than a hostile and thank you, Sheriff for listening.

00:19:33.540 - 00:19:54.090

Are these conditions non service connected? Yes, But Senator, like I said, fragment is a I wanted to service one. It was uh huh. When you were told to go in when they when they had the draft on. I can't predict there was a war in 1958.

00:19:54.100 - 00:20:13.360

I mean, there are veterans that had to go in when there was a war going on. And I feel sympathetic. The ones that I really were hurt in the wartime. Yes. They deserve care throughout the United States. 100%. But still you can't predict well, 1950. The war was over in Korea, but still I had to go.

00:20:13.370 - 00:20:31.770

My country says go. I had to go. I don't want to go to jail. So I had to go. A veteran is equal, no matter a man or woman. He is a veteran of this United States and should be given the care equal to each patient that comes into every V A facility.

00:20:32.340 - 00:21:05.640

Thank you. Mhm. Yes Cos Bill Lawrence. I'm arisen of Largo's at large. I'm formally from Northwestern Pennsylvania. Yeah, I usually spend about three months out of the year up there. I've never taking advantage of any of the the to hospitals in so far as care. Up until last year, I ran into a little economic problem and I went into the Wilkes Barre of a hospital.

00:21:07.040 - 00:21:35.930

I found I had high blood pressure problem and I also have what they call steelworkers hands which require a medication, it will never go away. Case of keeping under control with medication. And they prescribed. Yeah, a pressure medicine for me. Which worked fine. Yeah, and kept it under control.

00:21:35.940 - 00:21:56.270

I came down here this year, and I found my blood pressure was getting away from me and was running very high, so I came down to the hospital hair. Uhh. They treated me. They took, they took blood. And they determined that my potassium levels were very low.

00:21:56.940 - 00:22:17.660

They treated me for that. They gave me a medication for. And when I was leaving, I was informed that as a non service connected veterans that I would no longer be able to be treated for this at this facility. I asked that this was nationwide. They said, Yes.

00:22:19.310 - 00:22:39.550

I have friends up in Wilkes Barre who are being treated at that hospital, and there has been no interruption in their treatment. They told me that I would have to find my own doctor or what? Not down here to continue with this, but they would treat me for an emergency situation.

00:22:40.140 - 00:23:03.480

Your friends back in Pennsylvania, they also non service connected. Yeah, Member, I don't understand Why one part of the country retreat you're in Florida can tree, I imagine, Because of the funding, right, I have no complaint with the treatment I got down here. I was well taken care of.

00:23:03.490 - 00:23:37.860

The only thing is, I came here on an appointment and I waited four hours. I guess this is due to either shortage of personnel or a shortage of finding or a large amount of veterans down in this area. I think that if possibly satellite building or some sort could be set up to handle people like myself or just coming in for a medication or pressure check and see if there's any changes in our conditions might alleviate some of the problem.

00:23:38.940 - 00:24:00.920

That's all I have to say. Senator. Thanks for listening, Senator. I'm Tim Leonard. I'm a Vietnam veteran. I currently live in Seminole, Florida. I'm originally from Chicago. I received treatment in Chicago on going for a chronic bursitis problem. I'm non service connected. I never had any problem receiving treatment in Chicago.

00:24:00.920 - 00:24:17.860

I have made risk medications every month sent to my house to be in the mail. Just sign the slip, send it in every month. Medications. They're like clockwork. Never had any difficulties getting appointments, usually within days. Sometimes if I called in for a clinic appointment that can you be here this afternoon?

00:24:18.940 - 00:24:40.170

Never had any difficulties with an appointment. After moving down here, the doctors told me I should move to a warmer climate because of the chronic bursitis. I moved down here. One of the first stops I came was pines, and I was told, Well, come on into the quote unquote walk in clinic where you have to make an appointment to be walking.

00:24:40.740 - 00:24:57.310

Uh huh. Wait about five hours, which I did finally getting to see a doctor. He gave me a 10 day supply of medications that you should be evaluated and seen by a doctor on the outside. He said we might be able to get you into a clinic within 3 to 6 months.

00:24:59.440 - 00:25:22.150

When I questioned the medical administration people and the doctors about it, it was basically because of the high influx of veterans here in the budgetary restraints that they just really couldn't take care of non service connected unless it was an absolute emergency situation, and that if I wanted to take care of my medical problems and I needed to get taken care of right away.

00:25:22.160 - 00:25:51.360

It should be on the outside because they would not be able to take care of me except in an emergency. Yeah, well, friends, I think what we just heard described it here is the human the consequence of what has been happening in terms of the veteran population in this country, and particularly to places like Bay Pines in Pinellas County, Florida in general.

00:25:52.000 - 00:26:27.000

And the impact that is having on the equality of access to healthcare. Adam, Frank, just show you a couple of charts. Here we have the chart on the population shifts. This is okay. This is what happened between 1980 and 19. 90. Census. Thank you for these selected states.

00:26:27.640 - 00:26:55.890

Now, these these bars are daily changes in the veteran population, not not monthly or weekly, but every day in Florida. But every day between 1980 and 1990. And the evidence is that this trend has continued, uh, talento 1996. Every day there were 96 veterans who came to Florida.

00:26:55.900 - 00:27:20.770

That's the net increase. In fact, at the other end of the scale, New York State, every day between 1980 1990 lost 98 veterans. They either passed away or they moved away. Many of them are moving to Florida, the second state after Florida. In terms of the daily increase, the number of veterans was Arizona.

00:27:21.240 - 00:27:56.560

Arizona was 24 per day, so Florida had four times the growth in the number of veterans, as did the second state in the nation. So this is where veterans are choosing to live. This is what the consequence of that is on workload at Veterans Hospital. This is the variations in workload changes from 1993 to 1995.

00:27:57.340 - 00:28:25.770

In the case of Bay Pines, of all of these hospitals and all of these, our hospitals in the VA's system that have the same level of service, that is, they deliver the same basic range of care that is delivered here at Bay Pines Bay Pines. I had almost a 6% increase in the number of units of service that it was being has delivered.

00:28:26.140 - 00:28:55.280

The other hand, uh, some of the hospitals, for instance, San Juan had about a 10% reduction in the number of veterans units of service. And yet all these hospitals over this period have kept about the same level of their funding. All of them have had about the same increase without that they had at the beginning of this period.

00:28:55.290 - 00:29:42.450

So the effects of this is that a facility like Bay Pines being asked to serve many more veterans with essentially a stable budget. San Juan being asked to serve many fewer veterans but still retaining basically the same budget. It's not a mystery why you've had the experiences that you've had, that there is an increasing disparity, inequality in the level of service that's being provided, based on whether you happen to live in an area of the country where the veteran population is growing rapidly, as in Florida or Arizona, or live in an area where the veteran population is declining.

00:29:43.240 - 00:30:11.060

Um, Senator John McCain of Arizona and I have been pushing a proposal which would require that the to redistribute its resources to follow where the veterans are. The veterans want to live in Florida, Arizona. Then the VHS money should follow that veterans preference as to where they want to live and that it is unacceptable and intolerable.

00:30:11.390 - 00:30:32.550

There's these differentials in levels of service based on whether you happen to continue to want to live where it's cold in the winter or whether you want to move to Florida. Arizona American veterans ought to be treated equally wherever they choose to live. And that's our goal.

00:30:33.040 - 00:30:56.260

The kind of experience that you've had will be very powerful evidence of the consequences of not having the va's money follow where the veterans have choose to live. Uhh! The one of the issues that has come up in several of the comments has been the issue of medication.

00:30:57.140 - 00:31:31.770

Uh, I can understand. You can understand why, UH, staff facilities and why. Uh huh Operating rooms and hospital rooms might be restrained, but I don't understand why there should be a difference in medication policy whether get bursitis Pharmaceuticals in Chicago is just the function where the the medication is dispensed and delivered.

00:31:32.440 - 00:31:51.770

Is there any explanation of why there was a variation of medication? The only explanation I got senator was that the funding wasn't here, that because of the high influx of veterans on a daily basis through this hospital, they just couldn't afford it, even with my cold payment, could not afford to continually dispense maintenance drugs.

00:31:51.830 - 00:32:15.980

It was true. You've had that same experience of Medicare. They've got me out. Did you receive medications? Previously heard You got medication right here. Here? Yes, I got it over Jacksonville. You know, Tampa, and then over here and cut out altogether over here. No more additional funding.

00:32:18.740 - 00:32:53.020

Have any of you have any experience with nursing home care through the area, Senator? Yeah. When they give you a service connected card says priority, there's all you the statistics they were. It is a law that says you must be treated. It's the wall. And when somebody arbitrarily can say to you move to another state where there are fewer veterans.

00:32:54.040 - 00:33:18.460

I think that's a horrible thing. Now, you told me you weren't gonna be treated or that you would have to stand in line to be treated. No, no, it wasn't going to be treated. Should move to another state where there are few of them. Nobody ever said that to get out in Arizona, even in our port, New York, but certainly has a tremendous number of veterans.

00:33:19.040 - 00:33:35.960

The New York Metric and in the Phoenix metropolitan area I don't know whether it's as many as Florida. But I know in a few years most of us are going to be dead anyway. Mhm. Let me tell you something, Senator. Yes? I'm looking forward to sitting in a wheelchair right out back.

00:33:36.440 - 00:33:55.060

I'm ready to go on the right age. Cross my house with fire. I'm literally I have no job. I can go to that. I can't qualify the city. Still best thing I can do is sit out the back. I want somebody ready. Come on. And you're gonna have to take care of Europe.

00:33:55.440 - 00:34:17.400

His group, your car, your congress Apart from Thank you, Sheriff Center. You know, I understand what you're saying. Elections journalist says again. You know, a good portion of everyone has been cut off from receiving any medical care in half. But you know what happens now to these veterans right now?

00:34:17.410 - 00:34:48.800

Well, you tried to take care of this problem. I understand. You probably will. You were a great governor coming today. What do you think? What? Okay. Good officer. What will these veterans do now? Immediately that are in need of medication? Clinic right there. And that's the stopping point.

00:34:48.810 - 00:35:08.400

It's the whole point. It's the big shots upstairs to denounce it. These people pay for their prescriptions. Hopin I realize that, but most of these people in this hospital and there's a lot of elderly people I respect them that need more medication than the younger we all do.

00:35:08.410 - 00:35:29.260

But what happens right now that they refuse you? That's the problem right now. You can't afford it. Well, here this the people who are responsible for this hospital, their commitment is to deliver the highest quality care that within the resources available to them they're able to do.

00:35:29.640 - 00:35:53.320

I had a lot of experiences, this hospital, including having worked here one of my workdays, and I was impressed with professionalism and commitment of these people. But they have to to deal with the amount of dollars that they got available. I think the fundamental problem is that the dollars aren't following the veterans.

00:35:53.330 - 00:36:33.250

If this were, for instance, Medicare, it would be as if Medicare go to that particular hospital and then had allowed a great disparity to exist between one hospital and another. In fact, what Medicare does is it gives you a card. It provides you access to get financing for your health care if you meet the qualifications wherever you are in the country.

00:36:33.830 - 00:37:03.550

And I think that that's the philosophy that ought to to guide the way the Veterans Administration allocates its resources, you know, put money where it's veteran clients have chosen to live. But like the senator, the card that they issue here says that you're supposed to be able to walk into any of a facility in this country and received true priority treated.

00:37:04.830 - 00:37:30.550

It's not so here. You know what I mean? When push comes to shove the attitude of a lot of these people. And this also came from the director's office, I was told the same, which I really thought was a We are. How can you tell a guy that that by congressional act is supposed to have treatment?

00:37:31.630 - 00:38:02.800

Period Doesn't matter. If you stub your toe, they're supposed to treat you. How can they, without just a out of the decision basis of their own move to another state where there's not so many better now is your priority for any, uh, medical services just priority for those that are reserved is connected, where service connected but by presidents it was given to me for some other things.

00:38:02.800 - 00:38:27.250

Also, because I had a major heart attack. It was in the hospital 78 days, 38 days comatose as a result of the of the service connected disability. Though I've never been really awarded mhm. My service connected disabilities got nothing to do with it. But the doctor said that my, I think, was as a direct result.

00:38:27.820 - 00:38:43.940

But some doctor here said he couldn't even hear a murmur. And two weeks later I had a doctor's report from down in Sarasota that said They want to put in a new valve. The murmurs are so loud. And this was a doctor who told me to move to another state.

00:38:44.920 - 00:39:03.690

That's his main complaint. My name is Steve Wilson. Steve, I step over here, Okay? I came in on Friday. I have not gotten on my head. Once the module, which is admission, they made me come back today. They said they didn't have hands 100% service connected.

00:39:03.690 - 00:39:22.150

I've been acting for a long time, and I took it as an insult because I'm also searching and I was told to come back. Well, we don't know what these are yet. Let's call him. He's not develop in my head. Uhh! I have been brought this hospital so they didn't have room for me.

00:39:23.220 - 00:39:42.440

All resource connected. I'll have to come back. And I have lived in a lot of states. I've been to a lot of Ph. I've been active in behavior. I've been to Washington twice, mhm, but I feel that. And on this particular I've had a patient. But staff tell me they're simply working a job.

00:39:43.320 - 00:40:06.530

Thank you Has to tell me they're overworked and underpaid. Anna and Uhh! Our president Lincoln told the care for the veterans widows independence where we get our care. If this is serious, I'm coming three days later to get it treated. And I know a lot of veterans who have these.

00:40:07.510 - 00:40:31.620

Like I said, I've been active in Dahab. I've been a state commander in another state, and I've heard of 1000 complaints against the Veterans Administration. Uhh. Primarily health related health related. The Senate and Congress votes to 32% increase on cola. What if next year coal increases to 4141%?

00:40:31.620 - 00:41:04.330

Nationwide, we get 3.2%. How we gonna pay our bills? 63622632 Okay, What if costs living goes way about? Why did they predate this five years? Yeah. What I have been arguing for is that the veterans ought to get linked to Social Security. And whatever the cost of living adjustment is, Social Security ought to be the adjustment veterans without having to go through every year.

00:41:04.810 - 00:41:29.340

Nothing. A separate piece of legislation set. You're not angry with you? Well, you know what a possibility. Security. Excuse me. Excuse me. We've got about two minutes. Probably stand up here and address the group before we leave. Probably got a couple of Yes. First gentleman and then this.

00:41:29.910 - 00:41:46.870

You know what an impossibility it is? Get Social Security. I drink some people on the phone and my lungs burned up three years ago, and I have a pulmonary special. I have attorneys that's been fighting for three years. Three years? You're trying to get a Social Security disability?

00:41:46.880 - 00:42:08.730

My attorney is now, you know, They tell me I can't work out. I've got this restriction. I got that restriction. I'm in here for some other things. That happened to me in Vietnam, getting shrapnel, this stuff for me, this is oh, different related. But if it wouldn't be from my V a check out start because they tell me they say, Well, you're not ultimately well, which they said you make too much because of your government income.

00:42:09.100 - 00:42:24.580

Okay, But yet again, they say you can't work. Okay, You've got restrictions on you can't work. It says security still fight you. Do you know what an impossibility is on Social Security Now, if you're trying to link up with the V A, that is going to be a real paper.

00:42:24.590 - 00:42:45.720

What I said was linking there in the law, there's an automatic cost of living adjustment for Social Security. Congress doesn't vote on it every year. It just goes into effect based on economic determination of what the consumer price index, the change was from one year to the next.

00:42:46.200 - 00:43:13.730

With veterans, there isn't such an automatic cost of living adjustment has to be voted on every year by Congress. My feeling is that the cost of living adjustment that's available for Social Security recipients ought to be automatically the cost of living adjustment for veterans. They shouldn't have to depend upon each year Congress passing a separate bill in order to adjust veterans painting.

00:43:14.100 - 00:43:30.230

Well, I know I've been to like, five different specialists in three different hospitals hospitalized for pulmonary problems. I mean, they've done extensive care and checking, and each one concurs. They say my lungs are shots. Okay. I'd like to know why it's taken three years to get in your money.

00:43:31.800 - 00:43:53.610

Yeah, we're just a statistic. Uh, we don't have a lot of money to raise. A lot of Cain were horrible, high priced attorneys to push and shove. The only event you're really kind of bites the dust, and that's the way it is. If you don't have money to really go forward, there's something raised, a lot of Cain, and they really don't care.

00:43:53.620 - 00:44:12.080

It's just a bureaucracy. Our social security problems is somebody else's problem. May say, you know, I mean, everybody else get crazy like Congress, you know, and everybody else. Where is all the money? Where's all your closing schools? Left and right Allocations. Where's our lottery money? I'd like to get your Yes, sir.

00:44:12.080 - 00:44:34.300

I would like to talk to you. Yes, sir. This pertains the funding of the via last month. I read in the magazines, Get the right next to the FAA Air Force. Yes, yeah, and he gave the ratio of veterans per state. Nevada was number 1. 15% of the veterans is in Nevada, the the ratio of 15%.

00:44:34.330 - 00:44:56.410

Or in Nevada, number two is Florida 13 5 or this population is veterans. Are we being funded? And that same ratio as the amount of veterans? Are we falling short? The amount of veterans were having versus the other states that have a lower ratio. The answer is yes.

00:44:57.990 - 00:45:33.300

Come on. The average across the nation is that there is for every two veteran. There is one hospital bed in a V, a facility in Florida. There, 14 beds for every 1000 that is. Nationally, it's 2000. Florida is 1.45 and that's in spite of the fact that Florida has the fastest growing population of veterans, so that ratio is going to continue to get lower.

00:45:33.790 - 00:46:12.480

Also, we haven't on average an older group of Veterans Nation as a whole, and we have, surprisingly, a less well group of actually holds. Veterans in Florida are more likely to have had some serious illness or cuisine. So I think the answer clearly is yes, that Florida is not receiving it's equal share of resources for health care of its veteran population, which today is about 1.8 million veterans.

00:46:12.480 - 00:46:44.100

Of course, what's the future outlook on the ratio? When you look at the chart, you see its way down to seven and 8% some days. Are they willing to give up? Well, that's what There are basically a few alternatives available. One that I have said that Senator McCain and are pushing for is to require the V A to reallocate its resources so that equal amount of health care resources for veterans wherever they live in the country.

00:46:44.780 - 00:47:09.720

That might end up in taking the form of something analogous to a Medicare system where, in addition to providing health care services through V A administered facilities such as this, there would also be a parallel process by which the V A would contract with non V A healthcare providers, for instance, in Fort Myers.

00:47:09.720 - 00:47:34.410

It's gonna be a long time before there's a hospital accessible to those veterans in that region of the state and it probably makes more sense to have the V A rather than transport them up here to this already overcrowded Bay Pines to work out some contracts with local hospitals to provide medical services for veterans when they need hospitalization.

00:47:34.880 - 00:48:00.000

A third issue is going to be something analogous to what we had with the military. Base realignment and closing permission where there was an independent group have looked at all the military bases in the country, made a judgment as to which ones could be either closed or consolidated in order to save some money, to be able to adequately support the ones that were left.

00:48:00.570 - 00:48:43.700

I think we are going to have to have something like that would be a medical facilities because we're getting in areas of the country, hospitals that are significantly underutilized, which not only makes them more expensive but also brings into question some of their medical procedures. Unless, unless the hospitalist is doing a certain number of heart operations per month, it isn't their staff won't stay current and at the highest level of professional competence to do those intricate and difficult the procedure.

00:48:44.070 - 00:48:59.820

Thank you, sir. Excuse me, folks. I appreciate your patience with us, but we're already 5, 10 minutes late, and we really need to get going on. Thank you very much for all your kind words. And this is Adam Smith of our office. His job is to be the bad guy.

00:48:59.830 - 00:49:22.090

How am I doing? Both. I wanted. I want to say this. This has been a very helpful do it right discussion to me because you look at a chart like that and you see, you see numbers. But here you see human beings whose lives are being affected by those numbers.

00:49:22.570 - 00:49:47.720

And I can assure you that when I go back to Washington next week and we continue to work to see that Florida veterans receive their fair share, we're not asking to get a bonus. But we want to be treated equally That you're your personal experiences will be part of the ammunition that we would use in trying to accomplish.

00:49:47.720 - 00:51:51.890

That can help If you need me, Judge, I think you do damn good. I'll be right up. He called my house. I'll fly up there. Up here my way. I want to see you lose. John. Tell John you get Charlie. Oh, that's next to you. Over here.

00:52:04.380 - 00:52:35.370

Okay. You don't take care of you. You need this. I'm sorry.