I haven’t paid my Obamacare premium in months

You have no idea the complexity of operations of these agencies to provide the services – With a Master in Finance, I think I can figure it out

VA funding is indeed a concept difficult to appreciate, including that money appropriated for one purpose generally may not be simply handed over for something else – Actually it can; done all the time in the private sector

And speaking of money for "furniture": - the money spent on furniture last year was spent just before the sequestration, so it has nothing to do with what you said. It was spending money for the sake of spending money

The Gulf War, OEF and OIF and those that followed have resulted in a large influx of new enrollees for Veterans benefits/Primary Care. – Budget has almost tripled in 6 years;

When did you last call for a new appointment with a new primary care doctor and get it within 14 days – I can do it regularly

Thats huge! And all this time I thought Obamacare was destroying the very fabric of your healthcare.

Pj - thanks for your interest, but I used to be able to get same day appointments before my doctor had to go into a group practice

Who falls for this kind of dishonesty?

I mean, other than hoops2 himself.

No one asked hoops2 if he can get an appointment with his doc within 2 weeks. Didn't happen. With a new doctor yes, but not with his existing doctor. What an odd thing to imagine.

The issue at hand is the appalling waits that our veterans have had to endure to see a new VA physician.

I worry for hoops2.

What goverment agency do you work for?

Yes, the private sector probably has much more flexibility in managing their budget. I implied nothing about how it "can" be done, "should be done" or is done in the private sector. I spoke of the limitations of spending in the government agency I worked for, the VA.

The budget tripled in 6 years? I doubt that all went to VA. Certainly not to our hospital. We prayed that our allottment would not be reduced from the previous year, as has happened.

I also can get an appointment with my own Primary Care doctor within a reasonable time. But if I decide to go to a new practice, is longer for the first appointment, more like 4-6 weeks to get into a good one, if they are even taking new patients at all.

I don't want to sound contentious or as an apologist, just clarify some facts I am more familiar with than others.

I worked there for 34 years, so I have some insight.

Your furniture/sequestration point: The two are totally unrelated. The money an agency or department is allotted as of October 1 every year is "spent" all year long, beginning October 1, and ending September 30. Just like your family and my family budget for spending all year long but not to spend it all at once.

The sequestration began October 1, 2013 when congress would not agree on a budget for FY 2014, which begins October 1 (and would not pass a continuing resolution, which would have avoided all the chaos and cost of the sequestration, but I digress). The "furniture" is already purchased with FY 2013 funds.

Sorry that you don't buy any of this. I'm done. Thanks for the opportunity to dialogue. Over and out.

Read the page of your NOT TRUE link again. The only Veterans who are not eligible for VA Primary Care are those who have not come forward and enrolled. And technically they are eligible, but they have to enroll. It isn't that difficult to enroll.

And age has nothing to do with eligibility for VA care.

I should add that some dishonorably discharged Veterans may not be eligible for VA services, as stated in your link (though some will be eligible depending on service connected condition). Also, some high income Veterans would have a co-pay for outpatient care and for certain medications or services that are not Service Connected, and perhaps that is misunderstood as "ineligible", but that would be incorrect. They are welcome to use VA also if they choose, and many do.

O2bnVegas, from what you've written I'm sure you know far more about the VA than I do. But on this one point you're mistaken.

As the VA's website I've linked states, the veteran "must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty in order to be eligible."

There are some exceptions — like for individuals who were discharged for a disability sustained in the line of duty — but about 1.3 million veterans remain uninsured nationwide.

And over 250,000 of these veterans who can't get health care via the VA could get it via the ACA if they didn't live in states that have refused to expand Medicaid.

Here are a couple recent news stories on this subject for you to consider:

A Quarter-Million Uninsured Vets Will Miss Out on Medicaid Expansion

States that refuse Medicaid are leaving over 250,000 poor veterans uninsured

The VA budget went from $63b in 2006 to $160b now. It is apparent that the money did not go to medical care, which begs the question - where does it go?

Of course it went to medical care. Go to VHA.gov, learn about the VA, see where the money goes, the vast expanse of services for Veterans. There is also a breakdown of expenditures for FY 2013.