Privatizing medical services for veterans – will it be successful?

Well I am hoping that they call again soon because housekeeping costs were cut when the changeover took place and now it is even worse. I am losing about $20/week because cannot find anyone that will do it for the $18/hr VIP is paying.

little story here just to put some perspective on things . around the time the VIP granted started we were having a discussion about how many payment charts they have to go by to decide how much to pay vets for these services .

I stated at that time I was receiving 10 dollars/hour minimum wage at the time with plans to raise it . minimum wage is now higher.

I had been trying to get it raised through regular channels since it was granted as I was paying a lot out of pocket to get stuff done. even after a move to a place with more land larger driveway a hose with more square footage and a wood stove . NO JOY!

just before my grant started I received a call from blue cross to check on my satisfaction with there services . not sure what exactly they were looking for but I politely told them my story.

got a letter shortly after that saying my benefits were going up .

shortly after that I got my first grant of almost double what I was previously receiving.

5 month later I got another letter saying my services were audited and they would be increased .

a week later I got a check.

three weeks after that I got my second grant instalment more than double what I use to get.

I truly believe if not for one blue cross phone call I would still be receiving less than minimum wage per hour .

not sure how they would do with anything else but when it comes to the VIP grant I think these guys rock.

propat

I'll see what I can find out. One thing I do know is when the VIP grant started Blue Cross laid off around a dozen employees that took care of the auditing of claims because all they were doing was sitting around with no work.

Teen, with all your contacts, maybe you can find out how much VAC is spending to contract out the work to Medavie Blue Cross? Since, as you pointed out, the VAC workers that were doing the job were not laid off, simply reassigned, every additional dollar spent for Blue Cross to administer the benefits, is a dollar less from the budget that could otherwise be spent on Veterans.

I hate smoking mirrors but this whole issue is not even a reflection of bullshit as much as it is an outhouse dumping zone, no matter where you step it all smellsof shyite

I've made inquires into this matter and the 44 membes were processing claims or worked in the claims department. They were moved from that job to man the phones or work towards veterans services. So none of the 44 union members (remember it was the head of the union that broke this story) lost their jobs.

Medivale Blue Cross is doing what they were hired/contracted for by the Treasury Board...processing claims not answering phones. They do not have the skills to answer the phones, I know this from when a Blue Cross agent picks up the phone when I call the NCCN. I'm put on hold while they find someone to take the call or get an answer to my question.

Also this scare tactic brought up by the NDP and Libs is just that fear mongering. Blue Cross has to follow the rules set by the TB in the NVC/PA policies. So wether it's a VAC employee or a Blue Cross employee not anwering the phone, returning calls, mail correspondence the client will lose said benefits.

The simple soluition to union/politically motivated news stories like this is for the Cons to answer them directly. For some unknown reason they don't and I am forced to make a call and get the "why's".

So this is a message to the staff of the PMO or VAC stop wasting my day and start sending out the counterpoint to these articles!!! It took you almost a year to point out that the 8 closed VAC offices were closed because they were woefully underused and it was an easy way to meet the 5% budget cut across the board mandated by then Minister of Finance Jim Flaherety in 2011/12.

Another item you could have made a massive counterpoint to the other parties was about the $200 million for the new OSI clinics and why it was for a span of 50 years. The $200 million was for maintenance, inusrance, utilities, rent and salaries. But noooo you let the NDP/Libs make you put it in the budget so it has to now be monitored for the next 50 years instead of rolling it into the operating budget of VAC for bricks and mortar.

The problem that I have with statements like, "they talked to Veterans and they say they are treated wonderfully", is very misleading and disingenuous. Not all Veterans are treated equally by the department. Those in their 70's and 80's are treated with far more respect than Veterans in their 20's to 40's for example. So just because they have spoken with Veterans, does not mean that they have spoken to all different types of Veterans, since it is mainly younger Veterans who have the greatest problems with VAC, and especially the NVC. Alberta didn't even have any VAC offices closed, that they would be upset over. They probably went out of their way to find the best possible cross section of Veterans to speak to, just so they could quote that Veterans that are happy with their treatment.

Veterans will now deal with their doctors and the private insurance company is something that makes me very apprehensive. Not everyone has access to a family doctor for instance and for those who have doctors we know how difficult it can be to get forms completed in such a way that doesn't hurt the Veteran. Not all doctors understand the importance of these forms and reports. Going the insurance route for Veterans and losing our Veterans Affairs Case Manager is not going to benefit the Veteran imo.

Recently I had an article about the Conservative government cutting another 44 jobs at Veterans Affairs and contracting out the work.

The work done by the federal employees will now be taken over by a private insurance company, Medavie Blue Cross. The employees will be transferred to other jobs in the department.

The Union of Veterans Affairs Employees has raised concerns the quality of service to be provided to veterans will suffer.

Previously veterans were granted their treatment benefit claims after consultation with their doctors and a department case worker. Those benefits can include psychology, physiotherapy and massage therapy, among other services.

The veterans will now deal with their doctors and the private insurance company.

NDP MP Peter Stoffer says there are serious issues with the contracting out of treatment authorization services for CF veterans to a private sector insurance company.

“A private insurance company should not be responsible for authorizing the treatment of benefits and services for veterans,” Stoffer said in a statement. “We have already seen situations of veterans having their benefits cut off for no reason and having to fight to get them reinstated.”

Veterans Affairs says there will be no issues.

Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Janice Summerby noted in an email that, “the government places the highest priority on making sure veterans and their families have the support and services they need, when they need it. This endeavor will streamline the process and cut down on red tape.”

“This is a critical part of the new vision we are imparting into the department as part of the veteran-centric approach to service,” Summerby added.

Veterans Affairs Canada’s performance reports show that since 2009 over 900 jobs out of 4,000 have been cut.

The reports also show that many of the jobs have come out of the sections that administer pensions and awards or who are involved in veterans’ health and rehabilitation.

But Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Conservative MPs have insisted the cuts are for the better. “We have taken resources out of backroom administration from bureaucracy. We have put it into services,” Harper said during question period in early December.

There are more benefits and more money than ever before for veterans, Harper maintains. “That is called good administration, good government, and it is good service for the veterans of this country,” he added.

And some Conservative government MPs dismiss suggestions veterans are unhappy.“I talk to veterans individually and they say they’re treated wonderfully,” Calgary-Centre MP Joan Crockatt told journalists in December. “I invite you to ask them.”

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/privatizing-medical-services-for-veterans-will-it-be-successful

Talked to a few Veterans in Calgary - Centre - Individually - they all said that they are treated wonderfully, what about the rest of the Veterans in this large country ? Has anyone reached out and asked them ? This can go both ways, if a vast majority of Veterans say they are treated wonderfully, why not have a right across the Country survey that includes all Veterans, which does include Liberal, and NDP Ridings ?