The U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs looks after about 9 million veterans at 1,255 amenities. It’s the country’s greatest built-in well being care machine.

Charles Dharapak/AP

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Charles Dharapak/AP

The U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs looks after about 9 million veterans at 1,255 amenities. It’s the country’s greatest built-in well being care machine.

Charles Dharapak/AP

A national Medicare survey launched nowadays discovered that veterans rated Veterans Affairs hospitals upper than non-public well being care amenities in all 10 classes of affected person pride.

The VA looks after about 9 million veterans at 1,255 amenities — the country’s greatest built-in well being care machine. Regardless of many broadly publicized scandals, VA well being care has been constantly rated as aggressive with non-public care in dozens of peer-reviewed articles.

“I strongly imagine that the VA is the most suitable choice for veteran care. Find out about after learn about presentations that high quality and affected person protection is a minimum of as just right if no longer higher than our non-public sector opposite numbers,” stated Dr. Shereef Elnahal, VA undersecretary for well being.

This most up-to-date survey, referred to as HCAHPS (Health facility Shopper Review of Healthcare Suppliers and Techniques), confirmed that the VA beat out non-public amenities in the entire classes surveyed, reminiscent of affected person pride, health facility cleanliness and conversation with nurses and docs.

“This provides some of the first alternatives to immediately examine us with our non-public sector opposite numbers, and we are in point of fact proud of the consequences however we would possibly not be content material till 100% of hospitals are pinging in the precise rankings,” Elnahal instructed NPR.

Favorably evaluating with the personal sector is necessary for the VA, as a result of Congress has expanded the VA’s use of personal care as an possibility when vets have to attend too lengthy or shuttle too a long way for a VA appointment. Personal care is a lot more pricey for the VA.

Republicans in Congress, who normally enhance larger use of personal care, have even accused the VA of obstructing it. Maximum lately, Space Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Mike Bost wrote to VA Secretary Denis McDonough about what he known as his “entire frustration with the Veterans Well being Management’s loss of well timed motion to offer neighborhood care to veterans that … are in dire want of well timed care.”

“I am hoping you proportion my frustration. Those roadblocks don’t serve veterans neatly and we will have to do higher,” Bost wrote.