Friday, May 23, 2014

Andrew Walter: Lessons from the Phoenix VA

Professionals at the Phoenix Veterans Administration Hospital allegedly knowingly and willfully delayed treatment, misled and maltreated our nation’s veterans which led to the avoidable deaths of 40 veterans.

This infuriates me and it should infuriate every American.

After first learning of the scandal at the Phoenix VA Hospital I have advocated for an earnest pursuit of truth so those responsible will be held to account for their malfeasance.

This situation illuminates an important truth: our government can’t even take care of the 6.5 million veterans who fought to defend the very existence of this nation.

How then, can people expect our government to deliver quality health care to over 330 million Americans?  Evidence and experience clearly suggest a centralized approach to health care cannot work.

Today’s VA Health System is tomorrow’s ObamaCare.

The VA Health System is pure government-run single-payer health care, and it’s an utter disaster.  This system shows us that government-run health care is not compassionate or humane, it’s barbaric and corrupt.

In this single-payer system human beings aren’t shown the dignity or respect they deserve.  Moms and dads, sons and daughters are maltreated or, worse, left to die waiting for treatment.

Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema advocates for this type of inhumane, government-run health care system.  She believes in the public option, despite all the evidence, misery, and heartbreak that it causes for patients and families.

America’s health system before ObamaCare was dysfunctional.  But ObamaCare left all the dysfunction in place and built an edifice upon the unstable foundation thereby exponentially magnifying the previous underlying problems.

I agree with Sen. John McCain that veterans deserve to have another health care choice apart from the VA.

Quality health care for our nation can be secured by repealing ObamaCare and replacing it with patient-centered health reforms that put you in control of your health care, not a government bureaucrat.

If ObamaCare remains the law of the land, then it will assuredly metastasize into the devastating cancer that is the VA Health System today.  Our veterans and the American people deserve better.

About Andrew Walter
Andrew Walter is a native Arizonan and starred at quarterback for Arizona State University (ASU) where he earned a BA in Communications.  Andrew was selected in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and finished his career with the New England Patriots.  Following his professional sports career Andrew earned his MBA from ASU, with an emphasis in finance.  Andrew has had great success in the private sector as the Principal of Andrew Walter Holdings, a senior secured lending firm, and as a credit analyst for MidFirst Bank.