Why the VA Health Care System Works so Well

Actually it's not that VA is such a marvelous system since any large scale organization employing over 200,000 people is bound to have its inefficiencies.  VA simply comes closer to the mark of providing excellent care than the rest of the health care providers in the country.  One big reason is the veteran system does not rely on insurance reimbursements so money saved through efficient operation remains in the system and does not transfer to insurance companies.  This type of operational structure encourages innovation and change.

However, being a single payer health plan alone wold not necessarily result in a better system.  The outstanding reawakening of VA health care is largely a result of the vision and leadership of Doctor Kizer and his successor.  Here are some of the operational advantages that make VA health care so successful.

As a government entity, the agency cannot be sued by patients who have been mistreated.  This obviously saves the time and money involved in lawsuits.  However, in order to be responsive to medical errors, Doctor Kizeer instituted the "Sorry Now" program that holds staff accountable for their actions and provides damage awards to patients.

Veterans who are part of the system have the opportunity to remain with the system throughout their lives.  This allows VA to practice preventative medicine by scheduling regular checkups, performing regular lab tests and intervening before a medical condition becomes to advanced.  The provider/contractor insurance reimbursemeent model used in the United States typically does not allow for this type of preventative medicine.

In the next post I will discuss the advantages gained through the VA's electronic records system.