United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-12-23 monographic deposited born digital 46 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-95-14 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14 P0b002ee1803a1a5e f:he95014 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14 HEHS-95-14 Veterans benefits Veterans hospitals Hospital care services Patient care services Handicapped persons Surveys Health services administration Health resources utilization Health care planning Proposed legislation Health Security Act Clinton Health Care Plan National Health Care Reform Initiative National Performance Review VA 1987 Survey of Veterans Letter Report HEHS Focus group participants with whom GAO spoke expressed diverse views about the care provided by Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) facilities and the role VA should play in a reformed health care system. The perspectives of the 127 veterans who participated are not statistically representative of the nation's 27 million veterans. Still, many of the views expressed are consistent with the findings in other studies. For example, some of the concerns expressed in the focus groups about VA health care--such as excessive waiting times and poor customer service--have been highlighted in earlier GAO reports. Apprehension about changes was a recurrent theme running through the focus groups. Veterans expressed concern that changes could diminish or eliminate veterans' health benefits, that allowing nonveterans to use VA facilities could detract from care for veterans, that VA would lose its individuality and its focus on the special health care needs of veterans, and that veterans who are dependent on VA could be hurt emotionally. Some focus group participants thought that VA remained the appropriate vehicle to provide health care for veterans. Others, however, said that VA can no longer adequately tend to these veterans and that other options should be explored. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14.pdf GAO/HEHS-95-14 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-95-14 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-95-14; Veterans' Health Care: Veterans' Perceptions of VA Services and VA's Role in Health Care Reform; Veterans benefits Veterans hospitals Hospital care services Patient care services Handicapped persons Surveys Health services administration Health resources utilization Health care planning Proposed legislation Health Security Act Clinton Health Care Plan National Health Care Reform Initiative National Performance Review VA 1987 Survey of Veterans