I am an 91 year old vet, but I have never used the VA. Further, its record is frequently so bad that I believe that we would be better off if the agency were done away with and all vets were given insurance cards allowing them access to regular medical care by any doctor and facility. If the vet seeking care were also under medicare, the card should cover all costs above those provided by medicare. .

Not exclusive to the VA, trust me!

My dad's a Vietnam Veteran with PDSD. He was rated 100% disabled in 1996. He kept his health insurance from when he worked at the Post Office as the VA was never very good. I remember once in the early '90s we traveled across the state because they were going to take some shrapnel out of his leg. So we drove 3 hours, sat in a hospital waiting room nearly all day (it was at least 6 hours, and probably more), before they called him in. He was already sweating bullets about having this done, and by this time his nerves were shot. They brought him into an exam room, told him to lift up his pant leg, numbed it a little with a shot, and within seconds started cutting the shrapnel (no hello, how are you, relax and this will be easy and quick--nothing). As soon as there was a little blood, he passed out right on the exam table.

I do remember the doctors got scared that they really screwed this up. They told us we could not drive home that night (it was dark by then), and we got a really ratty motel for the night. They told us we had to call them the next day before leaving to see how he was doing.

I have heard VA horror stories just like that.

And when we had Vets we were helping it could take weeks to reach the Dr and get info. from the VA. I doubt that has improved either.

Though to be truthful it's becoming kind of weird everywhere for treatment? It isn't just VAs.
But VAs are just known to be awful.