The VA Scandal & Private Sector versus Government

The recent VA scandal has conservatives singing their usual song about how government is slow and evil and the private sector is efficient and angelic. If only life were that simple.

Remember, the VA issue is about not making mandated appointment time deadlines and then cooking the books to hide the slippage. The private sector will also happily take shortcuts or cheats if they think they can get away with it or are willing to accept the risk of getting caught.

I'd argue that there is even more incentive to cheat in the private sector because of the pressure to make a profit. It's great when the profit motive makes companies more efficient, but that same motivation engine also can encourage cheating. That powerful profit motive is a double-edged sword.

The real solution is better auditing, surveys, and inspections REGARDLESS of whether the patients are treated in public or private hospitals. However, increased over-site requires more funds, and thus more tax money. I know conservatives will balk at that suggestion, but they don't have a realistic alternative: if you want the private sector to follow certain rules, somebody has to check and verify they actually are following through also. It's because humans run hospitals, not because the hospitals are public or private sector.