Application of Code of Ethics to the VA System Law Research Paper

Code of Ethics
Name of Student
Institutional Affiliation
Application of Code of Ethics to the VA System
Description of the Legal Topic
The VA, operating in the United States of America, is responsible for operating the largest integrated health care system in the country. The corporation is in charge of over 1700 clinics, hospitals, readjustment counseling centers, community living centers, domiciliaries, and other facilities. Additionally, it is the largest system in the US. It has 1,233 health care facilities and serves over 8.9 million Veterans each year. It also has 1,053 outpatient sites and 168 VA Medical Centers, administering varying complexity of care (Box, McDonell, Helfrich, Jesse, Fihn, & Rumsfeld, 2010).
There are several benefits that the corporation offers to its members and beneficiaries. Some of these benefits may be financial or in other forms, offered to service members, survivors, dependents, and the Veterans. They include compensation, education and training, home loans, life insurance, vocational rehabilitation. Notably, such benefits are offered when the veterans or their beneficiaries receive services such as medical attention in some designated hospitals across the United States of America.
In the recent past, the Veterans Health Administration has transformed into one of the major health care payers in the country, on top of its primary role of healthcare provision. An example is the manner in which the VHA responded to allegations of scandals reported in the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2014. In response to this, a law was passed in 2015 that mandated the various community care programs that had been introduced under the VHA to be consolidated into one (Box, McDonell, Helfrich, Jesse, Fihn, & Rumsfeld, 2010). The new program that composed of all the others was now referred to as the Veterans Choice Program.
The Veterans Affairs Department is recognized for its otherwise forward-thinking leadership. As such, it responds to challenges and scandals through the establishment of an ambitious plan that aims at altering approaches to care that do not seem to serve to the best of the interest of the members and beneficiaries of the VHA. Such plans played a critical role in the administrative and legislative reforms in the corporations that have led to the enactment of the various laws which have led to the transformation of the structure and processes of the Veterans Affairs.
However, it is worth noting that the community care plans that are developed and implemented by the Veterans Affairs Department come at a cost. For instance, the sustenance of the future proves costly. As such, the department has failed to offer and display the expected level of efficiency up to date (Box, McDonell, Helfrich, Jesse, Fihn, & Rumsfeld, 2010). Additionally, the implementation of the plan of expanding the community specialty care or significant further use by the veterans who are eligible to use them could result in a significant increase in the costs incurred. As a result, that would call for efficient and effective modifications to the fixed and other costs so as to match the required costs of provision of such services.
One of the misconceptions that need clearance is that Veterans Affairs is an isolated department and a strictly governmental enterprise that is similar to the National Health System of the United Kingdom. Contrary to such misconceptions, the VA care relies heavily on the community. For instance, there are several part-time care providers that have served the Department from as long as 1945. There are also non-VA care options that have the long-standing ‘fee-basis’ care. This shows that the VA is not isolated from the community as most individual believe.
Historical Analysis of the Topic
There are various codes of ethics that guide the conduct of the personnel that serve in the VA Department. The codes of ethics are thus mandatory for individuals to observe when dealing with the beneficiaries of the VA (Fowler, 2008). One such code of conduct and ethics regards the confidentiality of the beneficiaries. In this case, confidential information, regardless of the source, is to be kept confidential and only released to the Veteran or someone who is directly concerned. Information regarding the veterans can only be disclosed to their spouses in the event that the veteran passes away. Such information could include any financial dues or benefits that the veteran should have received prior to their death.
Another code of conduct and ethics that governs the behavior and conduct of the personnel at the VA Department is that the Service Officer must ensure that they have adequate evidence on the truth of the information that they give so as to ensure that the Veteran is accorded only what is due to them (Fowler, 2008). The Service Officer is not supposed to present information whose credibility is questionable. Before handling the case of a veteran, the Service Officer should ensure that they have adequate information that can defend the rights of the veteran and ensure that they are accorded what rightfully belongs to them.
The Code of Ethics and Conduct of VA System also require the Service Officers to maintain a high level of professionalism when dealing with their clients or Veterans. They are supposed to carry out their duties without expecting undue payment from their clients they should also ensure that they offer high quality services to the veterans. Failure to observe professionalism may lead to the dismissal and legal actions against the Service Officer.
These codes of conduct are applied in core studies by ensuring that learners are taught the most updated versions. They are taught in schools because learners and tutors are also required to maintain a high level of professionalism (Fowler, 2008). The Code of Ethics is a summary of how individuals working in the field and so any individual who wishes to work in the field must be acquainted with the knowledge of the Code of Ethics and Conduct.
The Code of Ethics is also taught in schools so that tutors can apply them in their daily dealings with students in the institutions of learning. Tutors should never show any form of prejudice when teaching. They should observe professionalism and uphold all learners as equal while respecting the diversity and privacy of the learners.
It also helps tutors in ensuring that learners receive the best quality learning and awarded their due grades. This is learnt from the fact that the Service Officer is to avoid any form of prejudice to enable the Veterans to make their due claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs. This calls for a high level of professionalism. As such, learners aspiring to work in the field must learn these codes in their core studies. The Service Officer is to understand all rules and regulations regarding the VA System and remain updated (Fowler, 2008).
The Code of Ethics is also applicable in core studies because it defines the expected conduct of veterans who are benefiting from the VA Department. It enables the beneficiaries to understand that the Veterans should never accept remuneration in the form of cash. This regulation implies aims at ensuring that cases of corruption are minimal. As such, the check-off system is transparent so as to eliminate cases of fraud and corruption in the Department (Fowler, 2008). Additionally, the inclusion of the Code of Ethics in core studies is important because it claims that Veteran Officers should never act as guardians to individuals who receive benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. This assists in ensuring that beneficiaries conduct themselves without any form of fraud or dishonesty in transferring their benefits to friends, spouses, or relatives who are not authorized to receive the benefits.
Notably, there are various professional ethics that are observed in nursing. The role of the ethics is to ensure that nurse observe professionalism in their nursing practice. The code of ethics that contains these professi...