Posted on 02/18/2024 9:26:27 PM PST by Red Badger
(Deroy Murdock, Headline USA) Democrats constantly crow about their faith in “the right to choose.” But this applies to little beyond abortion.
Any woman who chooses to buy a gun or send her child to a charter school should expect “pro-choice” Democrats to stand in her way.
Democrats crave control and uniformity, even when it comes to medical care for America’s veterans. Democrats want vets in the Department of Veterans Affairs, not getting cured in the private sector.
Obama–Biden’s VA waitlist scandal found veterans dying before they could see their doctors. Donald J. Trump promised to fix this lethal mess. And he did.
President Trump signed the Mission Act on June 6, 2018. It holds that if the VA cannot book a primary medical appointment “within 20 days of the date of the request” by a veteran, or 28 days for specialty care, then that vet may seek therapy outside the VA, and the VA will foot the bill.
Trump opened an Office of Community Care to oversee the program, promoted it via a dedicated website (the now defunct MissionAct.VA.gov), and focused on reducing the pile of old cases that awaited adjudication.
This was just too much freedom and choice for President Joe Biden and his comrades. Soon after taking power, they started to lasso vets and haul them back into the VA Corral.
In October 2021, Team Biden padlocked the Office of Community Care and replaced it with a “new integrated access and care coordination model.” How appetizing!
The pro-Mission Act website dropped off the VA’s front page. Those who could track down the link found it connected to a “Choose VA” page that sang the praises of government-sector veterans’ care.
While these two steps backward were inconvenient, Biden’s reversal of Trump’s progress on improving the case backlog truly hurt veterans. The pertinent statistics are jarring.
The VA’s relevant database is a bubbling, jet-filled hot tub for public-policy geeks. Its Monday Morning Workload Reports indicate the level of paperwork facing VA benefits bureaucrats as they sit down at their desks and begin each week.
According to these figures, the day after Trump began his presidency, the Jan. 21, 2017 report found the VA with a backlog of 91,742 claims nationwide that had languished without conclusion for more than 125 days.
By Jan. 18, 2020, two days before Trump’s third anniversary as president, the equivalent figure was 68,911—down 24.9%.
Three days after Joe Biden took office, the Jan. 23, 2021, MMWR backlog was 211,443, reflecting the devastating effects of COVID-19, for which Trump and Biden are blameless. (China’s Xi Jinping is as culpable as anyone.) The Jan. 20, 2024, data, exactly three years into Biden’s presidency, reflect a backlog of 406,864 claims—up 92.4%.
In short, Trump spent three years cutting the VA’s case backlog by one quarter. Biden spent as much time nearly doubling it.
Evidently, this is how Joe “Nice Guy” Biden proves to be the adult in the room who returned everything to normal.
The VA also is ignoring the 20-day primary/28-day specialty care wait time before vets can seek community care. Rather than start the clock when the veteran makes the request, as the Mission Act requires, VA schedulers may begin each countdown whenever they want. This traps vets on the VA plantation and limits their access to private-sector options.
Now, to abuse America’s beloved veterans even further, the VA spent $63.6 million in Fiscal Year 2022 to process illegal-alien health claims, even as the medical paperwork of U.S. citizens gathered dust.
“To see millions of taxpayer dollars taken from our veterans to instead incentivize and care for an invasion of illegal aliens is a giant slap in the face to America and to the military community,” retired U.S. Marine Chad Robichaux told the New York Post’s Ryan King.
The founder of the Mighty Oaks Foundation, a veteran-aid group, added: “Every time we think this administration has reached a grotesque low, they dig deeper.”
Deroy Murdock is a Manhattan-based Fox News contributor.
News for VETERANS.........................
I cannot understand how any normal, rational person can back any Democrat. It’s sick.
Even knowing that many voters are useful idiots, it’s still mind-boggling.
Seems like, despite their mission statement, in a lot of cases it feels like they try to find ways to deny benefits. April last year I filed for asbestos nodules in both lungs from my time in the Navy. Still in review. Diagnosed and X-Ray and scans showing them. Supposedly “presumptive condition” under the PACT act. We shall see.
Just last week I was informed of the latest story about this...
It seems all those illegal aliens are veterans of the US armed forces and since they fought for our country how can our government turn them away from well-deserved health care for their supposed wounds and/or many illnesses ???
It was explained that yes its true a few illegal aliens are being treated in TN VAMCs and clinics because they had served and it was discovered later during their enlistment that they had used false SSN numbers but heres the rub...
Why on Earth were they able to enlist in the first place using phony IDs and SSN numbers ???
We dont have a draft and like I was they should have been thoroughly vetted being foreign nationals...
To enlist during Nam my family back in New Zealand were vetted as well as I was...
I had a brother in the NZ Navy serving in the China Sea and several cousins fighting in country alongside the American troops...
But still I was checked out...
Unlike the illegal aliens...
Comments are open
I’m glad I’m in a position to where I have nothing to do with the VA.
[I cannot understand how any normal, rational person can back any Democrat. It’s sick.]
They can’t. They absolutely have to ignore facts and documented evidence.
A lot of us at least became aware of George W. Bush after he showed his true colors.
I guess I’m the same. On Medicare and supplemental insurance now. I really haven’t had the need, but there is a convenient clinic right here in my little mountain city. It seems like it’s a pretty good size operation, frankly.
I know someone in this boat
Just 3 years ago my grandson joined the Navy and they not only checked his family but also some of our friends. I have a friend that we hunted and fished with tell me "Why didn't you ever tell me Bubba's name was Alexander, I had no clue who they were talking about at first". Bubba is a twin and his sister could not pronounce Alex so he became Bubba and it stuck.
I have been waiting since May 2023 to get a much needed surgery.
I have a disability claim that has been “in a docketed status” since October 2021.
Both of these situations should be criminally prosecutable.
Yep..the VA has always sucked at care although there are some good VA hospitals. I’ve got 3 BVA hearings scheduled under the new “faster” AMA system and I’m coming up on 4 years on 2 of them. Under the legacy system one took 7 and a half years to get to a BVA hearing. Pathetic is an understatement.
Unfortunately it is a game with the VA, you must have a fully developed claim, ie, all medical evidence and a nexus to your condition. “Presumptive condition” does not mean automatic, it only simplifies the requirement to prove it service related. You should call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 and ask for an update, many times this will move your claim along. You will also find out what outstanding requirements they are waiting for. Good luck.
This administration is being run by Satan! ....imho
Its where the women are, and its where abortion on demand has a home. The rest is just tolerated to get the first two. Rationality, logic has nothing to do with these insane people, to whom thought is an impediment.
“I guess I’m the same. On Medicare and supplemental insurance now. I really haven’t had the need, but there is a convenient clinic right here in my little mountain city. It seems like it’s a pretty good size operation, frankly.”
I still have the little card for VA care issued during Vietnam.
After 50 years, I went to our little seaside VA clinic, filled out a hour’s worth of paperwork, and waited.
After a couple of weeks, I received a letter stating I could only be treated if I’d served in Afghanistan OR had been RAPED.
No reason to continue.
:-/
normal, rational.......................is the clue............
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.