Many Americans have not, at any point, served in the country’s military. And, thanks to the good work that our veterans do, most of us probably never have to. Now, it is only reasonable that we reward these good people for the sterling work that they do. This is more pertinent in light of the simple fact that not all these soldiers even make it back home to begin with. Just put yourself in their shoes; you leave your home and the people you love and put your life (essentially everything that you have) on the line. Is it too much to ask to come back home to meet a healthcare system that can truly cater to your medical needs, especially considering you probably wouldn’t have many of these needs in the first place if you didn’t go to war?
The issue of VA healthcare has been heavily politicized. So much so that it has begun to get attention for all the wrong reasons. And, as is ultimately inevitable when it comes to things of this nature, the leading flag bearers of the duopoly that is the American political system have both taken their polar opposite stances.
The incumbent president, Joe Biden, has clearly stated that he isn’t intent on any major restructuring as such to the current VA paradigm, a policy Harris would surely continue. However, even he isn’t completely blind to the many obvious failings of the system, such as it is. This is why he is proposing to be given the opportunity to expand the system in the hopes of covering up these various lapses. On paper, this doesn’t sound so bad as the position the president has taken is one that seems determined to right inherited wrongs. However, how realistic is it to do the same things (just on a bigger scale) and expect different results? It’s pertinent to answer this question as what solution you arrive at must influence which name you tick on the ballot in the coming days.
On the flip side, we have former President Donald Trump, a man who doesn’t make any bones about the various shortcomings of how the healthcare of veterans is run by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). His proposal back when he was in office – and right now as well, if I might add – is that this aspect of veteran affairs be privatized.
Of course, Trump is nothing if not highly controversial and many people opposed that idea then, just like many of those same people veto the idea now. But if we were to scrutinize this situation just a little more intently, we might see tangible points to Mr. Trump’s position.
Sadly, the incredibly jaundiced nature of certain news reports can make this challenging for most people to do. Certain people go on to bellow that the current situation of VA health care is owed directly to Trump’s hawkish stance on it while he was in office. Maybe it is. But maybe it isn’t. In either case, we have a wealth of information to look back on when it comes to informing our opinion here, provided we are willing to be objective.
Trump’s issues with the VA healthcare system while he was president are fairly well documented. However, something that’s equally important but that doesn’t get nearly as much attention is the motivation behind this disgruntlement. Let’s have a quick peek at what a couple of the major ones are, starting with the biggest, the VA Health Unit scandal of 2014.
In the spirit of fairness, there have always been deep-seated problems with how the VHA managed the healthcare of veterans. But much of these were kept on the hush-hush, far from the ears of the public. Naturally, this was aided in great part by complicit people in powerful positions of leadership. However, even these people couldn’t cover up the shocking information that whistleblowers disclosed in 2014. For those who missed the madness of that period, concrete evidence came to light of legit Department of Veterans Affairs facilities outrightly denying medical care to the people that they were supposed to be serving!
But even leaving that obviously pressing problem of corruption aside, there’s also the fact that VA healthcare isn’t readily and equally available to everyone. There is empirical evidence to suggest that veterans in rural areas get decidedly fewer accessible benefits when compared to those located in suburban and urban regions.
There is no doubt that these two problems alone are remarkably complex challenges that have to be overcome if veterans are to get the quality medical attention and resources that they deserve. But as Trump discovered, the solution in itself is simple enough; privatize veteran healthcare.
Of course, one solution can never be truly perfect, and this is understandable. However, when you condense the arguments of those who are strongly opposed to this line of action, it all boils down to just one of two things; the veterans are too good to receive privatized healthcare or they’re not good enough to enjoy it.
Now, NO ONE would ever come right out and echo the latter sentiment, but their actions are a completely different matter. Take Senator Bernie Sanders, for example. The man himself laid the foundation for Medicare for All, a scheme that’s supposed to give every single American the assurance of quality healthcare, regardless of their financial situation and background. Yet, this same individual is vehemently against letting veterans have access to those same benefits. How is that supposed to make any sense?
Is it true that many veterans are happy with the VHA as it is? Yes, it is.
But does that mean we have the right to ignore the voices of those who can’t get convenient care from the VA? Why should veterans be denied access to private doctors, hospitals, and insurers?
Trump is firmly on the mark on this one because he sees the situation for what it is; an attempt to deny veterans the right to choose what’s best for them.
Say what you will about these former soldiers, but they served their country bravely and honorably. The very least that they deserve is a say in exactly how they are treated. Donald Trump represents that say and he most assuredly will put VA healthcare in a better place than he met it.
