Staff Reports
President Biden signed S. 3541, breaking another pledge to veterans. The Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act falsely claims to help injured soldiers.
The measure extends eligibility for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for post-9/11 combat veterans exposed to hazardous chemicals, radiation, or other ailments.
The legislation also provides training on toxic substance exposure, funds the examination of morbidity and mortality data and cancer patterns among veterans, and develops and publishes a list of Veterans Affairs (VA) resources for afflicted veterans and their families.
When government misconduct is uncovered, Washington presents a false solution through legislation that solves nothing, like Biden's Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act. Camp Lejeune is another example.
Over three decades, Camp Lejeune's drinking water was tainted with benzene and other harmful chemicals, causing cancers, other ailments, and even deaths.
Washington responded by extending insurance "eligibility" to those who became sick from the water. The bill didn't mention "medical care." No one knew who would give care or when. The sick received just insurance benefits.
Democrats associate insurance benefits with medical services and medication. Many people believe insurance directly affects health care, despite evidence to the contrary. No. As more money flows to insurance firms and federal bureaucracy, access to care decreases.
Words on paper and new bills can't heal. True. Only skilled specialists with enough current facilities can provide promised treatment. The VA and health care system are understaffed. Due to a lack of people and places, patients die waiting for attention. An internal VA audit found that "47,000 veterans may have died" waiting for life-saving care.
Washington "legislates" medical care for Americans poorly. Having a right to a good or service doesn't make it appear. The ACA reduced medical treatment. Before the ACA, the average physician wait time was 99 days. After ACA implementation, wait times reached 122 days.
Medicaid participants endure death-by-queueing like Tricare veterans. 752 Illinoisans on Medicaid's waiting list have died, reports Nick Horton.
Deamonte Driver, 12, died from an untreated tooth cavity-caused brain abscess. Prince George, Maryland, had no Medicaid-accepting pediatric dentists.
Due to low reimbursement rates and cumbersome documentation, more doctors are refusing Medicaid and Medicare patients. 92% of medical group practices say Medicare payments don't cover costs, according to a poll. Doctors must refuse Medicare patients to stay in business.
Ignore Washington's empty talk and promises. Evidently. When Democrats extend insurance coverage, add benefits, and approve more health care regulations, Americans' access to care declines.
Americans can only access medical care by lowering health care restrictions and the federal bureaucracy.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on THE FEDERALIST.
