Republican bill calls for Congress personnel to receive VA healthcare
Republicans rolled out a bill that, if approved, would require Congress personnel and their staff to obtain their healthcare from the VA. The intent, for the bill’s supporters, is to cause members of Congress to experience, for themselves, the quality and nature of healthcare that veterans receive. Congress personnel qualify for gold level plans with Obamacare.
From Fox News:
“Providing our veterans with the highest quality care is a bipartisan issue on which nearly all members of Congress agree,” Davidson said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “The VA is charged with fulfilling our nation’s obligation to provide veterans with the health benefits they have earned. To fulfill that obligation, the VA will require consistent and intentional congressional oversight.
“When I talk with veterans, they always stress the urgency surrounding veterans’ health care issues, particularly for mental health services,” he added. “My bill will ensure members of Congress have a stake in improving the VA health care system.”
The VA has been under tight scrutiny since 2014, when it became clear it was systematically underreporting veteran wait times for health care to make it look as though veterans were getting timely care. That practice led to findings that some veterans died while waiting lengthy periods of time for VA care. And that prompted Congress to create a pilot program allowing some veterans to get care outside the VA.
Under former President Trump, the option of private care became permanent under the MISSION Act, but the Biden administration has come under fire for trying to downplay the private health care option. In a 2022 hearing, Republicans criticized VA Secretary Denis McDonough for redirecting a MISSION Act link from a webpage that educated veterans about their private care options to a page that encouraged them to sign up for VA care.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, last year called it an example of “blatant bias” against the MISSION Act.
“Since I have been in Congress, I have supported the VA Mission Act, VA Accountability Act and the PACT Act,” Davidson said. “These bills increased access to care, expanded benefits and improved the quality of care. However, more must be done to improve the VA.”
Fox News has additional information.
Category: Veteran Health Care, Veterans Issues, Veterans' Affairs Department
I like it.
While we’re at it, how about congress critters get paid the same as members of the military?
Too much?
That is entirely reasonable.
Therefore, it doesn’t stand a chance.
I was going to mention that the congress peeps get the same salary as the non doctor employees that work at the va.
F. T. F. O.
Posturing/virtue signaling/sound bite on the news/warm fuzzy/for the folks at home. Won’t never happen. Won’t get out of committee, much less pass the House or Senate. Watch.
The sheeple of this country will never understand that the only things politicians get concerned about are, money, power, and getting reelected…and not necessarily in that order. At some point in time, these parasitic, despotic enemies of We, The People, will have to pay a Debt of Honor…in either this lifetime…or the next.
Yes, please.
I’m in favor. Place them in Category 8 and have them put on the appointment wait list. When they start dying from lack of treatment I’m going to consider it a win.
“When they start dying from lack of treatment I’m going to consider it a win.”
IMHO that herd had been in serious need of culling for multiple decades!
“Place them in Category 8”
I totally agree.
“When they start dying from lack of treatment…”
I will applaud.
Requirements for Cat. 8;
You don’t like the wait times, pay for your own damn medical care like the rest of us. Wearing a uniform for a couple of years doesn’t entitle anyone to free or subsidized medical care or drugs for life.
Sounds fair to me.
Won’t happen… but you know, some of the non-veteran representatives are just like vets, having survived the January 6 protest at some undisclosed location down the street from the capital, just saying… 😜
POOR things, I bet some of them even had their feelings hurt by someone walking down the street wearing a MAGA hat or shirt!
VA has been AT BEST a Joke of 60 years. Had a “Dough Boy” relative with no wealth. Ws forced to use Va for his “care’. Motivated me to earn $ so I would never have to use VA.
From what I read it is as bad in 2023 as it was in 1963.
FTVA
Not sure about your area but other than long wait times on my first couple of visits in SanFranfreako in 1970-71, the VA has done as well for me as private care covered by insurance or out-of-pocket. I still use ’em and they bill my insurance.
Of course, YMMV.
Put them in SS and a 401k at NATIONAL AVERAGE Matching too rather than their “special retirement plan”!
Bad idea. The last thing we need is a bunch of shitbag politicians using resources that would be better used by veterans. Although, maybe if a few vets beat on said politicians…