Donald Trump’s entire “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan was footnoted with a promise to help both the working class and United States Veterans. However, a specific group of veterans do not feel protected under the proposed American Health Care Act (AHCA) bill.
In a letter dated May 3 and addressed to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, the Paralyzed Veterans of America expressed their concerns about Trumpcare. Primarily, they question whether the proposed bill will help paralyzed veterans and veterans suffering with other types of disabilities. In short, they hope Senate rejects the bill as it stands.
Per PR Newswire, the letter stated that the AHCA rehashes some of the same issues presented within the ACA affecting veterans. These include the exclusion of beneficiaries (dependents) of vets under The Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), a program for severely disabled veterans after the age of 26, failure to “remove the prohibition on enrollment into the VA health care system for Priority Group 8 veterans, thus denying these veterans access to the principal health care system for veterans,” as well as denying veterans access to important tax credits that would ultimately help them afford their healthcare. It’s a grave fear for these veterans.
Paralyzed Veterans of America National President Al Kovach, Jr. echoed the concerns of so many veterans in his letter. He closed it with the following:
“For Paralyzed Veterans of America members and all of the nation’s veterans, health care is not a political issue. It is literally a matter of life and death in many cases. We are unconcerned with partisan arguments, political affiliations or even the title of the new healthcare law. We simply want our government to get it right.”
That final sentence is a sentiment so many Americans can relate to. However, Trump’s promise to provide special treatment for veterans under his healthcare plan appears to be unfulfilled at present.