Pawn Of A System

He’s supposed to get free
and complete medical care
from the VA...
The trick is getting in the door.
64 and dying of leukemia,
the VA is too crowded.
He has been forced
to get care outside the system --
accumulating thousands of dollars
in medical expenses.
He thinks the VA should pay.
The VA refuses.
He was a good soldier
and did what he was told...
forced out of his home
for lack of rent money,
he is living in a trailer.
He owes thousands of dollars
in co-pays and deductibles
not covered by Medicare.
The VA said federal law
ties its hands.
He hadn't realized
he was eligible for VA care.
He believes his leukemia
was caused by exposure to Agent Orange,
But the VA, refused to give him
a higher disability pension.
His health has been up and down
and he has been admitted
to a non-VA hospital five times.
VA rules are a maddening injustice.
"It's blatantly unfair," he said.
"There's no justification for this.
Bureaucrats are making the decisions,
not doctors. And they're playing God."