Jon Stewart discusses a bizarre VA regulation.
I wanted to check back with some stories we've been following. Last night, we spoke about the Department of Veterans Affairs and their rather ironic disregard for the affairs of veterans. Specifically their relatively new choice program, designed to help veterans receive out-of-network health care to avoid a wait time of 4-5.....eons.
Jon ran a clip from the previous night explaining that the choice program requires that if you haven't waited 30 days, you must live more than 40 miles away from a VA facility—"as the crow flies!"
He continued:
Well, guess what folks? Not six hours after we aired that damning piece of investigative joke-a-lism, the VA folds! (inserted news clips about the VA relaxing the 40 mile rule, saying it will be based on miles driven, not "as the crow files.") Boom! Sorry, crows! Looks like you're going to have to drive to the doctor just like everyone else. And what's more–that small adjustment in language DOUBLES the number of veterans eligible for that program! Now....some naysayers out there will say–but the VA made that decision before The Daily Show wrote, taped and aired that piece and The Daily Show just didn't know about that because that information hadn't been made public yet. Fuck that! I say, credit where credit is due! Oh yeah, my friends. You're welcome!
Watch the segment here: