Mission of the VA is to serve veterans, not unauthorized migrants: Darin Selnick

[Vambram]

Mission of the VA is to serve veterans, not unauthorized migrants: Darin Selnick | Fox News Video

Concerned Veterans for America and Air Force veteran Darin Selnick discusses Veteran Affairs facing scrutiny for medical care for migrants and the calls for Congress to investigate.

www.foxnews.com

Mission of the VA is to serve veterans, not unauthorized migrants: Darin Selnick
Concerned Veterans for America and Air Force veteran Darin Selnick discusses Veteran Affairs facing scrutiny for medical care for migrants and the calls for Congress to investigate.

 

[JustOneWay]

This guy is whining about how VA money is spent? That is rich. This reeks of partisan political theater.

The VA Is Paying for a Top Official’s Cross-Country Commute​

The VA Is Paying for a Top Official’s Cross-Country Commute

Darin Selnick, the architect of the Trump administration’s controversial new policies on private health care for veterans, traveled to Washington from his home in California twice a month at taxpayer expense.

www.propublica.org

"Darin Selnick, the architect of the Trump administration’s controversial new policies on private health care for veterans, traveled to Washington from his home in California twice a month at taxpayer expense."

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs paid $13,000 over a three-month period for a senior official’s biweekly commute to Washington from his home in California, according to expense reports obtained by ProPublica.

 

[iluvatar5150]

According to the foxnews.com article that he cited at the beginning of the segment, this is just about reimbursement processing, not about providing medical care. Every comment he made about veterans not being able to be seen is irrelevant.

Why would ICE spool up its own payment processing system for a relatively low number of reimbursement claims instead of utilizing a system that already exists? That seems pretty redundant and wasteful, no? Using the services of a third party or another government agency would allow them to keep their expenses lower. It sounds to me like the Fox host and his guest are advocating for less efficient government for the sake of stoking hate and resentment.

 

[Vambram]

Wow. The liberals never cease to amaze me.

 

[JustOneWay]

Wow, the conservatives never cease to amaze me.

A video full of unsubstantiated claims is posted without one shred of evidence that any of that is happening...

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Wow. The liberals never cease to amaze me.

When an illegal immigrant under ICE detention requires healthcare, they are typically treated on-site by medical professionals. However, if specialist or emergency care is required, they may be transported to an independent private provider.

In such cases, ICE contracts with the VA’s Financial Service Center (VA-FSC) to process reimbursements to those providers. According to a report from July, ICE has hundreds of letters of understanding in which ICE’s Health Service Corps (IHSC) will reimburse providers at Medicare rates. That uses the VA-FSC’s Healthcare Claims Processing System — a portal that allows providers to submit and view claims and access other resources.

The arrangement long predates the Biden administration. It was outlined in a 2020 memo during the Trump administration, and the VA told Fox News Digital that it has an interagency agreement with the IHSC since 2002 to provide processing. The agency stressed that it is not the VA that either provides healthcare or pays for it.

"VA does not provide or fund any health care services to individuals detained in [ICE] custody. At no time are any VA health care professionals or VA funds used for this purpose," VA press secretary Terrence Hayes told Fox News Digital. "[IHSC] provides and pays for all health care services for individuals detained in its custody."

ICE is using an electronic portal developed by the VA to process healthcare claims for undocumented immigrants and has been doing so since at least 2002. It pays the VA for the use of that portal, and no healthcare for undocumented immigrants is paid for or provided by the VA. I suppose you can explain how this negatively affects the VA or veterans?

 

[iluvatar5150]

Wow. The liberals never cease to amaze me.

I know, right? It's amazing that we're able to consistently read and understand news stories and see through some of the propaganda being spewed by partisan commentators. It's almost like we can think for ourselves.

 

[Hank77]

Wow, the conservatives never cease to amaze me.

A video full of unsubstantiated claims is posted without one shred of evidence that any of that is happening...

Well, some of it happens for sure.

HSC currently pays for medical services provided to detainees while they are in the custody of
ICE ERO, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP)1. IHSC insures detainees in ICE custody under Title 18, Part III, Chapter 301,
Section 4006 of the United States Code (U.S.C.). IHSC reimburses independent providers who
provide care in local hospitals and healthcare systems for services rendered. In FY 2020, IHSC
significantly increased its provider network through agreements with hospitals, health systems,
and individual practitioners who provide offsite care to noncitizens in ICE custody. ICE
contracts with the Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center (VA-FSC) to process medical
claims reimbursements; providers must complete and submit information to receive payment.
IHSC currently has a total of 265 letters of understanding (LOU) in place. The LOUs are not
contracts but instead are agreements between IHSC and the provider. LOUs detail the types of
services that the provider will deliver and specify that IHSC will reimburse the provider for those services at Medicare rates.

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/ICE%20-%20Healthcare%20Costs%20for%20Noncitizens%20in%20Detention.pdf

I haven't been able to find any report that this agreement between ICE and the VA has affected the scheduling of veteran's doctors' appointments or how their doctors are paid. I'm having trouble understanding the problems.
Neither the host nor the guest explained how making these payments causes veterans to have to wait for a doctor's visit.

 

[JustOneWay]

Well, some of it happens for sure.

HSC currently pays for medical services provided to detainees while they are in the custody of
ICE ERO, ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Customs and Border
Protection (CBP)1. IHSC insures detainees in ICE custody under Title 18, Part III, Chapter 301,
Section 4006 of the United States Code (U.S.C.). IHSC reimburses independent providers who
provide care in local hospitals and healthcare systems for services rendered. In FY 2020, IHSC
significantly increased its provider network through agreements with hospitals, health systems,
and individual practitioners who provide offsite care to noncitizens in ICE custody. ICE
contracts with the Veterans Affairs Financial Services Center (VA-FSC) to process medical
claims reimbursements; providers must complete and submit information to receive payment.
IHSC currently has a total of 265 letters of understanding (LOU) in place. The LOUs are not
contracts, but instead are agreements between IHSC and the provider. LOUs detail the types of
services that the provider will deliver and specify that IHSC will reimburse the provider for those
services at Medicare rates.

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2022-06/ICE%20-%20Healthcare%20Costs%20for%20Noncitizens%20in%20Detention.pdf

I haven't been able to find any report that this agreement between ICE and the VA has affected the scheduling of veteran's doctors' appointments or how their doctors are paid. I'm having trouble understanding the problems.
Neither the host nor the guest explained how making these payments causes veterans to have to wait for a doctor's visit.

The real issue here is the new right-wing talking point that processing the payments for medical care is hurting veterans, because they are having a "hard time getting healthcare", "they are literally dying because they cant' get mental healthcare in a timely manner", "they can't get cancer treatments"...."easy button for unauthorized migrants, hard button for veterans".

This is the unsubstantiated comments I was talking about. Some of this stuff may very well be happening, but the spin that this is happening because migrants are being medically evaluated and treated and ICE is coordinating payments through VA Financial Services. It is just more of the same old accusations designed to spur anger and outrage from unsuspecting Fox watchers.

 

[Hank77]

The real issue here is the new right-wing talking point that processing the payments for medical care is hurting veterans, because they are having a "hard time getting healthcare", "they are literally dying because they cant' get mental healthcare in a timely manner", "they can't get cancer treatments"...."easy button for unauthorized migrants, hard button for veterans".

This is the unsubstantiated comments I was talking about. Some of this stuff may very well be happening, but the spin that this is happening because migrants are being medically evaluated and treated and ICE is coordinating payments through VA Financial Services. It is just more of the same old accusations designed to spur anger and outrage from unsuspecting Fox watchers.

It seems to me that you argue even when the poster (me) has already made the same point and is not in disagreement with you or did you just need to vent some more?

I wrote:
I haven't been able to find any report that this agreement between ICE and the VA has affected the scheduling of veteran's doctors' appointments or how their doctors are paid. I'm having trouble understanding the problems.
Neither the host nor the guest explained how making these payments causes veterans to have to wait for a doctor's visit.

 

[JustOneWay]

It seems to me that you argue even when the poster (me) has already made the same point and is not in disagreement with you or did you just need to vent some more?

I wrote:
I haven't been able to find any report that this agreement between ICE and the VA has affected the scheduling of veteran's doctors' appointments or how their doctors are paid. I'm having trouble understanding the problems.
Neither the host nor the guest explained how making these payments causes veterans to have to wait for a doctor's visit.

whatever.

 

[Vambram]

Wow, the conservatives never cease to amaze me.

A video full of unsubstantiated claims is posted without one shred of evidence that any of that is happening...

Selnick is reporting statements from eyewitnesses.

What do y'all want the evidence to be? Perhaps something like the original tablets of the 10 Commandments is what y'all will only accept as evidence?

 

[Hank77]

What do y'all want the evidence to be? Perhaps something like the original tablets of the 10 Commandments is what y'all will only accept as evidence?

Neither the host nor the guest explained how making these payments causes veterans to have to wait for a doctor's visit.
How does that work?

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Selnick is reporting statements from eyewitnesses.

And what do those eyewitness statements say?

 

[JustOneWay]

What do y'all want the evidence to be? Perhaps something like the original tablets of the 10 Commandments is what y'all will only accept as evidence?

I agree, what a hassle. I understand, evidence is difficult to produce. I should just listen to that guy and believe him because veterans and stuff....

 

[Vambram]

Neither the host nor the guest explained how making these payments causes veterans to have to wait for a doctor's visit.
How does that work?

If VA staffers are processing stuff for illegal immigrants, then not only are they helping illegal immigrants; that the the time spent doing so takes time aways from what they are supposed to be doing which is processing stuff for veterans.

 

[iluvatar5150]

If VA staffers are processing stuff for illegal immigrants, then not only are they helping illegal immigrants;

Did you understand the point I made earlier about efficiency? The Fox News article to which I linked said that sometimes ICE has to contract outside medical services for immigrants. Those providers have to get paid somehow (unless you think American businesses ought to do work for the government for free). That means that either ICE has to set up a payment system internally or they have to pay to use somebody else’s. If they don’t use the system much, it makes sense to use somebody else’s. In that case, why not one from elsewhere in the federal government, so the revenue can stay within the government?

that the the time spent doing so takes time aways from what they are supposed to be doing which is processing stuff for veterans.

That was certainly the impression they wanted to leave you with, but nowhere did they describe exactly how that would work. If the payment processing system isn’t at full capacity, then renting out the excess capacity is a smart thing to do and saves the VA money.

 

[comana]

If VA staffers are processing stuff for illegal immigrants, then not only are they helping illegal immigrants; that the the time spent doing so takes time aways from what they are supposed to be doing which is processing stuff for veterans.

Evidence this is impacting Veteran care? That video clip makes it sound like ICE just drops immigrants off at a provider office and it’s that easy. Its not. No at all. I was involved with a medical specialty practice that was contacted by ICE to provide care. There were multiple calls and emails and a ton of paperwork to be submitted back by the provider. It took several attempts to get the claim paid because of minor mistakes on paperwork. It was very discouraging to agree to any more ICE referrals.

On the other hand, community care veteran claims are processed efficiently and payment is usually about two weeks after claim submission.

If veterans are not getting not getting timely access to care via community care it is because os issues with their local community care offices, not ICE.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

If VA staffers are processing stuff for illegal immigrants, then not only are they helping illegal immigrants; that the the time spent doing so takes time aways from what they are supposed to be doing which is processing stuff for veterans.

Since ICE is paying to use the service, I would hope that those funds are sufficient to cover the man-hours needed to handle their claims load. Were they not using the service, it's not like those man-hours would be magically available - someone would have to pay for them.

If what they are paying is not sufficient, then perhaps the arrangement needs to be reconsidered. But there would need to be evidence of this first.

 

[SimplyMe]

As a veteran who has been in the hospital a couple of times in the last three weeks, I didn't see any issues with care -- to include the various follow up appointments. So, while perhaps I just live in a "good area" for VA medical care, I'm not seeing issues with their software being used by ICE to make payments. Instead, I'm just hoping I can stay out of the hospital.