The single payer healthcare dream is still alive and well and being pushed by Bernie Sanders and his acolytes. One of them just got a shining and pretty profile written, courtesy of Yahoo News.

Activists fight for single-payer heath care in the U.S. https://t.co/zqoxdmx6iK by @realchriswilson (photos via @AngeMerendino) pic.twitter.com/k5UoKsrV8D

— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) May 9, 2018

(Tim) Faust is one of the most prominent of a band of activists who have rallied to the cause of expanding health care, which for him means going beyond Obamacare to the kind of single-payer system — the single payer being the federal government — proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, in a bill he introduced last year. But Faust also has a broader vision of “health justice,” which goes beyond simply paying for doctor’s visits to dealing with everything that affects health, such as nutrition and environmental pollution. He is one of the most visionary and visible of the activists advocating reforms, not just at the national level but increasingly in states where Republican administrations have refused to participate in the expansion of Medicaid authorized by the Affordable Care Act.

Faust views single-payer care as the first step toward his desired goal of health justice. His dream is a robust single-payer program that would also mandate the government to fix any systemic problems that were making people sick. Are the homeless going to the hospital due to exposure? Health justice would provide for the construction of housing. Are people malnourished because they live in food deserts where fresh vegetables are hard to come by? Health justice would subsidize affordable produce in those areas. Lead pipes contaminating the water in cities like Flint, Mich.? Health justice provides the mechanism for funding replacements.

As far as paying for it — the Sanders plan is estimated to cost around $1.4 trillion — Faust says the country is already shouldering the burden of paying for health care, either directly through premiums or via tax dollars as subsidies to insurance companies. There would also be potential savings from negotiating down costs for things like MRIs, which cost five times as much in the United States as they do in Australia. He also dismisses libertarian criticisms that the program would put too much power in the hands of the government. He argues that it’s better to give that power to democratically elected officials than to CEOs immune from public feedback.

I’m sure someone like Faust doesn’t care much that his version of “health justice” would inevitably lead to cases like Charlie Gard and Alfie Evans. But why has no one confronted Faust and company about the universal health care that we already have in the United States? How convenient that no one ever asks these socialist dopes what they think of the VA health care system.

Currently, the VA sits without a leader, and despite both sides agreeing that the situation is a hot mess, no one seems to be able to slam down the hammer and fix anything.

Which is why horrific stories like wounded veteran Joey Jones‘s still keep coming to light.

Thread:

After a 5hr wait I was turned away form @AtlantaVAMC at 2:30am this morning without treatment or explaination. Here’s what happened..

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

I had been seeing a civilian doctor for about a year here near my home and work in Newnan, GA. He sees me monthly and proscribed a very moderate amount of pain medication. (I’m incredibly healthy and active).

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

In January he informed me he could no longer accept Medicare or TriCare. (A business decision he had to make and I understand why). I began the process of moving my treatment to @DeptVetAffairs at that time.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

They informed me that my only recourse was to go to the VA Emergency Room in Decatur, GA (1hr 30mins north of my home) and show my current script and they proscribe the same meds until my appointment.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

I work for a living and don’t have a full day for this every month so my old doc agreed to to continue seeing me until April. So,on May 3rd my proscription was up and I needed enough medication to last until May 21st for an appointment I(still haven’t received official notice of)

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

Finally yesterday I called the 404-321-6111 again and confirmed that I was embarking upon the correct course of action to seek care. They affirmed and I showed up at the Decatur VA ER at 9:30pm@last night after my son’s baseball game which had me on that side of Atlanta.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

I showed my current script to the recpetionist, she affirmed and sent me to ER/Fast Track Check in. I walked down the hall and showed my script (tried to give full story but she wasn’t interested) to check in. Was given a hospital bracelet and sat at 10:15pm to wait.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

At 12:24am I was called back for vitals. I again showed my script, this time with full explanation, and was assured that I was doing the right thing. At 1:55am I noticed everyone but me, including those who came in after me, had been called back. I walked to the nurse station..

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

And asked when I would be seen. They told me that they close at 2am and I would be moved to a different part of the hospital. I showed my frustration so the nurse walked me straight back to the on duty doctor. He was preparing to leave at 2am (end of his shift)

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

He was rude, desmissive and said “I’m leaving I’ve been here all day, you’ll have to wait” to which I replied “I’ve had no legs for 8 years I feel so bad for you” he then changed his demeanor and looked at my script. He smirked and said “I can’t fill this here”… I lost it.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

I explained to him why I ended up there to begin with, and he interrupted me and said “we don’t treat chronic pain here” to which I replied, “I don’t have chronic pain I have lost my legs in war pain and I’m pretty sure you treat that?”

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

He brushed passed me without responding. I thought he was going to get my chart to take care of me, the nurse asked me to sit down. A few minutes later the nurse came back and told me the New doctor on duty (Dr. Baxter) would see me shortly (almost 3am at this point)

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

After another 15 minute wait the curse came back and told me it would be quite a long wait before she would get to me and that he didn’t think she would writes a script anyway. I left in complete astonishment.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

Dear @DeptVetAffairs what am I supposed to do? How do I get the treatment I need/deserve if following YOUR directions gets me a 5hr wait, smart ass comments and turned away???

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 9, 2018

THIS IS SINGLE PAYER. THIS IS SOCIALIZED HEALTH CARE. THIS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN. IT IS ALREADY HAPPENING TO OUR VETERANS.

Anyone else mad yet? You will be.

We're sorry to hear about your experience. Have you contacted your Patient Advocate to address this issue? They need to know when issues arise so that they can help and so we can improve your experience next time. @AtlantaVAMC. Her's their info: https://t.co/jzX26DrohH

— Veterans Health (@VeteransHealth) May 9, 2018

What. The. Hell.

I can't think of a worse way to respond to this situation

— Paula Minger (@Paulaminger1) May 9, 2018

Seriously? Is there a 19-year-old intern running this account?

— Susan Schorn (@SusanSchorn) May 11, 2018

https://twitter.com/soonergrunt/status/994962125779947521
Even Jake Tapper took notice.

Read this thread and be sure not to miss the unbelievably inadequate response from the @DeptVetAffairs that follows. https://t.co/S3uIRTzIM4

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 11, 2018

And for people pointing out that doctors shouldn’t be dealing out prescription painkillers out of the ER…

This is a little misleading. It is very commonplace to not refill opiate prescriptions for chronic pain out of the ER, if not standard. I do feel bad he was misled, and seems to have been brushed off rather than being told this up front, however.

— Colin Huguenel (@chuge11) May 11, 2018

… please remember that Jones is a double amputee and DID WHAT THE VA INSTRUCTED HIM TO DO.

A double amputee? There's no policy to not prescribe pain management in the VA ER
This was a lack of care and concern.

— Paula Minger (@Paulaminger1) May 11, 2018

But that is what they told him to do as he couldn’t get an appointment for over a month out. That’s the problem. He followed exactly what he was told to do reck firmed it and was as then denied services they told him they would provide. That’s bullshit

— ItsAnnMariePepe (@ItsAnnMariePepe) May 11, 2018

The story has an okay ending for the moment.

Thread:

Today I was contacted by: @AtlantaVAMC patent advocate @AtlantaVAMC Ear Director
Newnan Clinic Medical Director
Reps from both GA Senators
Reps from 2 GA Congressmen @IndyFund
And a few friends and strangers asking to help in response to my viral tweets

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 11, 2018

What you all need to know is this;
With my contacts and visibility I could’ve gotten red carpet treatment the day I moved to Georgia. But why should I get special attention? My Twitter didn’t earn my health care, my Fox hits didn’t pass legislation telling the VA to do its job

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 11, 2018

I’m just one veteran. I’m no more important than the thousands of veterans who’ve experienced much worse and just go home, emotionally defeated or simply thankful that got any care to begin with.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 11, 2018

I’m livid, I’m down right pissed that walking into the @AtlantaVAMC ER on prosthetic legs, missing a finger and a scar from wrist to elbow with a smile on my face and ID card in my hand didn’t garner an inkling of decency and respect that a tweet storm did.

— Johnny (Joey) Jones (@Johnny_Joey) May 11, 2018

Veterans have been treated horribly and even died, and nothing ever changes.

If this news is true, it would signal a welcome change.

A White House official says Rep. Brian Mast of Florida is among the list of candidates for the job serving 9 million veterans.

Mast is the first member of Congress to open a lawmaker office in a VA facility, setting up shop in the West Palm Beach VA to meet with veterans. He was wounded when serving in Afghanistan in 2010, which resulted in the amputation of both of his legs.

Something MUST change for our veterans. And I dare those single payer “health justice” advocates to spend a day at the VA. Go and see what socialized medicine looks like RIGHT NOW under federal control in the United States.