No, the VA is not providing or paying for medical care for migrants.
Next time a MAGA tries to tell you that ….
(snip)
When ICE has migrants in custody that need medical care, they’re typically treated by ICE’s own Health Service Corps. But when people in custody need treatment that can’t be provided in-house, they’re sometimes taken to outside doctors.
ICE later reimburses those doctors. The most recent annual report on ICE healthcare spending shows that in 2022, ICE paid out $10.1 million in reimbursements.
To process those transactions, ICE uses a system set up by the VA called the Financial Services Center (FSC). The FSC processes transactions for several government agencies, and has been doing so for ICE since 2002.
The costs are paid for by ICE, or whichever agency is using the service, not the VA. The agencies also pay a processing fee to the VA-FSC.
The VA says only ten employees currently handle these transactions and that they’ve been doing so for decades, stressing that at no point – under Republican or Democratic administrations – were VA employees diverted away from other work.
“This has no impact to veteran care or services whatsoever. No resources meant for veterans are used as part of this agreement,” said Terrence Hayes, a VA spokesman. “FSC provides an administrative function for ICE, using ICE funds, that has zero impact on veteran health care or benefits.”
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/verify/immigration/va-not-providing-paying-for-migrants-medical-care/536-9e4ae193-0066-472b-b4d2-dc58ffe99d32
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