Migrants who are coming in illegally know that they are coming in illegally and at the very least are without shame.

In my experience, there are some localities with a lot of veterans that have been understaffed and given poor care in the past. For example, my brother used to complain quite a bit about the V.A. in Indianapolis, Indiana (although not these days).

However, other areas have had much better records. Where I live in central Illinois, I have rarely heard a legitimate complaint from a veteran about V.A. Healthcare, even going back many years. In fact, most veterans around here have been pretty satisfied with their care. However, this is definitely the case since the reforms under the Trump administration, and I can testify to that myself.

The care I have received has been outstanding. I go to a local V.A. clinic for regular checkups and basic health care, but, since I live more than 40 miles from any other V.A. facility, all other care takes place in my community, through the V.A. Care in the Community program. So, for example, when my local V.A. provider saw a gradual rise in my PSA, she referred me to my choice of local urologist. This led to a prostate biopsy that had complications, which led to my being hospitalized twice in a local hospital with sepsis and bacteremia. I then had six weeks of daily infusions at the local hospital, after which I was referred by my local urologist to the University of Chicago Hospital (UCH), where they specialize in the kind of high risk prostate cancer I have (Gleason of 4+5 = 9, stage 3, for those who know about such things). The V.A. immediately approved everything, including the team of specialists at the University of Chicago Hospital (despite the fact that there is actually a V.A. hospital in Chicago). When I thanked my primary provider at the clinic here, who approved each referral, she said, "That is where you needed to be to get the best care, so that is where we sent you."

By the way, my local provider at the V.A. clinic is a nurse practitioner, who has probably been the best “doctor” I've ever had, and she almost certainly saved my life by picking up on the change in my PSA levels early. My surgeon at UCH told me that, had things gone another 4-6 months, I would have been a stage 4 patient with much worse prospects of a cure.

Anyway, my experience is pretty typical of the care veterans have been getting in this neck of the woods, especially since President Trump enacted the reformed he did. I could not be more happy with the care I have received and with the respect and friendliness shown by the V.A. toward me. Actually, many of the workers at my local clinic are veterans themselves, and that probably makes a difference as well.

Yep!

I am part of the Danville, Illinois system myself. I've only been to the hospital there once, though. I go to a V.A. clinic in Bloomington, Illinois, and all my specialists have been in Bloomington or Chicago.