If you want to see a political disaster in real time, look no further than the Trump administration effort to restructure the U.S. Postal Service. Far beyond the possibility of impacting the election is the everyday reality of depriving people of their life-saving medications. Millions of Americans depend on the postal service to deliver on time, not weeks from now.
And that’s especially true for vets where 80% of outpatient prescriptions are sent by mail.
NBC News correspondent Geoff Bennett has compiled a thread of complaints from veterans whose meds are delayed.
THREAD: Postal Service policy changes are taking a toll on military veterans, whose mail-order medications are delayed. Here’s a snapshot of what I’ve heard:
Florida: Vietnam combat vet ordered COPD prescription 10 days ago and was told it’ll “probably” arrive around September 9Indiana: An Air Force veteran and former U.S. Secret Service agent had to drive two hours round-trip to pick up life-saving heart medication. He’s been waiting nearly three weeks for a CPAP mask and tube, which usually takes 3-5 days by mail.Texas: A 40% disabled veteran has been waiting two weeks for his sleeping medication. His 90-year-old veteran father waited nearly two weeks for his high blood pressure meds.
Tennessee: A former U.S. Army Sgt. says his “prescription should have been here by now.”
California: A retired Air Force veteran received one medication two weeks late and had to personally pick up a second prescription four days late because of delays. “The VA usually does a good job and mails on time.”Michigan: A female former Army MP waited 20 days for her medication. “Females have enough issues as it is with the VA but to have medication arriving late makes it even harder,” she says.
Missouri: A Vietnam veteran, 100% oxygen dependent, had to wait a week for inhalers and oral medications. He lives roughly 40 miles from his VA hospital, and his family is concerned about COVID-19 exposure if he has to obtain his meds in person. “This should not be happening!”Maryland: Husband and wife Navy veterans say it normally takes four days for their prescriptions to arrive from the VA.
“This last shipment took two weeks from the day they shipped it to the date it arrived.”
They live about 45 minutes from their VA medical center.
A veterans organization has produced an ad on Donald Trump’s war with the post office.
