Due to a glut of patients and a shortage of funds, VA officials have ordered its hospitals and clinics to cease efforts to enroll new patients into its health care system.
"I am directing each network director to ensure that no marketing activities to enroll new veterans occur within your networks," according to a July 18 memo sent by VA undersecretary Laura Miller to Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) directors.
Also in the memo, health fairs, open houses or enrollment displays at veterans service organization meetings were deemed "inappropriate."
I couldn't help contrasting this story with scenes from Fahrenheit 9/11, where military recruiters bypassed upscale shopping centers to troll the malls in economically depressed areas. The captured dialog in these scenes make the recruiters out to be common con men, as they scope out and track their victims and have a military-flavor fairy tale to fit every kid's dreams.
