The VA has to process the claim, and in the meantime you get no medical treatment for anything.

Let’s use the cancer. You are in, a fine soldier, and get diagnosed with cancer. Not only do you now lose your job, but you lose your entire life and support system. You instantly lose your house, medical coverage, and source of income. All of it is gone immediately along with any plans for retirement.

You now go home, your wife has also left you because you are now a shitbum with cancer, and owe $2000/mo in child support based on military income and you have no means to pay it. You file with the VA to get your cancer taken care of and are told it may be 12-36 months before it’s processed.

You get a minimum wage job since civilian employers don’t care about military experience. Most of your check is garnished for child support but still isn’t enough so you lose your driver’s license. You cannot pay rent so apply for homeless veteran housing which has a ten year waitlist. So you are now homeless and working, slowly dying of cancer on the sidewalk. You try to get help at a hospital, but since you are a veteran they say “VA has got you”.

There you lay, rotting from the inside, wondering how it all went wrong when only two months ago you were counseling soldiers on why they shouldn’t buy cars at 29% interest and to make better life choices. Yes, this exact scenario plays out all the goddamn time.