In their initial publication they said it would result in refusing care for Democrats and others:
‘Extremely disturbing and unethical’: new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans | Trump administration
They then stealth edited the original headline to remove the claim. The original story began:
“Doctors at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals nationwide could refuse to treat unmarried veterans and Democrats under new hospital guidelines imposed following an executive order by Donald Trump.”
That was stealth replaced with:
The Department of Veterans Affairs has imposed new guidelines on VA hospitals nationwide that remove language that explicitly prohibited doctors from discriminating against patients based on their political beliefs or marital status.
The original false claim was republished by other media and a US Senator amplified the Guardian’s false statement: Trump Administration Allows VA Doctors to Deny Care to Unmarried Women and Democrats, Senator Murray Responds – Senator Patty Murray
Reality Check
Fackcheck.org: Changes to Discrimination Language in VA Hospital Bylaws – FactCheck.org
Q: Has President Donald Trump issued a rule that VA doctors can refuse treatment to Democrats?
A: No. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs changed the wording in its bylaws to comply with recent executive orders. In making the changes, words including “national origin, politics, marital status” were removed from language prohibiting discrimination. But existing federal law already prohibits discrimination on those grounds, the VA says.
Snopes: Unpacking claims that VA doctors can deny care to Democrats, unmarried veterans | Snopes.com
