According to the Federal Veterans Administration (VA), a certain county has a relatively high proportion of veterans among its residents, and over the past decade, these veterans have reported a number of health concerns that have not been adequately addressed. The VA does not have its own hospital in this county.

Plan: For the past 5 years, the VA has earmarked several million dollars to pay all 18 hospitals in this county to fund short-term and long-term care for veterans.

Result: Over the past 5 years, VA surveys have indicated no significant decrease in the number of veterans who say they have health concerns that have not been adequately addressed.

Further information: VA surveys indicate that all veterans are aware of the VA funds that would cover their expenses at county hospitals. Veterans in this county span a variety of ages and a variety of health conditions.

In light of the further information, which of the following, if true, does most to explain the result that followed the implementation of the plan?

A:Some of the veterans in this county are already on Medicare or Medicaid, which can cover a substantial part of hospital care.

B:Veterans often have special health needs that are not well handled in conventional settings.

C:The percentage of veterans in this county who complain of health concerns that have not been adequately addressed is higher than the corresponding percent in any other county in the nation.

D:At the federal level, the money allocated to this VA program required reducing the allocation to a number of other federal programs supporting state or county governments in some way.

E:According to surveys, the vast majority of non-veteran members of the state, including the elderly, do not report health concerns that have not been adequately addressed.