By Shannon Gaffney
United States veterans need to have quality healthcare that is easily accessible, and if the VA cannot provide this, veterans should be allowed to seek private healthcare. Last year brought the Department of Veterans Affairs national attention once again. This time, it was the accounts of terrible wait lines and inadequate healthcare provided by the VA hospitals that was causing the uproar. Veterans dying waiting for treatment should be unheard of, and it is an issue that needs an immediate solution.
The Veterans Health Administration is responsible for the care of almost 9 million veterans. These are veterans who require healthcare for both their physical injuries, illnesses, and their mental concerns. According to the VA study, twenty-two veterans take their own lives each day. These are veterans who are not getting the support and care they deserve.
It is currently a VA policy for veterans to receive an appointment within 14 days. In 2014, more than 57,000 troops were waiting over 90 dates for their first appointment. Despite a drastic increase in funding and employees in the past eight years, the VA is still not doing an adequate job in providing for its veterans. This clearly demonstrates that it is not the funding of the VA that is to blame, but instead the policy and the organization of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
If substantial financial support to the Department of Veterans Affairs is not enough to alleviate the pressures of having a high population of veterans needing care, then veterans should not be restricted to separate facilities. The fastest way to make sure veterans begin to receive fast and quality healthcare is to allow them to see doctors outside the VA. Based on a study conducted by Concerned Veterans For America, 89 percent of veterans believe they should be able to choose if they want treatment within the VA or not. Going off of this, if they opt for private healthcare which is often more expensive, they will need to assist in covering the cost.
Veterans should be able to have more choices when it comes to their healthcare, and giving them the opportunity to look for care outside the VA is the best way to give them choices. Following that, these veterans would also be responsible for the difference in cost for their treatment, but the amount that the VA would have covered should be put towards the private treatment.
With so many problems dealing with healthcare coming to light, it is clear that the further expansion of the Department of Veterans Affairs was ineffective, demonstrating the need for further reform. While this process is ongoing, veterans should not be left to suffer while they wait for change. Despite a larger budget and a decreasing number of veterans we still have reports of veterans dying while they wait for treatment. The easiest way to assist these veterans is to give them unrestricted access to treatment outside of VA facilities.
Since its creation, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been inadequate in serving its purpose: providing services to our veterans. The United States has a duty to the men and women who have served their country to provide quality, timely healthcare to those who have risked their lives. When it is clear that we are failing, change becomes necessary. It is time to put the needs of the veterans first, and open up their choice to private healthcare.
Shannon Gaffney
Little Neck
