VA, Sununu Seek More Money for Veterans’ Care
WASHINGTON, March 26–Rep. John Sununu (R-NH) and Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi are scrambling to garner more money to care for the increasing number of Priority 7 veterans-middle-income people whose ailments did not result from military service-who are seeking care in the Manchester VA hospital and other VA facilities across the nation.
“There’s no question our region has seen higher enrollment levels of Priority 7 veterans, and that hasn’t been accounted for in how funding levels are set up,” Sununu said on Tuesday from his Manchester office, a day after he met with his personal Veterans Advisory Group in the state. “I pressed the VA to look at funding formulas.”
Sununu asked Principi twice in March – once at a meeting with the state’s other legislators and again at a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies – to distribute more money to Region 1, which includes New Hampshire, when he adjusts the funding formulas for the nation’s 22 VA health networks this spring.
“I asked for and received commitment from the secretary that they will complete the review by May,” Sununu said. “Once he delivers his recommendations he will have to take a very hard look at whether funds are fairly and equitably distributed.”
Gail Goza-MacMullan, the communications manager for the VA New England Healthcare System in Bedford, Mass., said the money the eight medical centers in New England’s Region 1 now receive is related to the number of patients they saw three years ago. “So we’re always behind,” she said. “Since we’ve grown so much the amount being allocated isn’t sufficient.”
The VA created the formulas when it divided its 1,300 facilities into the 22 networks in the late 1990s.
Kerri Childress, a spokeswoman for the VA in Washington, pointed out that New Hampshire is only a piece of the pie. “I’ve seen lots of those requests from lots of representatives and senators,” she said. “New Hampshire is not unique in that regard. Florida has seen an amazing increase in [Priority 7] population down there. The secretary has to look at funding from the national level.”
Region 1 also has a shot at receiving an emergency allocation of $8 million in the coming months for Priority 7 veterans. Principi will ask Congress for $142 million in additional funds for Priority 7 veterans across the country, according to Goza-MacMullan.
“This is a very unusual situation,” Goza-MacMullan said. “There is just such a great need for Priority 7s. Secretary Principi has not gone to Congress before and asked for specific funds.”
Goza-MacMullan said the $8 million for Region 1 would still not be enough for Priority 7 veterans in the deficit-plagued region.
“Now we’re roughly looking at a $36 million deficit – and that includes the emergency money we’re anticipating getting on Priority 7,” she said. “If that doesn’t happen, then we’re in more trouble.”
Region 1’s financial woes received attention last December when officials at the Manchester hospital considered reducing its emergency room hours because of an $80 million shortfall. Goza-MacMullan said that the money was ultimately received and ER operations were not altered.
All of these reforms and adjustments are happening because the nature of veterans’ health has changed since VA’s health care system was designed and built decades ago, said Childress. The medical centers initially focused on inpatient care, with long admissions for diagnosis and treatment. Over the past 10 years, the VA has shifted from focusing on in-hospital treatment and now looks at “prevention, early detection of disease, the promotion of better health care and easier access to care,” according to Childress.
As a result, the Manchester hospital and all other VA hospitals this spring will kick off a massive reevaluation process, called CARES (Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services), spearheaded by its Washington office, aimed at assessing and adjusting the way all facilities provide services.
The CARES process, which will last for over a year, will do a count of veteran populations, determine what kind of health care those veterans need, decide where best to provide that care and adjust its facilities and services accordingly.
Childress said the VA will evaluate options in Manchester by holding hearings and accepting local comments.
The VA, Childress said, will also “brief New Hampshire veterans, VA employees, university affiliates, unions and local and national elected officials and evaluate their input to ensure everyone’s concerns are heard and veteran’ health care is enhanced.”
Principi will announce how the VA’s resources will be rejiggered in May 2003.
Published in The Union Leader, in Manchester, New Hampshire
