VA Establishes Priorities in Health Care Access
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2002–The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing new regulations that give priority health care access to severely disabled veterans.
According to Gail Goza-Macmullan, network communications officer for the VA’s New England Health Care System, the new policy will assure that severely disabled veterans are treated promptly in VA facilities instead of on the former first-come, first-served basis.
This policy, currently being implemented at the VA Medical and Regional Office Center at Togus, provides priority treatment to veterans with service-connected disabilities that have been diagnosed and rated in the top half of all VA patients. Goza-Macmullan said such veterans will be cared for at centers like Togus for any ailment, from lost limb problems to post-traumatic stress.
She said the new regulations, announced Oct. 3, are in part a response to the enormous growth of veterans needing care. In Maine, 5,400 veterans are on a waiting list to see a doctor.
“Waiting lists are a fairly new phenomenon, and the extra workload is a recent problem for us,” Goza-Macmullan said. “This policy ensures that severely disabled veterans have priority access to care.” She added that regardless of disability status, veterans with medical emergencies have always been and will continue to be the first ones treated in any VA facility.
Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe visited Togus on Monday with American Legion national commander Ron Conley. Snowe, along with Republican Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic Reps. John Baldacci and Tom Allen, said earlier this year that ensuring the highest quality health care for Maine’s veterans is a priority for the state’s congressional delegation. During her visit, Snowe expressed the delegation’s commitment by addressing the backlog issue:
“This is the wrong message to be sending at this point in time, when we’re asking people to serve our country. Given the potential conflicts around the world, and what we’re engaged in already in the war on terrorism, we need to do everything we can to get this waiting list down.”
The American Legion’s Conley added: “VA health care is superb, it’s quality care. But the problem is, not enough veterans are able to get into that hospital to receive that care.”
Jim Simpson, public affairs officer at Togus, says the new policy will help, but “it’s not a panacea for the problem.”
“We’re still dealing with the major gap between resources and the backlog of those waiting for care,” he said.
With expected additional federal funding to expand the staff and open more community-based clinics, Simpson said, Togus hopes to reduce the waiting list, but it remains unknown how much money Maine will receive in this year’s appropriations. Snowe’s office said that Togus will continue to operate at its current budget level until at least mid-November, when Congress returns to act on appropriations.
“To be honest with you, I don’t think we should have adjourned before completing the appropriations process, which included the veterans budget,” Snowe said at Togus.
Appropriations waiting to be passed by Congress for the current fiscal year include a $2.5 billion increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The House has passed the bill and it is pending in the Senate.
Conley said he hopes that aside from appropriations and new regulations, the American Legion’s recommendations will “fix the system, not put a Band-Aid on it.” He suggested that veterans be allowed to use Medicare to cover costs at VA facilities and that a low-cost VA health plan be offered to veterans who are without health insurance.
According to Conley, the shortage of staff and the lack of funds to hire more people has led to overworked employees and possible safety concerns. Furthermore, veterans with combat-related injuries are still waiting 30 days to see a doctor, and if a new veteran came to Togus, the earliest he might get in is a year.
Conley says that with the enormous backlog, including thousands of claims to be processed and the time it takes to diagnose everyone who falls into the 50-percent-or-greater profile, the new policy won’t work.
“Besides the feel-good PR, the VA has internal problems that need to be addressed,” he said. “While the idea of a combat-related injured veteran jumping ahead of the line sounds good to the public…in reality it doesn’t happen.”
Published in The Bangor Daily News, in Maine.
