Pass a Bill where veterans can use any hospital/healthcare facility in lieu of the VA.
Pass a Bill where veterans can use any hospital/healthcare facility in lieu of the VA.
The Issue
As a veteran, and someone who works in emergency medicine, I have witnessed firsthand the hardships that veterans face when trying to receive competent, passionate healthcare. There are many major medical facilities that reside within close distances, but many veterans are subject to the inconvenience of having to travel lengthy distances, even in times of emergency. If they do not go to a VA facility it can create huge financial hardships which can exacerbate their acute needs. There is also the unnecessary wait for appointments to have a potential life threatening illness addressed. These factors, along with financial hardships, make it nearly impossible for our veterans to receive the care that they absolutely need. If veterans were able to utilize local health care facilities, without incurring unnecessary financial hardships, we would be able to address their needs more effectively, timely, and be able to mitigate the travesties that have happened in the past. Below are just a couple examples, but there are much more.
http://ijr.com/2016/02/546442-veterans-who-died-while-waiting-for-a-doctors-appointment-with-the-va/
"In September 2015, a bombshell report released by the Veteran Affairs Inspector General revealed that a mind-boggling 307,000 U.S. veterans had died while still waiting to be approved for care from VA hospitals and programs."
"But the number of veterans who had to wait a month or more was up 23,000 from April, including the 297,013 veterans who have waited for one to two months for an appointment."
I feel that it's time that our representatives finally give veterans the help they deserve, after all, they have risked their lives for the very freedoms that each and every American enjoys.
The Issue
As a veteran, and someone who works in emergency medicine, I have witnessed firsthand the hardships that veterans face when trying to receive competent, passionate healthcare. There are many major medical facilities that reside within close distances, but many veterans are subject to the inconvenience of having to travel lengthy distances, even in times of emergency. If they do not go to a VA facility it can create huge financial hardships which can exacerbate their acute needs. There is also the unnecessary wait for appointments to have a potential life threatening illness addressed. These factors, along with financial hardships, make it nearly impossible for our veterans to receive the care that they absolutely need. If veterans were able to utilize local health care facilities, without incurring unnecessary financial hardships, we would be able to address their needs more effectively, timely, and be able to mitigate the travesties that have happened in the past. Below are just a couple examples, but there are much more.
http://ijr.com/2016/02/546442-veterans-who-died-while-waiting-for-a-doctors-appointment-with-the-va/
"In September 2015, a bombshell report released by the Veteran Affairs Inspector General revealed that a mind-boggling 307,000 U.S. veterans had died while still waiting to be approved for care from VA hospitals and programs."
"But the number of veterans who had to wait a month or more was up 23,000 from April, including the 297,013 veterans who have waited for one to two months for an appointment."
I feel that it's time that our representatives finally give veterans the help they deserve, after all, they have risked their lives for the very freedoms that each and every American enjoys.
Petition Closed
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The Decision Makers
Petition created on February 4, 2017