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TO: Action E-List
FROM: Joseph A. Violante, National Legislative Director
SUBJ: MEDICAL CARE FUNDING-IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED!
DATE: December 13, 2001
The fiscal year (FY) 2002 VA medical care budget falls $1.5 billion short of what is recommended by the Independent Budget. This will undoubtedly result in rationed health care and closed enrollment. The Administration recently agreed to provide additional funding to allow the VA to continue to enroll all veterans in its health care system for next year. Unfortunately, the FY 2002 VA budget shortfall and continued open enrollment have stretched the veterans' health care system to its limits, making it extremely difficult for VA to provide timely, quality health care services veterans deserve. At the very least, in order to continue enrollment of all veterans, Congress and the Administration must find the additional funds necessary to care for all enrolled veterans without compromising access to services.
We continue to hear reports from across the country of increasingly long waiting lists for initial care once veterans are enrolled into the system and closed enrollments for new patients at several facilities. Additionally, there are reports of totally disabled veterans being put on waiting lists for health care and specialty care such as home health services. Clearly, VA facility directors are being forced to ration care as they struggle to meet the growing demand. This deplorable situation has had a profound impact on service-connected disabled veterans, the ones who rely most on the VA health care system, but are not given priority for treatment once they are enrolled. Without additional funding VA cannot adequately meet veterans' health care needs and provide the high quality care it is capable of delivering.
In a recent letter to the President, DAV National Commander George H. Steese, Jr., urged the Administration to fully fund veterans' medical care spending to $24.5 billion in FY 2003. It is imperative to impress upon the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the importance of providing a sufficient VA medical care budget before the President's FY 2003 budget is finalized.
We have updated the Legislative Advocacy section of our web site at www.dav.org to include a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting the Administration to fully fund medical care spending for veterans. Please send your letter to OMB NOW! A copy of your letter will also go to the President.
We appreciate your prompt action on this important issue.
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