COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Leaving Military: General
More Than 260,000 Can't Get VA Health Care
By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press
Jan 24, 2006
By SUZANNE GAMBOA
WASHINGTON Jan 24, 2006 (AP)— More than a quarter-million
veterans considered to have higher incomes could not sign up for health
care with the Veterans Affairs Department during the last fiscal year
because of a cost-cutting move.
Those locked out totaling 263,257 in the fiscal year that ended Sept.
30 have no illnesses or injuries attributable to their service in the
military and earn more than the average wage in their community.
The VA suspended enrollment of such veterans beginning in January 2003
after then-VA Secretary Anthony Principi said the agency was struggling
to provide adequate health care to the rapidly rising number of
veterans seeking it.
That year the VA population was about 6.8 million. About 7.5 million are enrolled today, with more than 5 million treated.
"There is no reason for the VA to give the cold shoulder to veterans
who have served our country honorably," said Rep. Lane Evans of
Illinois, ranking Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
VA spokesman Matt Burns said VA provides world-class health care to
veterans, "particularly our newly returning veterans, those with low
incomes and those who have sustained service-related injuries or
illnesses."
Iraq veterans are guaranteed health care if they enroll within two years of leaving the military.
Under the Bush administration, there has been debate about providing
veterans health care. President Bush's budgets have included proposals
to require some veterans to pay a portion of their care with
co-payments, but Congress has repeatedly rejected that idea.
Although Congress has increased VA's budget in recent years, the agency
found itself with a gaping budget hole last year and had to ask
Congress for emergency funding. Veterans groups and some lawmakers say
the agency's increases have been inadequate, but others say the agency
has to set priorities on who gets care.
"Our first priority is to care for veterans who were hurt or disabled
in service and who need our help. We are doing that," said Jeff
Phillips, communications director for Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., and
House VA Committee chairman.
When
it suspended enrollments, VA estimated that about 522,000 veterans
would not enroll for health care because of the suspension through
September 2005, saving the agency about $780 million. Numbers for
fiscal year 2004 were not immediately available.
In 1996 Congress ordered the agency to open health care to nearly all
veterans. However, lawmakers also gave authority to the VA secretary to
suspend enrollments as needed.
VA calculated the fiscal year 2005 total by counting veterans whose
applications to enroll were rejected because they fell into the
so-called "Priority 8" category. The number includes veterans in all
states as well as Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and 793
veterans listed as other or unknown territory.
Evans' office said the number of such veterans who have not been able
to sign up for health care could be higher because some may not bother
to apply knowing they do not qualify.
Congress provided about $23.3 billion for VA medical services for this
fiscal year, above Bush's request, with about $1.2 billion set aside
for when VA declares the money is needed for an emergency.
According to the numbers provided by Evans, Florida had the highest
number of veterans rejected, 27,465, followed by Texas with 19,204,
California with 17,378 and Pennsylvania with 13,262.
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