The VA crisis: one veteran’s perspective

I was dismayed to hear about widespread problems at Veterans Administration hospitals of veterans being denied medical care because of bureaucratic malfeasance. And I was a little surprised because my experience as a VA patient has been overwhelmingly positive.

When I injured my knee in a snowshoeing mishap a couple of years ago, I had surgery at the VA hospital in Albuquerque. The care I received was excellent. Everyone – clerks, surgeons, nurses, physical therapists – was professional, efficient and courteous. These are dedicated people who genuinely care for veterans and treat them with respect.

But I’m not the kind of veteran who is at risk. The VA is optional for me because I also am covered by Medicare and military-retirement Tricare. When I originally applied for VA health care (to get a free flu shot) I was surprised when I was accepted. I have no service-connected disabilities (a tolerance for bad coffee does not count, they told me) and am not indigent. I qualified for health care because I served in Vietnam – even though I was floating off the coast, never saw actual combat and was never exposed to Agent Orange.

Nearly all the people I saw at the VA hospital clearly deserved to be there: lots of disabled elderly vets and young amputees. The place has more handicapped parking spaces than I have ever seen in one location and needs more. I got prompt treatment because I showed up in the emergency room with a ruptured tendon, but suspect I would have been on a long waiting list if I had vague symptoms of post-traumatic stress or brain injury.

The VA health system is excellent in many ways but is unable to cope with the sheer number of veterans who need care. From what we know so far, that problem has been compounded by bureaucratic dishonesty, poor leadership and political inattention. It’s not just a matter of money: The VA has received significant funding increases and has been exempted from federal budget cuts, yet hundreds of medical jobs at the VA are going unfilled while veterans wait for treatment.

When the VA turns away veterans who need care, that’s an outrage – especially if they’re also delivering care to veterans who do NOT need it. If EVERY veteran who set foot in Vietnam is eligible for VA health care, for instance, that’s three million of us. Some of these folks have service-connected medical problems but many more do not. My good health and ability to afford co-pays puts me in the lowest eligibility category for VA health care, but perhaps the VA should not be treating guys like me at all when veterans in greater need are on a waiting list.

I’m sure there’s plenty of inefficiency, too. After my knee surgery the VA sent me home with a brand-new wheelchair. Once I was back on my feet I called the hospital to turn in the wheelchair and was told they did not want it back. Wonder how many more doctors the VA could hire if they were less generous with wheelchairs? There’s also no coordination between the VA, Medicare and Medicaid.

The VA has been broken for years and I hope they fix it this time. It will take a Veterans Affairs secretary who has the authority to fire dishonest bureaucrats and the gumption to pound on the desk in the Oval Office. Congress will listen in an election year because millions of veterans will be watching and voting.