VA Priority Access Vortex

Recent headline

On May 15, 2014, VHA had over 6 million appointments scheduled across the system. Nationwide, there are roughly 57,436 Veterans who are waiting to be scheduled for care and another 63,869 who over the past ten years have enrolled in our healthcare system and have not been seen for an appointment. VA is moving aggressively to contact these Veterans through the Accelerating Access to Care Initiative.

Why?

The number of veterans using VA’s health care system has risen dramatically in recent years, increasing from 2.9 million in 1995 to 5 million in 2003. Unable to completely absorb this increase, VA began 2003 with more than 280,000 veterans on waiting lists to receive medical care. In addition, a new regulation giving priority access for severely disabled veterans was implemented for those veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50 percent or greater. This new priority includes hospitalization and outpatient care for both service-connected and nonservice-connected treatment. In 2004, VA will provide priority access to other veterans for their service-connected conditions.

Recent headline

According to 2012 VA statistics, one in five female veterans and one in 100 male veterans reported some type of sexual abuse while in the military. From fiscal 2008 to fiscal 2013, veterans filed more than 29,000 claims for disabilities related to military sexual trauma, with most attributing post-traumatic stress disorder to the abuse.

Under VA rules, military sexual trauma by itself is not grounds for a disability claim. But veterans can receive compensation for “physical or mental health disabilities caused or aggravated” by sex assaults.

Why?
Reported by Reuters in 2008

Nearly 15 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking medical care from the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department have suffered sexual trauma, from harassment to rape, researchers reported on Tuesday.

And these veterans were 1.5 times as likely as other veterans to need mental health services, the report from the VA found.

"We are, in fact, detecting men and women who seem to have a significant need for mental health services," said Rachel Kimerling of the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California.

The study, presented at a meeting of the American Public Health Association in San Diego, raises many questions.

Kimerling said in a telephone interview the term "military sexual trauma" covers a range of events from coerced sex to outright rape or threatening and unwelcome sexual advances.

A spokeswoman for the VA said about 40 percent of all discharged veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have sought medical care of some sort from the VA, which has a universal screening program for military sexual trauma.

They knew but didn't care enough to fix it.

UPDATE
How many more years of their ranting are we willing to take? They didn't fix it before and have not taken responsibility for their failures. Nothing will change unless they actually start to value the veterans they want votes from in an election year.

Congress moving to ensure speedier care for veterans
The Associated Press
By MATTHEW DALY and ALAN FRAM
Published: June 10, 2014

WASHINGTON — United in response to a national uproar, Congress is suddenly moving quickly to address military veterans' long waits for care at VA hospitals.

The House unanimously approved legislation Tuesday to make it easier for patients enduring lengthy delays for initial visits to get VA-paid treatment from local doctors instead. The Senate was poised to vote on a similar bill within 48 hours, said Democratic leader Harry Reid.

The legislation comes close on the heels of a Veterans Affairs Department audit showing that more than 57,000 new applicants for care have had to wait at least three months for initial appointments and an additional 64,000 newly enrolled vets who requested appointments never got them.

"I cannot state it strongly enough - this is a national disgrace," said Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chief author of the House legislation.
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