Wait times for veterans seeking medical appointments at the VA have remained stubbornly stagnant in the past five months, with the number of patients who have waited more than a month to see a doctor topping 505,000, according to newly released data.
Full Answer
How many veterans died while waiting for health care?
WASHINGTON -- More than 300,000 American military veterans likely died while waiting for health care -- and nearly twice as many are still waiting -- according to a new Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general report.
How many veterans receive VA care each year?
Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015, a total of 738,212 of these Veterans accessed VA health care.
How many veterans receive mental health treatment?
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2.1 million veterans received mental health treatment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in the five year period from 2006 through 2010.
Are vets waiting too long for care at VA clinics?
Two years ago, vets were waiting a long time for care at Veterans Affairs clinics across the country. At one facility in Phoenix, for example, veterans waited an average of 115 days for an appointment. Adding insult to injury, some VA schedulers were told to falsify data to make it look like the waits weren't that bad.
How many veterans don't get the help they need?
These decades-long conflicts have left survivors with invisible wounds that require treatment, but too many of those who suffer under those burdens have been denied means to get help. While only 1.7 percent of veterans were excluded from VA health care in the World War II era, today 6.5 percent are denied care.
Can the VA refuse to treat you?
You can agree to or refuse any treatment. You will be told what is likely to happen to you if you refuse a treatment. Refusing a treatment will not affect your rights to future care but you take responsibility for the impact this decision may have on your health.
What are the consequences of waiting for health care in the veteran population?
Longer VA wait times lead to small, yet statistically significant decreases in utilization and are related to poorer health in elderly and vulnerable veteran populations.
How long can the VA make you wait for an appointment?
Under the MISSION Act, which Congress passed into law back in 2018, veterans can see a community provider if they've been waiting for more than 20 days for primary and mental health care and 28 days for specialty care, or if they face a 30-minute drive to the nearest VA facility.
Is the VA understaffed?
In addition, the VA and VHA offices charged with developing staffing models are understaffed themselves, putting the department's goals at risk. The VA Manpower Office, for example, has 12 employees responsible for developing staffing models, validating them and providing other support.
Why do veterans not like the VA?
Of the veteran and active service members who reported to the annual Wounded Warrior Project Survey that they have never used VA health care services, the most common reasons given included preferring to use other health care coverage and too much trouble or red tape....CharacteristicPercentage of respondents--9 more rows•Jun 20, 2022
What percentage of veterans use VA health care?
Under current policy, about 60 percent of U.S. veterans are eligible for VA care, based on length of service, service-connected injuries, service in designated combat theaters, and income. Fewer than half of eligible veterans use VA health benefits.
Will the VA pay for outside treatment?
VA can pay for emergency medical care outside the United States if the emergency is related to your service-connected condition.
How Much Does VA health care cost per month?
The charge ranges from $5 to $11 for each 30 day or less supply of medications provided on an outpatient basis for nonservice-connected conditions. Outpatient – The copayments will be based on primary care visits ($15) and specialty care visits ($50).
How long does it take for the VA to approve disability?
As of June 2021, the average time it takes for the VA to issue a decision on VA benefits is 134.4 days. If your application is denied and you want to complete the appeals process, it will take approximately 125 days for a Supplemental Claim or Higher-Level Review and more than one year for a Board Hearing.
What is VA choice program?
The Veterans Choice Program is a new, temporary benefit that allows eligible Veterans to receive health care in their communities rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.
Where does a scheduler go to determine a veteran is wait time eligible for community care?
Veterans who were eligible for community care under VCP should speak with their VA care team or a VA staff member at their local VA medical facility about their eligibility for community care.
How many veterans receive mental health care?
Department of Veterans Affairs in the five year period from 2006 through 2010. A study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that only 50 percent of returning vets who need veteran mental health treatment will receive these services.
What percentage of veterans sought mental health treatment in 2005?
According to the American Psychological Association, in the year 2005 22 percent of veterans sought veteran mental health treatment in the private sector rather than getting help from the VA. That number has increased along with wait times at many of the VA mental health facilities around the country.
Why is mental health important for veterans?
Veteran mental health services are essential in order to help our returning vets recover from their combat experiences and mental health issues related to their military service. There are a number of troubling statistics which show that enough is not being done and that many of our veterans are not receiving the care that they deserve in this area.
What does it mean when a veteran has TBI and PTSD?
For newly released veterans the delay between the TBI and the onset of PTSD could mean that the service member has been discharged before they experience severe symptoms. For older vets the PTSD symptoms that they experience could last for many years and require extensive treatment.
What is the most important aspect of mental health for veterans?
One important aspect of veteran mental health treatment is substance abuse . The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports that substance abuse among veterans is strongly related to their exposure to combat. One study by the organization showed that 25 percent of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans showed signs of substance abuse disorder.
What is the National Veterans Foundation?
The National Veterans Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the crisis management, information and referral needs of U.S. Veterans and their families. We need your help to continue. Please donate what you can to help the NVF continue to serve our Veterans.
What are the barriers veterans face?
Both active duty service members and veterans face barriers to treatment for mental health issues. Some of the barriers veterans face, identified by the USGAO and other sources, include: Personal embarrassment about service-related mental disabilities. Long wait times to receive mental health treatment. Shame over needing to seek mental health ...
How often does the VA report on health care utilization?
VA produced a health care utilization report four times a year containing data on Veterans who have used VA health care and who served in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), or Operation New Dawn (OND) from 2003 through 2017. These reports provided a cumulative tally of diagnoses from health care encounters between 2003 and 2015. The report findings provided an accurate snapshot of the magnitude of recent Veterans accessing the VA system, the diagnoses driving care utilization, and the demographic and military characteristics that described the population of post 9/11 Veterans.#N#Changes in the availability and character of data sources that supported this report meant it could not be produced in the same manner. New data sources, epidemiological studies and other reports have supplanted this information and provided more detailed understanding of the OEF/OIF/OND population.
Does the VA report represent all veterans who have become eligible for VA health care?
The report does not represent all recent Veterans who have become eligible for VA health care, who have ever served in OEF, OIF, or OND, or who are currently serving in these conflicts. Carefully designed epidemiology studies are required to answer specific questions about the health of all Veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
How many veterans died waiting for health care?
WASHINGTON -- More than 300,000 American military veterans likely died while waiting for health care -- and nearly twice as many are still waiting -- according to a new Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general report.
Who is the acting inspector general of the VA?
Linda Halliday, the VA's acting inspector general, said the agency's Health Eligibility Center "has not effectively managed its business processes to ensure the consistent creation and maintenance of essential data" and recommended a multi-year plan to improve accuracy and usefulness of agency records. Halliday's report came in response ...
VA Health Care Utilization by Recent Veterans
Findings
- Approximately 62 percent (1,218,857) of all separated OEF/OIF/OND Veterans have used VA health care since October 1, 2001.
- Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015, a total of 738,212 of these Veterans accessed VA health care.
- The frequency and percent of the three most common diagnoses were: musculoskeletal ailm…
- Approximately 62 percent (1,218,857) of all separated OEF/OIF/OND Veterans have used VA health care since October 1, 2001.
- Between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015, a total of 738,212 of these Veterans accessed VA health care.
- The frequency and percent of the three most common diagnoses were: musculoskeletal ailments (759,850 or 62.3 percent); symptoms, signs, and ill-defined conditions (conditions that do not have an im...
About The Report
- The VA health care utilization report is created by comparing a Department of Defense roster of returning Veterans to VA’s electronic inpatient and outpatient health records. The data used in the report provide valuable information about Veterans who have accessed VA health care. The report does not represent all recent Veterans who have become eligible for VA health care, who have e…
Past Reports