On Nov. 11, 1919, the nation observed the first anniversary of the end of World War I. The “war to end all wars” had taken millions of lives, including those of more than 116,000 American troops. The first recognition of Armistice Day was a sobering reminder of the cost of freedom.
As a new focus was put on global warfare and what it cost in lives and dollars, a renewed sense of duty toward veterans came with it. More than 200,000 troops had come home wounded from the war, many with unique injuries and conditions. In 1921, the Veterans Bureau was established to meet the needs of the World War I generation.
In the 100 years since, the way we honor our veterans and the care they receive has evolved. Nov, 11 is now celebrated as Veterans Day to recognize American veterans of every war. The Veterans Bureau grew into the Department of Veterans Affairs and took on many new responsibilities, primarily the administration of healthcare and other benefits.
But there is more the VA can do to continue evolving into a dynamic and strong resource for veterans who need care. That will take a different approach: one that puts veterans at the forefront of their care.
In years past, the VA was the center of misconduct and mismanagement. The 2014 Phoenix VA scandal opened the public’s eyes to manipulated appointment wait times and delayed appointments, causing veterans to languish on secret lists waiting for care.
After justified outcry, Congress took steps to ensure veterans were getting the care in a timely manner, first through the Veterans Choice Program, then through the Community Care Program established by the VA MISSION Act. The most recent program opened new options for veterans all over the country.
Veterans had long wanted this kind of flexibility. While some love their local VA facilities, others live hours away from their closest medical center or face long waits for appointments. The VA MISSION Act and its Community Care Program gave veterans more choices by allowing them access to non-VA care and alleviating some pressure from the VA to provide care as quickly as veterans needed it.
But as happens too often in bureaucracies, the VA has not implemented the VA MISSION Act in line with the law’s intent.
A new scandal seems to be brewing at the VA, one potentially of equal proportion to Phoenix. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the VA to cancel, delay, or reschedule nearly 20 million appointments and pause referrals for community care. For millions of those canceled appointments, there was no indication of follow-up. There’s no way of knowing how long those veterans waited for care, if they ever got it.
But the problem goes beyond the pandemic.
Documents obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Americans for Prosperity Foundation are revealing concerted efforts at the VA to ignore community care access standards, manipulate appointment wait times, and actively dissuade veterans from seeking care outside the VA.
The continuing scandal at the VA is the result of an outdated approach to veterans’ care: putting the VA first rather than the veteran. The old way clearly isn’t working.
Real, lasting change can happen only when veterans and their interests are the priority.
In practice, that means following the law. The VA MISSION Act set clear standards for veterans to have access to medical care outside the VA. The VA needs to stick to that and be transparent about how it is doing. Veterans’ lives depend on it.
This Veterans Day, as we reflect on all our nation’s veterans have done to protect and defend us, my hope is that this country truly honors that service with the care they deserve.
Russ Duerstine is deputy director of Concerned Veterans for America and an Air Force veteran.
