A veteran who has left the military may confront an even worse nightmare than being on the battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan — the misery of ongoing anxiety and tension caused by the delayed and protracted process of medical military service claims or a veteran healthcare system that fails to communicate efficiently or effectively.
This is why Congress must pass, and the president must sign, the Veterans Patient Advocacy Act.
The bill mandates two significant changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
First, it would add additional patient advocates so that there is no fewer than one patient advocate for every 13,500 veterans enrolled in the VA system. Second, the law would make more patient advocates available to assist veterans in highly rural areas. According to the VA, there are 4.4 million rural and highly rural veterans with 2.7 million enrolled in the VA. This is an important change because rural veterans are an older population, more medically complex and more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and heart conditions that require more frequent, ongoing and costly care, the VA says.
The VA’s Office of Patient Advocacy is a huge and complex system that can be difficult for veterans to navigate. It is tough for staff to respond to each and every veteran. Hence the need for more advocates. The patient advocate is the liaison between the veteran and the VA medical facility who makes sure the veteran’s voice is heard and works with other medical staff to address questions and problems.
Veterans struggle with a myriad of health problems such as substance abuse, traumatic brain injury, depression, musculoskeletal illnesses and most commonly post-traumatic stress. Barriers to care, such as lengthy waits and limited services, worsen these issues. Having more patient advocates can help veterans navigate the healthcare system, obtain timely and appropriate care, and push for policy changes to improve veteran healthcare services.
Additional advocates, and the assignment of fewer vets per advocate, will alleviate everyone’s stress level, staff as well as veterans. Most of all, it will provide timely and effective healthcare.
The existing system, which is overburdened as well as understaffed, frequently puts veterans in limbo. Nobody likes dialing into a VA center and being put on hold when they are expecting support.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, introduced the Veterans Patient Advocacy Act in the Senate in early 2023, but there it continues to languish with no action taken. A House version of the bill also faces inaction.
The men and women of the armed forces have served selflessly, in many cases choosing to be on the battlefield rather than home with their families. Passage of the Veterans Patient Advocacy Act will send a clear message and communicate the nation’s appreciation for those sacrifices as well as our dedication to their welfare and wellbeing.
As a military veteran, I implore our legislators to take prompt and resolute action.
