Epidemic of inequalities

The men and women of our nation’s military have undoubtedly given a great sacrifice of themselves to the American people, protecting their individual freedoms, rights, and overall way of life. Some sectors of society may be under the impression that veterans are “taken care of” or “have it made” when discharged from the armed forces. Given the physical and mental tolls accumulated by an individual during their tour of duty, this should be especially true for any healthcare needs they my have, right? Unfortunately, our veterans have been met with hurdle after hurdle to reach a finish line marked with red tape. A growing epidemic of healthcare disparities are hindering our veterans from accessing the type of care that they’ve earned. The VA Mental Healthcare Initiative requires that VA provide our veterans with timely and effective treatment that is based on their needs, goals, and preferences. Furthermore, it firmly commits to ensuring mental health treatment excellence by regular program monitoring and working with staff to make program improvements. Discrepancies like staffing, geographic location, and wait times, are gradually being repelled with proposals like the VA Mental Healthcare Initiative, with the intent to reduce and ultimately eliminate these discrepancies.

There are many detriments in this world that could lead to a person’s decline in health or even their death. While smoking, alcoholism, or forms of cancer remain major players in a persons’ demise, waiting to be seen by a doctor should never be a contributing factor to ones’ health. In 2014 at the Carl T. Hayden VA Hospital in Phoenix, AZ, 35 patients died while waiting for their appointments. (Zimmerman, 2017). Following an investigation into the facility, it was concluded that the hospitals’ self-reported scheduling data system had been manipulated. (Zezima, 2014). An interim independent report by the VA Inspector General revealed their records hid the amount of time a veteran had to wait for an appointment. There were an estimated 1700 patients that waited an average of 115 days for an initial primary care appointment. (Zesima, 2014).

The geographic location of a treatment facility remains a barrier in the access of healthcare. Nearly all psychological disorders are address by a specialist, who may not always be available at your local VA hospital. This rings especially true for veterans located in rural areas where the VA isn’t so prevalent. residents need to travel greater distances to access different points of the health care delivery system. Health care facilities in these areas are small and often provide limited services. Often, due to distance, extreme weather conditions, environmental and climatic barriers, lack of public transportation, and challenging roads, rural residents may be limited/ prohibited from accessing health care services. (Healthcare Disparities & Barriers to Healthcare, 2018)

It’s very difficult to provide excellent service and care for veterans on a daily basis, probably more so when a facility is drastically understaffed. Adequate staffing is paramount to achieving the type of care our service men and women deserve. VA nurse executives and nursing officials identified limitations in VA’s process for hiring RNs and VA-imposed hiring freezes and lags as major contributing factors causing delays in hiring RNs to fill inpatient vacancies at VAMCs. VA nursing officials reported that hiring freezes and lags at VAMCs and delays resulting from limitations in VA’s hiring process can discourage prospective candidates from seeking or following through on applications for employment at these facilities. Although VA has recently taken steps to address some of the factors that are reported to contribute to RN hiring delays, it is too early to determine the extent to which these steps have been effective in reducing hiring delays.

They only item more staggering than the aforementioned discussion topics, are the funds it takes the VA to maintain its unsatisfactory operation. The VA advertises that it is fully committed to take care of our veteran, however, that care is by no means cheap. The VA mental health budget, which was $6.2 billion in 2013, is the total amount budgeted to provide VA mental health services. The appropriate amount of spending for mental health services is influenced by many factors, including the balance of medical and mental health needs of patients being served, where and how care is provided, and how actively patients have engaged in treatment. In the FY 2019 Budget, President Trump proposes a total of $198.6 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This request, an increase of $12.1 billion over 2018, will ensure the Nation’s Veterans receive high-quality health care and timely access to benefits and services. The 2020 AA request includes $79.1 billion in discretionary funding for Medical Care including collections; and $121.3 billion in mandatory funding for Veterans benefits programs (Compensation and Pensions, Readjustment Benefits, and Veterans Insurance and Indemnities accounts). (Office of Budget, 2008