Veterans Affairs health-care system in crisis, say lawmakers

WASHINGTON -- The Veterans Affairs health-care system doesn't have enough money, has trouble recruiting doctors and nurses, makes some veterans wait months for an appointment and cuts others off others from enrolling.

A war with Iraq could only make the problems worse, lawmakers and officials said Wednesday.

"The word crisis is often overused in this town, but clearly VA health care is in crisis and at a crossroads," Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, said at a hearing.

Dr. Robert Roswell, the VA Department's undersecretary for health, said that while, overall, the VA health care system remains one of the most effective in the nation, the growth of demands on its services is "unsustainable." It's "not a situation that our veterans need or deserve," he told the panel.

'In trouble'

If there is a war with Iraq, he said, the agency's "finite resources will have to be redirected to the services we know we'll need," referring to the VA's traditional role of treating veterans with service-connected injuries and disabilities.

With a war appearing imminent, "you're in trouble," said Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif. "It looks like there's going to have to be layoffs, and you're going to have to cut off more veterans."

Smith noted that even if the VA health system gets the $23.9 billion proposed for the 2003 budget year, it will fall $1.9 billion short of its funding needs.

The system has been under strain since 1996, when Congress ordered the agency to open health care to nearly all veterans. Since then, patient population has grown from some 2.9 million to 6.8 million, with veterans attracted to the system's inexpensive care and prescription drug programs.

But that growth has seriously taxed the agency, and earlier this month, after Congress rejected a VA proposal to impose a $1,500 deductible for higher-income vets, the agency suspended new enrollments for veterans with higher incomes who don't have military service-related ailments or injuries.

The enrollment suspension, to last through this year, is expected to affect about 164,000 veterans and save the VA about $130 million.

Roswell said there are currently about 200,000 on waiting lists for their first appointments, some who, according to veterans' groups, must wait six months or more. "How long do each of you have to wait to see your doctor?" Dennis Cullinan of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States asked the committee members.

"We believe denying veterans access to VA health care, particularly while young men and women fight the war on terrorism and prepared to do battle in Iraq, is unacceptable," said the American Legion's Peter Gaytan in a statement to the hearing.

VA Secretary Anthony Principi, in a recent interview with The Associated Press, said he expects the budget the president will announce next week will include a 7.7 percent increase in the VA's health care budget for 2004. But he said that would not be enough to meet the demands on the system.

Roswell said the agency is also "facing a critical situation" because its pay scales can't compete with the private sector in attracting doctors, nurses and dentists.

Smith said his committee is looking into other legislative solutions to helping the VA through its financial crisis, including allowing the VA to be reimbursed by Medicare for providing care to Medicare-eligible veterans.

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On the Net:

Veterans' Affairs Committee: http://veterans.house.gov/

Veterans Affairs Department: http:www.va.gov/