Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 2, 1992 TAG: 9203020200
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON LONG
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
All other veterans are seen on a discretionary basis, and may be provided hospital and outpatient care if space and resources are available. These veterans must agree to pay VA a deductible for their care. Thus, we cannot provide the full range of care to many veterans in this discretionary category.
That does not mean they have sufficient income to meet their health-care needs. We have to turn away many veterans who need assistance with medications, and we refer them to wherever we can. The rising cost of medications is a serious problem especially for veterans with medical as opposed to psychiatric problems.
The most frequent diagnoses we see are alcohol dependency, psychoses and heart ailments. Many of the veterans we see also have problems related to substance abuse. Many veterans are in need of general outpatient medical care, but because of their discretionary status are not eligible to receive such care at a VA medical facility.
Many of these people may have very low incomes by today's standards, and have to face terrible choices between obtaining health care and medications or paying rent, utility, clothing, food and transportation costs. Many more are but a paycheck away from falling into this category. Possible solutions include developing partnerships between the VA and the community, and public and private agencies and institutions.
The entire health-care sector must first make maximum use of all the available health-care dollars. Our medical center is committed to work in that direction.
Ron Long is assistant chief of social services at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Salem.
by CNB