THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 29, 1996 TAG: 9606280009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: BY SEN. BOB GRAHAM AND SEN. JOHN MCCAIN
LENGTH: 70 lines
Our nation's veterans symbolize the brave, selfless military sacrifice that has kept our country safe from hostile forces.
Their sacrifice has earned veterans the thanks of a nation and a commitment that the federal government would tend to their long-term, health-care needs.
But since the creation of the veterans health-care system, public officials have paid more homage to bricks and mortar than to fashioning a system flexible enough to respond to veterans' needs.
And now our nation's loyal veterans are paying the price.
The problem is simple: retired veterans are picking up roots and moving to new parts of the country. But federal health dollars, facilities, and personnel aren't moving with them.
The result is overcrowded facilities, long lines, and unsatisfactory care in growth states - and increasingly underutilized facilities in those states with declining numbers of veterans.
The numbers paint a vivid picture. Since 1980, over 10 states have seen growth in their veterans populations. Virginia has registered a growth rate of nearly 4 percent during that period.
On the other hand, many other states have seen veterans leave in droves. In that same 15 year period, Pennsylvania's veterans population has dropped by over 12 percent. New York's has fallen almost 20 percent.
Veterans health-care benefits have not kept up with these dramatic changes. In fact, the VA continues to base its annual appropriations requests on old budgets and old demographics.
For example, despite the increase in Virginia's veterans population, the state ranks 38th in the amount the VA spends on medical services for each veteran.
Other growth states - like Florida and Arizona - have been similarly disadvantaged by VA's reluctance to challenge the inequitable status quo.
Ask George LaMora what this means in real terms. Five decades ago, he was a member of a Pacific Navy amphibious landing force that won crucial victories - and suffered heavy losses - at places like the Marshall Islands, the Marianas and Guam. The government honored him with three battles stars. And it told him that he was entitled to participate in the veterans health-care system.
Today, George LaMora suffers from severe angina and diabetes. Yet after saving for years to buy a home in Florida, Mr. LaMora was forced to return to New York when the Tampa veterans facility couldn't accommodate him.
It's time to fix the system.
Any remedy must start with the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. The agency is to be credited for investing time, money and effort in developing a plan to ameliorate some of these geographic disparities. Yet two years after its creation, the plan has still not been put into motion.
One way to change that is the McCain/Graham Amendment, which mandates that the VA implement a plan for the fair allocation of resources to ensure that veterans have similar access to care, regardless of where they live.
Providing equal care for our nation's veterans is what the VA is all about. Our amendment will make the agency conform to that mission.
For the second straight year, our amendment passed the U.S. Senate but was not included in the VA Appropriations Conference Report.
We do not intend to give up the fight. If Congress doesn't act on McCain/Graham, we may need to look at other alternatives.
One possibility to explore would be the establishment of an independent, non-partisan process to review the veterans health-care system. This process might help us channel resources from underutilized health facilities to those in high-growth, high-need areas.
But whatever solution we adopt, the bottom line is this: the current VA health-care system is badly in need of repair. By reforming that system, we can reaffirm our collective commitment to our veterans. They deserve no less. MEMO: John McCain is a Vietnam POW and the senior senator from Arizona.
Bob Graham is the former governor of Florida and the senior senator from
that state. by CNB