VACAVILLE -- Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) has introduced Assembly Joint Resolution 71, urging the President and Congress to provide a guaranteed level of funding for veterans’ health care.
Under Federal law the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has the responsibility to furnish hospital care and medical services to veterans. However, services are only provided to the extent Congress has provided money to cover the cost of care.
“Repeatedly, veterans are shortchanged by the Federal Government,” said Wolk. “It’s time we create a funding structure that provides the funding necessary to adequately furnish hospital care and medical services to our deserving veterans.”
According to a study by American Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, the proposed federal 2004-05 budget falls more than $3 billion dollars short of actual costs to fully cover veterans health care.
“Flat-line budgeting by Congress and medical inflation have strained the VA budget beyond capacity. Thousands of enrolled veterans wait more than six months to see a primary care physician or specialist--care that is legally their right as veterans,” stated Carl Young, a local veterans advocate. Young along with Richard Lundin, a member of the Senior Legislature, and who himself is a veteran, asked Assemblywoman Wolk to carry the measure.
AJR 71 also urges the President and Congress to restore the medical benefits package to veterans in Priority Group 8 and urges the VA to locate eligible veterans to provide them information regarding benefits to which they may be entitled. Currently, veterans are categorized by priority groups with those classified as Priority Group 1 having the highest priority and Priority Group 8 having the lowest. The funding shortage has led the VA to suspended new enrollment of veterans assigned to Priority Group 8 and has curtailed its outreach efforts.
“We need to let the President and Congress know that our veterans, with all of their sacrifices, deserve better care,” concluded Wolk. “The current situation simply isn’t fair.”