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| White House cites progress on veterans' issues ahead of Obama speech in Atlanta | White House cites progress on veterans' issues ahead of Obama speech in Atlanta |
| (25 days later) | |
| With Barack Obama due to address the annual convention of the Disabled American Veterans in Atlanta on Monday afternoon, the White House touted strides in reducing homelessness among military veterans as the administration reaches the halfway point in building a huge database on veterans’ health. | With Barack Obama due to address the annual convention of the Disabled American Veterans in Atlanta on Monday afternoon, the White House touted strides in reducing homelessness among military veterans as the administration reaches the halfway point in building a huge database on veterans’ health. |
| Care for veterans is a top issue in the campaign to succeed Obama, with nearly 21 million veterans making up a critical voting bloc. Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under Obama; Hillary Clinton has been less harsh. | Care for veterans is a top issue in the campaign to succeed Obama, with nearly 21 million veterans making up a critical voting bloc. Donald Trump has repeatedly blasted the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) under Obama; Hillary Clinton has been less harsh. |
| Both presidential candidates promise to overhaul the department, including its healthcare delivery. Trump has proposed allowing veterans eligible for VA healthcare to take their ID cards to any doctor or facility that accepts Medicare to get immediate care. Clinton would make changes to the existing system. | Both presidential candidates promise to overhaul the department, including its healthcare delivery. Trump has proposed allowing veterans eligible for VA healthcare to take their ID cards to any doctor or facility that accepts Medicare to get immediate care. Clinton would make changes to the existing system. |
| In a preview of Obama’s comments in Atlanta, the White House said the president would argue that getting ex-military members the healthcare and benefits they have earned is a national promise that “can’t be broken”. He will also recap how he has tried to help former military members, moving beyond headline-grabbing scandals over lengthy wait-times for veterans seeking medical care that led to the firing of the VA secretary, Eric Shinseki. | In a preview of Obama’s comments in Atlanta, the White House said the president would argue that getting ex-military members the healthcare and benefits they have earned is a national promise that “can’t be broken”. He will also recap how he has tried to help former military members, moving beyond headline-grabbing scandals over lengthy wait-times for veterans seeking medical care that led to the firing of the VA secretary, Eric Shinseki. |
| Demand for VA healthcare continues to grow, increasing 13% in the past year, said Garry Augustine, a Vietnam veteran who is executive director of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) nonprofit. | Demand for VA healthcare continues to grow, increasing 13% in the past year, said Garry Augustine, a Vietnam veteran who is executive director of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) nonprofit. |
| “We know that even though the access is a problem, healthcare in the VA is very good,” he said. | “We know that even though the access is a problem, healthcare in the VA is very good,” he said. |
| The healthcare side “remains to be fixed”, Augustine said, noting the recent conclusion by a congressionally mandated commission that the department continues to have “profound deficiencies” in delivering healthcare to millions of veterans. The VA has been making changes in line with the commission’s recommendations. Augustine said he would like veterans to be allowed to seek outside care from an approved system of private doctors who know how to treat them. | The healthcare side “remains to be fixed”, Augustine said, noting the recent conclusion by a congressionally mandated commission that the department continues to have “profound deficiencies” in delivering healthcare to millions of veterans. The VA has been making changes in line with the commission’s recommendations. Augustine said he would like veterans to be allowed to seek outside care from an approved system of private doctors who know how to treat them. |
| Augustine also expressed concern, shared by the White House, over a backlog of appeals. While a backlog of disability claims that neared 610,000 in 2013 has been whittled to below 80,000, more than 450,000 appeals are pending. Veterans wait an average of three years for a decision, which the White House called “unacceptable”. | Augustine also expressed concern, shared by the White House, over a backlog of appeals. While a backlog of disability claims that neared 610,000 in 2013 has been whittled to below 80,000, more than 450,000 appeals are pending. Veterans wait an average of three years for a decision, which the White House called “unacceptable”. |
| Overall, Augustine said veterans appreciate the support they have received from Obama. He cited increased spending on veterans, expanded and better healthcare for female veterans, tax credits for hiring veterans and strides toward reducing veterans’ homelessness, among other issues. | Overall, Augustine said veterans appreciate the support they have received from Obama. He cited increased spending on veterans, expanded and better healthcare for female veterans, tax credits for hiring veterans and strides toward reducing veterans’ homelessness, among other issues. |
| Overall veteran homelessness has been cut by 47%, the White House said, a number short of Obama’s long-held goal of getting it to zero by 2015. The administration said credit should also go to the first lady, Michelle Obama, and Jill Biden, wife of Vice-President Joe Biden, for using their initiative on military families to challenge mayors and county officials nationwide to end veterans’ homelessness. | Overall veteran homelessness has been cut by 47%, the White House said, a number short of Obama’s long-held goal of getting it to zero by 2015. The administration said credit should also go to the first lady, Michelle Obama, and Jill Biden, wife of Vice-President Joe Biden, for using their initiative on military families to challenge mayors and county officials nationwide to end veterans’ homelessness. |
| Half a million veterans have voluntarily given blood samples and health data for a long-term government research program that seeks to enroll 1 million veterans as part of an initiative to make “precision medicine” a reality. | Half a million veterans have voluntarily given blood samples and health data for a long-term government research program that seeks to enroll 1 million veterans as part of an initiative to make “precision medicine” a reality. |
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