Issue Position: Veterans

Issue Position

We make a promise to our young men and women who we put in harm's way: if you should fall in the field of battle, we will pick you back up again. That promise has been broken time and time again. Bringing order and accountability to the VA, while cutting red tape that separates veterans from the care they deserve is how we can make it up to them. We asked the most from them, they should expect the most from us.

*Increase Reimbursement Rate for Doctors and Clinics Outside the VA System. With long wait times and questionable quality of care, the VA currently is ill equipped to address the rising need for treatment. Congress acted appropriately with the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act [1], but more is needed. By increasing reimbursement rates for health care professionals outside of the VA system, more veterans will receive the care they need in the time they need it.

*Establish Permanent Tax Incentives for Businesses to Hire Veterans. Tax Credits for businesses and non-profits that hire Veterans are extended each year.[2] We should send a signal to our service members that we will always have their back. Let's make these credits permanent.

*Expand Care Resources at the Disposal of the VA. Chronically underfunded, the VA needs more doctors, nurses, coordinators and other point of care professionals to meet the growing healthcare needs of our veterans.[3] Congress should pass legislation offering substantial incentives for doctors that choose to pursue a career with the VA.

*Introduce Income Tax Deductions for Veterans Who Served During Times of War. If a veteran served during a time of war, the rest of their lives, they should be able to deduct a portion of their income for tax purposes. If they served in active combat zones, they should receive an additional tax break. There are costs to war that cannot be deducted from the tax code. Permanent tax deductions for combat experience can help compensate for putting one's life on the line for our country.

*Expand Economic Opportunities to the Family Caregivers of Veterans of All Conflicts. Our service men and women aren't the only ones who carry the burdens of military service.The VA should expand the scope of support services for veterans to include their families. Currently, only the families of a small group of post- 9/11 veterans are eligible for monthly stipends, travel expense, healthcare, caregiver training.[4] We need to broaden the scope of the VA Family Caregiver program to include the families of veterans from all eras.

*End sequestration for the VA. The VA is still burdened by the cuts imposed by sequestration.[5] This not only translates to longer wait times and a deteriorating service of care for our Veterans, it will eventually result in the outright denial of care. We must keep our commitment to our men and women in uniform. We must end sequestration on the VA once and for all.

*Improve care for veterans by pushing the VA and DOD to combine electronic health records systems. The Department of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Administration (VA) operate two of the largest health systems in the country.[6] Sharing patient information between the two systems would lower wait times and improve quality of care.[7] In 2014, DOD and VA abandoned efforts to combine systems because of bureaucratic infighting and claims of cost concerns. Since then, there has been no showing of cost savings by creating two different systems.[8] We need to push collaboration for the sake of veterans now and in the future.

*Further Address Veteran Mental Health Care and Suicide Prevention. The high rate of suicides in the veteran community is a pressing problem despite increasing awareness and prevention efforts. Often, mental health practitioners are not equipped to meet the unique needs of veterans. Congress recently passed legislation to better fund suicide prevention.[9] We can further build on that success by providing that community mental health providers receive specific training in veteran care.

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