Veterans are the most important people in our country, fighting for our freedoms and putting their lives on the line to protect us. Unfortunately, when it comes to medical care, many veterans do not receive the treatment they are due. Lack of medical care for veterans can result in lifelong disability and an inability to live their lives as they would want. Keep reading to learn about some of the issues affecting veteran’s medical care.
Veterans Wait Too Many Days When Seeking Medical Care
Veterans are the most important people in our country, fighting for our freedoms and putting their lives on the line to protect us. Unfortunately, when it comes to medical care, many veterans do not receive the treatment they are due. Lack of medical care for veterans can result in lifelong disability and an inability to live their lives as they would want. Keep reading to learn about some of the issues affecting veteran’s medical care.
- Long Wait Times
One of the biggest obstacles is tremendously long wait times. Thanks to understaffing and needless bureaucratic red tape, many veterans face wait times of months, even years, before they can receive the type of medical care that they need. Long wait times like this often end up exacerbating medical conditions. In April 2014, the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System averaged a 44-day wait time. One of the 10 worst in the country, the Reno facility has shown significant improvement since the scandalous wait times were being reported in 2015. A much needed expansion, championed by Senator Heller, is expected to help continue their progress as well as prepare for their growth over the next decade. More work is needed throughout Nevada for this problem to become a thing of the past.
- Low Funds for Veteran’s Medical Care
Low funds for veteran’s medical care is a pressing issue that must be addressed. Low funding means either that veterans are unable to undergo the procedures or receive the medicine that they need. It can also mean that they are forced to forego care. Unfortunately, increasing funding is not the easy fix that it should be.
- Lack of Understanding
The medical treatment many veterans need related to their service is often extremely unique and requires some understanding of how their service affected their health. Although many doctors do their best, it can be hard for them to connect with a veteran’s issues if they have not served themselves. Training doctors in issues most relevant to treating veterans will go a long way towards correcting this problem. According to Harry Croft, M.D Former Army doctor and psychiatrist, “It’s not uncommon for the physician to write the patient a script for an antidepressant or anti-anxiety medication and send him on his way, failing to recognize there is a deeper underlying issue.”
Help Veterans Get the Care They Need
Fixing the issues that veteran’s face when seeking medical care requires an unceasing commitment. If you’re someone who cares about this important issue, then you may want to check out the 22 Warriors Foundation. The Nevada Republican Men’s Club is dedicated to our men and women in uniform and want to help them in any way we can. Contact the Nevada Republican Men’s Club for more information.