There are about 17.4 million American veterans living today. More than 9 million veterans are served each year by the 1,074 outpatient sites and 170 Medical Centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Studies show at least 20% of our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or clinical depression. However, it is estimated that at least half of those who are ill with these disorders do not seek treatment and are therefore not counted in these statistics. Another 19% of our war vets have traumatic brain injuries (TBI) while 7% are suffering from both PTSD and TBI. Alcohol abuse is reported in nearly 40% of all Iraq/Afghanistan veterans returning home. Much worse, active duty personnel are now much more likely to die from suicide than combat.

Not surprisingly, our VA has been hard-pressed to keep up with the increased demand for its services by so many injured during our record-breaking 17 years at war. In 2014, the media reported that at least 40 vets have died while awaiting care at VA facilities. Investigators have found similar problems at several other VA medical centers. Some VA administrators have been accused of maintaining a duplicate set of books to hide these deaths and delays from official statistics. Many of these administrators had previously received bonuses for making it appear vets were getting prompt care.

Proposed Legislation: S.1934 - Parity in Veterans Health Care Rights Act (116th Congress)
Prospective Sponsor: Sen. John Tester (MT)