Secretary Calls on Legion to Fight for 2016 VA Budget Request

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald called on thousands of veterans Tuesday to support President Obama’s $168.8 billion VA budget request for 2016 and to deflect congressional efforts to reduce spending at a time of rising demand, improving performance, aging infrastructure and staffing needs.

Speaking at the 97th National Convention of The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans service organization, McDonald shared numerous statistics to illustrate improvements in the department – primarily in the timely delivery of health care and in the processing of benefits claims.

Although average waiting times for patient appointments and claims decisions have sharply declined over the last year, according to VA statistics, he said, “Veteran demand for services and benefits has exceeded VA’s capacity to meet it. It’s important that Congress and the American people understand why that is happening.”

He told the crowd that the U.S. veteran population is aging, average disability ratings have increased from 30 percent to 47.7 percent since 2000, and the sheer number of claims handled by VA is expected to climb by 47 percent, to 1.4 million projected for 2017, in an eight-year span.

VA’s inability to meet demand with budgeted resources came to a head this summer when the department announced to Congress it projected a shortfall of over $3.5 billion to end the current fiscal year. Congress granted VA the ability to shift unused funds from its Choice Act program, which allows veterans to use non-VA providers in areas where VA services are distant or appointment waiting times are high. However, that move was just for this fiscal year.

“To accommodate present and future changes in demand for care, VA needs permanent flexibility to move from funds among accounts,” McDonald told the Legionnaires. “We need to move the money to where the veteran goes.”

McDonald drew applause from the crowd when he addressed rumblings of privatization of VA health care. “Recently, some people in Washington and other parts of the country have begun to question the need for VA. One thing I have learned since my confirmation as secretary is there is no substitute for VA. Veterans need VA. American medicine needs the VA. Americans everywhere benefit from the VA.”

With more than 2.3 million members, The American Legion is the nation’s largest organization of wartime veterans.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150901006739/en/

The American Legion
Jeff Stoffer, 317-979-6912

Source: The American Legion

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