Access to Care

Letter to the Editor: The Daily Press

Re “Survey: Hampton VA has severe staffing shortages” (A1, Aug. 16): Much attention is being given to staffing shortages at the VA, especially from Democratic lawmakers. We need VAs to be properly staffed, but the real heart of the issue veterans face is access to timely, quality care.

As a retired Navy veteran who works with a grassroots veterans’ organization here in Virginia, I hear from veterans every day who struggle with accessing care. Their stories are frustratingly similar: long waits, limited availability and the challenge of living too far from the nearest VA facility.

The solution isn’t purely in staffing; it’s in giving veterans options.

Veterans deserve to receive care when they need it ― whether that care comes from the VA or from a provider in their own community. No one who’s served this country should be forced to wait months for an appointment or travel hours to receive care.

That’s why I believe the Veterans’ ACCESS Act, now before Congress, is such an important step forward. By expanding opportunities for veterans to seek care outside of the VA, it brings flexibility and dignity to a system that too often leaves veterans behind.

At the same time, this doesn’t mean abandoning the VA. The VA is essential for treating combat-related conditions.

Access to care isn’t optional ― it’s a promise this nation must keep. The Veterans’ ACCESS Act is one way to ensure that promise is finally honored.

Ron Aksel, Concerned Veterans For America, Virginia Beach

Originally published on September 1, 2025 in The Daily Press