OPINION: In Ohio, veterans are waiting too long for care. It’s time to pass the Veterans’ ACCESS Act.
Congress has an opportunity to address these gaps through the Veterans’ ACCESS Act, which would strengthen and expand community care options while improving accountability within the VA system. These failures are especially troubling given the scale of service and sacrifice. The post-9/11 wars alone have left an estimated 1.1 million veterans with service-connected disabilities and cost more than $6.4 trillion. When they came home, the promise should have been simple: We’ll take care of you.
The VA MISSION Act of 2018 created the Veterans Community Care Program to expand access and give veterans more choice in where they receive health care. By FY 2025, 40% of veterans’ health care was delivered through community care, while accounting for just 26% of the Veterans Health Administration’s budget. However, significant barriers remain.
The VA decommissioned its MISSION Act website in 2021 and closed its Office of Community Care in 2022, reducing transparency around where veterans access community care. Records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests raised concerns about how wait times are reported and whether veterans are consistently informed of their community care options. In some parts of Ohio, according to VA data, veterans are waiting nearly four months for critical specialty care. These gaps are exactly what the Veterans’ ACCESS Act is designed to address.
This legislation would codify community care access standards, strengthen the Veterans Community Care Program, and expand mental health and substance use treatment options. It would also require accurate wait time reporting, protect veterans’ ability to appeal decisions, and expand choice for outpatient mental health and substance use. At its core, the Veterans’ ACCESS Act is about restoring trust and ensuring access is real, not just theoretical. It doesn’t replace the VA ― it strengthens it, making the system more flexible, responsive, and centered on veterans’ needs.
In Ohio, the impact is personal. Our veterans are our neighbors, coworkers, and family members. They showed up when it mattered most and carried service home with them. They shouldn’t have to carry the burden of navigating a broken system, too.
We often say we support our troops. Supporting the Veterans’ ACCESS Act is one way to put that commitment into practice. Honoring their service doesn’t end when they take off the uniform ― in many ways, that’s where our responsibility begins. It’s time to complete the mission. Deliver the care veterans have earned and cut the red tape that stands in the way. Congress should ensure those who served can access care without delay and unnecessary barriers. America’s veterans did their part. Congress should do the same.
Adam Miller
Strategic Director, Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) – Ohio
Read the full op-ed at www.theohiopressnetwork.com
