New polling: Veterans and military families strongly support protecting choice in health benefits

America’s veterans kept their promise to us.

Concerned Veterans for America believes they shouldn’t have to fight more battles for the quality health care they deserve.

Turns out, the vast majority of Americans agree with us.

CVA worked with YouGov to poll veterans, military family members, and the general public, and 70% believe veterans deserve permanent access to better care.

A consensus: Accessibility must be permanent.

The poll asked veterans, military family members, and the American public for their opinions on certain veterans’ health care issues.

According to the poll:

• Nearly 8 in 10 support Congress enacting community care access standards into law, which would ensure health care.
• Almost three-quarters of those polled agree that community care access standards should be made permanent through the Veterans’ ACCESS Act, rather than expire as some lawmakers would prefer.

These results aren’t surprising, as veterans and military families consistently indicate that they prefer to utilize the provider that best meets their needs rather than be directed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“Even as Americans remain divided on many issues, there remains a consensus on the value of giving veterans more control over their VA health care benefits,” said John Vick, CVA’s executive director. “Elected policymakers would be wise to take note of these trends in public opinion and should feel confident supporting legislation like the Veterans’ ACCESS Act that would ensure veterans have the health care freedom they deserve.” 

The VA lags behind.

The VA has historically struggled with lengthy or inaccurate wait times, unclear or inconsistent guidelines for access to out-of-network care, and uncertainty about claims.

A 2014 investigation into falsely reported wait times at the Phoenix VA uncovered a nationwide access scandal where veterans were unable to access needed care in a timely manner, leading to dozens of avoidable deaths and many veterans in crisis.

The VA MISSION Act of 2018 was enacted to solve this crisis.

In theory, it allows more veterans to access care from community providers and requires the VA to establish consistent standards for access to essential services.

But, in practice, the VA has put up roadblocks every step of the way, refusing to implement this important legislation.

Since 2020, the VA’s Office of Inspector General has issued over 50 reports highlighting the significant deficiencies the VA has, and why is it unable to provide consistent, timely, high-quality care to veterans.

Among other examples, the OIG found:

• Over 5,000 community care consults were left unscheduled at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center, where some veterans had to wait over 100 days for their first contact.
• Staff at the VA Western New York Healthcare System delayed urgent neurosurgery and radiation therapy consults for months, even as veterans’ conditions deteriorated.
• At the Phoenix VA, veterans seeking mental health support waited weeks just for an initial appointment, with some left without follow-up care after crisis evaluations, leaving them vulnerable during their most critical moments.

This is unacceptable, and the Veterans’ ACCESS Act would fix these deficiencies by:

• Codifying access standards
• Requiring the VA to discuss telehealth choices with veterans
• Mandating that the VA enforce the MISSION Act
• Creating a standardized referral process for veterans seeking mental health care

Veterans deserve better.

At the end of the day, veterans deserve the best and most accessible treatment options, which the VA sometimes can’t provide. Rather than delaying and denying veterans’ use of their community option, lawmakers must grant veterans access to lifesaving care in the long run.

With Veterans Day right around the corner, Congress should pass the Veterans’ ACCESS Act.

The full results of the poll are available on CVA’s website.

Concerned Veterans for America has a grassroots army around the country. Click here to get involved.