Imagine you attempt to fill a glass of water, but the water keeps leaking out the sides. You then look and notice the glass itself has cracks and is damaged. With this observation, you notice the problem isn’t that the glass needs more water…but that the glass itself needs to be fixed to properly do what it was intended for.
All too often, this dynamic is the reality at the Department of Veterans Affairs. In a recent VA Office of the Inspector General report, troubling details emerged from the Buffalo, New York VA, where veterans with serious cancer diagnoses were left waiting indefinitely for lifesaving treatments.
The report found that while the VA delayed referrals to outside community providers, veterans were suffering, with one tragic case ending in the death of a veteran who was forced to wait too long. Rather than taking responsibility, the VA claimed the delays stemmed from “budgeting issues” that somehow interfered with timely referrals.
It is imperative to honor our commitment to those who have served, and a big part of that is ensuring that the VA is using its resources, which have quintupled in the past twenty years, effectively.
Rep. Nick Langworthy, who represents the communities affected by the Buffalo VA facility, echoed a similar point while speaking on behalf of his constituents, “I am assured that this is not a budgetary problem. This is a staffing problem. This is an incompetence problem.”
For too long, the VA has deflected from its responsibility to provide veterans with quality, timely care, underscoring the urgent need for strong transparency and accountability laws. These measures will help keep the VA on track, ensuring it can fulfill its mission to provide or coordinate uninterrupted care for our nation’s veterans.
To address this issue head-on, we must hold those at the VA accountable for their inaction and missteps.
Although a few employees at the Buffalo VA faced repercussions, this doesn’t solve the larger, systemic issues that continue to harm veterans. We need a stronger solution, one that empowers veterans with full choice in their health care. No one should be bound to a mismanaged system when there are community providers ready and willing to offer quality care.
Veterans deserve the freedom to choose care that meets their needs, without delay or bureaucratic roadblocks.
Join us in pushing for true reform by taking action to help veterans receive the care they’ve earned and deserve.