Funding for veterans' health care

This letter was received in response to a recent item in the ROA Weekly E-Blast, "GOP Ups Spending to Care for Vets" (August 14, Forum).

It is true the 2005 federal budget increases funding by 15.3 percent ($9.3 billion) over 2004 and veterans' medical care funding has increased 75 percent, from $16.2 billion to $28.3 billion since 1995. However, one important "lagging indicator" has been omitted. The number of veterans enrolled for VA medical care has increased from 2.9 million in 1996 to 7 million on 2003. The enrollment has doubled with only a 44 percent increase in funding.

National Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Commander Alan W. Bowers recently stated that the disturbing reports from the White House of proposed spending cuts for virtually all agencies in care of domestic programs in the fiscal 2006 budget, including VA, will exceed $900 million with a resultant funding below the 2004 level.

There is widespread agreement that the funding system, not the VA health-care system, is in need of fundamental reform. Year after year, veterans must compete with pork barrel projects and other spending for funding to operate veterans' medical care program.

Those who have sacrificed the most for the freedoms of this nation should be assured that the goal is to change the funding mechanism for veterans' medical care from the capriciousness and uncertainties of the annual discretionary appropriations process to mandated funding at adequate levels through a formula for permanent authorizing legislation. Mandatory resources funding for veterans' medical care should be determined by real need rather than by the vagaries of politics. Veterans will indeed applaud the political party that accomplishes this goal.

Tom Davis

Lt Col, USAFR

Charlotte, N.C.

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