ACTION

This is what veterans need now. This is how you can help us. We need a healthcare account funded by the VA for veterans that the veteran could buy non-VA healthcare with. This is how we are going to make that happen: with the following letter. Tell people to join us here, get their copy of the following and send it to their congressmen and senators. The best thing you can do is actual paper, envelope and stamp. If you must, e-mail is better than nothing at all. 

You can find your congressmen easily at:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

And your senator at: 
http://www.senate.gov/reference/common/faq/How_to_contact_senators.htm

Date

Your Name
Address
City, State Zip

Dear (Representative/Senator) (Name),

My name is (your name) and I live in district (your district). I am writing to express my concerns about the VA healthcare system.

As you know our nation is losing twenty-two (22) veterans everyday to suicide. We are losing untold hundreds due to incompetence of the Veterans Affairs healthcare system. Much has been said about this nationally. Congress seemed to act quickly with the Veteran’s choice card issued under the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act. However, it is anything but a choice. Veterans are now finding out they cannot choose a doctor; they have little choice as to when their appointment is to be. Veterans are not being paid for mileage as is required by law. Many of the appointments are many miles beyond the absurd distances they are required to drive already to get care. An increasing number of vets are not getting any care under this new system because there are no doctors “signed up” or “in the system”. Vets are still waiting because the VA still has to first diagnose a “need” then try for month to fill the appointment. Moreover, to add insult to what is great injury, veterans are having to pay for the appointments as the VA is delaying payment to the provider, and the vet is made responsible for the VA’s nonpayment. Veterans are finding out there are far too many hoops to jump through for this new program to be in anyway effective. But then that was the point wasn't it? The Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act was a political ploy to make the American people think our leadership cares for America’s veterans. It is clear you do not. The VA is spending millions of healthcare dollars on advertising and website development to convince the American people they care about vets. It is clear you do not. This letter is not to tell you how I want you to vote or act as my elected representative. It is a demand. I am demanding you, this day, draft legislation to give American veterans a healthcare account that they may buy their own health care insurance with. The VA hospital system is out of date, out of touch and out of control. It would take hundreds of years to fix the VA and many thousands of American veterans will die waiting for you to fulfill the commitment we as a nation agreed to. It cost the United States approximately $750-$900 to cover a veteran under the current VA hospital system. Those numbers are most likely much higher. Create legislation that will put this money into an account, much like the VA education funds, and let vets buy their own healthcare. Place no restrictions on it save that they can only spend the funds on health insurance, i.e. HMOs or PPOs. Also allow insurance companies to cover and entire family if they can as a way to be competitive. Many families do not pay as much to cover all of their members as the VA spends to cover just one vet. Let them have the whole $750-$900. The current chain of VA hospitals can bid for these funds like any other healthcare provider. After all if VA healthcare is so much better than civilian health care as they say, then vets will overwhelmingly choose the VA hospital system. Give them real choice; give them real healthcare, now!

Name:
Credentials: (Teacher, businessman, administrator, parent, etc.) Address:
Phone Number:
Email:

Respectively, (Your Name)