"I also read in our local paper that our VA hospital has over 400 veterans waiting to see a primary care physician because this VA hospital has been unable to hire another doctor."

I wanted to clarify this - simply because the Veteran does not have a primary care provider does not mean the Veteran is not able to be seen. A walk-in appointment is usually available within 1-3 days. You just won't see the same Doc each time - but your file is still the same. And for emergencies the Veteran only needs to present at the ER for immediate care.

There is a lot of discussion about the VA and who they are mandated to see. It is the opinion of many that those who served in peacetime and have no service connected injuries should not be the responsibility of the VA. I tend to agree. But for those who served in wartime, and this has come to pass, they should receive care at the VA if they need it. Current rules state that troops serving in a hostile environment will be eligible to receive all of their health care free, for the first two years after release from active duty, from the VA.

This should accomplish a couple of things. First it will allow the VA to document all reported problems from those who were there. Second it will provide the clinical evidence for claims of the Veterans and expedite an abnormally slow process (that being claims).

The VA has very few facilities that are not able to meet the current needs. But President Bush is not a very good advocate for the Veteran. He is a good commander, in my opinion, but has not done well by the Veteran. Hopefully continued lobbying will suffice to rectify this. The President is creating a massive voting block and they will have something to say about their care.

Steve