Jan 23, 2003 2 min read

Last Thursday the Fayette County Veterans Affairs office hosted a gathering at the Amvets Post in Hopwood to get the word out. Of the county’s estimated 16,500 veterans, just 3,400 have applied for health benefits. About 75 vets showed to sign up and learn more about health care benefits that the government agreed to provide in exchange for their service to their country. Ironically, the same day the Veterans Affairs Department announced that it would curtail enrollment of higher-income vets who need health care for non-military related diseases. This means a vet in New Bedford, Mass., earning more than $29,200 a year, can’t be treated for heart disease at the government’s expense.

The VA claims it has no choice to back away from its commitment and policy that was set in 1996 to provide open health care to all veterans. Congress had ordered the agency to do so. But Congress has failed to fully fund this venture.

In 1996 when the policy was adopted, the VA cared for 2.9 million. Today that number has risen to 6.8 million. Not all vets apply. Those with private health care insurance pass on that offered by the VA. Most likely those with higher incomes fall into this category. But it is still wrong for the VA to cut them off.

Congress can correct this and fully fund the VA program. To do otherwise is for the country to betray its soldiers. This is the worst kind of message to send, especially as our country stands on the brink of war.