McDonald: "We are working harder and smarter"
VA Secretary Robert McDonald address the national convention. (Photo by Lucas Carter)

McDonald: "We are working harder and smarter"

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert A. McDonald called on thousands of American Legion family members Tuesday to support President Obama’s $168.8 billion VA budget request for 2016 and to deflect congressional efforts to reduce spending at a time of rising demand, improving performance, aging infrastructure and staffing needs.

Speaking at the Legion’s 97th National Convention, in Baltimore, McDonald shared numerous statistics to illustrate improvements in the department – primarily in the timely delivery of health care and in the processing of benefits claims. He said VA completed approximately 7 million more medical appointments in 2014 than it did in 2013 and that 97 percent were within 30 days of the veteran’s preferred date. “We are working harder and smarter, and the result is more care for veterans,” McDonald said.

He also reported that VA has dropped its backlog of claims pending 125 days or longer to below 100,000, an all-time low. Mandatory overtime and increased staffing contributed to the reduction, he said. Mandatory overtime, he later added, “cannot go on forever” and that adequate funding will be needed to “right-size” both the benefits and health-care arms of the department.

Although average waiting times for patient appointments and claims decisions have sharply declined over the last year, according to VA statistics, McDonald said, “Veteran demand for services and benefits has exceeded VA’s capacity to meet it. It’s important that Congress and the American people understand why that is happening.”

He told the crowd that the U.S. veteran population is aging, average disability ratings have increased from 30 percent to 47.7 percent since 2000, and the sheer number of claims handled by VA is expected to climb by 47 percent, to 1.4 million projected for 2017, in an eight-year span.

He explained that in 1975, there were only about 2 million veterans over the age of 65. “In 2017, there will be 10 million veterans over age 65.”

The cost of providing adequate care for veterans is compounded by serious infrastructure needs, McDonald explained, noting that there are more than 900 VA buildings in the system that are over 90 years old, and that a full 60 percent are 50 years old or older. The cost to update the infrastructure has been estimated to run as high as $23 billion over the next decade.

VA’s inability to meet demand with budgeted resources came to a head this summer when the department announced to Congress it projected a shortfall of over $3.5 billion to end the current fiscal year. Congress granted VA the ability to shift unused funds from its Choice Act program, which allows veterans to use non-VA providers in areas where VA services are distant or appointment waiting times are high. However, that move was just for this fiscal year.

“To accommodate present and future changes in demand for care, VA needs permanent flexibility to move from funds among accounts,” McDonald told the convention attendees. “We need to move the money to where the veteran goes.”

He further explained that increased staff, improved customer service and better technology have all improved VA over the last year. “Veterans are waiting much less time for pending claims,” he said, adding, “We’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

Adequate funding – which McDonald said is requested in President Obama’s 2016 budget proposal – is a requirement to keep the department moving in the right direction. “If we don’t fund the requirement, we can’t be expected to meet the requirement,” he said.

McDonald drew applause from the crowd when he addressed rumblings of privatization of VA health care. “Recently, some people in Washington and other parts of the country have begun to question the need for VA,” he said. “One thing I have learned since my confirmation as secretary is there is no substitute for VA. Veterans need VA. American medicine needs the VA. Americans everywhere benefit from the VA.”