Military Times on Wednesday published the responses to a questionnaire submitted to both major party presidential candidates to learn their stances on veterans issues ahead of the 2020 election.
The American Legion was one of several veteran service organization’s that partnered with the military news network to ask the campaigns of President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden about their plans for improving access to VA medical care, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage health institutions in the United States.
Issue in Context: Veteran Access to VA Medical Care
While the VA in California has had success in containing and preventing widespread coronavirus transmission at its facilities in the recent past, dwindling PPE equipment stockpiles are straining a system that has already faced other issues such as staffing shortages in recent years.
President Donald Trump’s Campaign Reports on Recent VA Improvements
President Trump’s campaign reported that “this fiscal year alone, 42,000 new employees have been hired to address the increased staffing required” to improve the quality of care, address wait times, and fulfill staffing needs.
The Trump campaign said that the VA was granted the ability to remove hiring restrictions for bringing back retired nurses and doctors in addition to increasing the authority of nurse practitioners in terms of providing medical care. Additionally, the campaign reports that the “VA has delivered more than 9 million telehealth episodes [this year], including over 1.1 million virtual mental health appointments.”
The Trump campaign also noted that since President Trump took office in 2017, the VA has improved its public image, with a strong majority of patients saying they would recommend VA medical care for veterans.
Former Vice President Joe Biden Wants to Fill Staffing Vacancies and Restore Trust in the VA
Presidential candidate Joe Biden said that improving access to VA care starts with restoring trust in the VA. In his outline, Biden noted that COVID-19 treatment is a priority in addition to ensuring that the VA’s PPE requirements are met.
Biden said part of his plan is to fill “a staffing shortage of nearly 50,000 positions” in addition to improving the VA’s ability to hire and retain top medical talent in the country by offering more competitive pay. More broadly, he noted that “expanding professional schools and increasing incentives to have family practices and practices in rural communities” is a part of his plan to create a surplus of medical professionals in the country.
Biden also noted that expanding access to telemedicine in “rural and under-served areas” is a goal. The former Vice President said that privatizing or defunding the VA is not on the table.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
