Administration Turned Away 260,000 Veterans
Who Sought VA Care in 2005 

Washington, D.C. –   More than 260,000 veterans applied to receive health care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in fiscal year 2005 but were turned away because of the Bush Administration’s cost-cutting decision to limit veterans’ access to VA hospitals, clinics and medications.  Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL), the ranking Democratic member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is calling on President Bush to seek adequate funding in FY 2007 to allow these veterans to get care and medications at the VA. The Administration will submit its budget request to the Congress on February 6. 

“There is no reason for the VA to give the cold shoulder to veterans who have served our country honorably,” said Evans.  “The problem is not that veterans are seeking health care from the VA, the problem is that the Administration would rather bar the doors and ration care than put forth an adequate budget to cover the needs of veterans.” 

Since January 17, 2003, the Administration has barred access to VA care to new Priority 8 veterans -- those who do not receive monetary compensation from VA for service-connected disabilities and whose incomes are above a national and geographic income threshold.  In 2005, the national income means threshold for a single veteran was $25,842.  The geographic means threshold for 2005 by state and county can be found at the VA’s Web site at http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/costs/docs/GMT_Income_Thresholds_2004.pdf .  VA estimated that from January 2003 through September 2005 it would bar more than half a million veterans.   

Data show that the VA turned away nearly 9,000 Illinois veterans who applied for VA health care in FY 2005 due to the Administration’s enrollment ban [state-by-state list attached].  Evans said he is concerned that the number of veterans shut out of VA health care is considerably larger because veterans are discouraged from even applying for care.   

STATE-BY-STATE IMPACT OF ENROLLMENT BAN IN FY 2005

Number of veterans in each state and territory who applied for VA-provided health care and who were refused enrollment in FY 2005 because of the Administration's decision to bar access for new Priority 8 veterans.        

AK         578

AL       5,004

AR      4,983

AZ       5,835

CA    17,378

CO      3,599

CT       2,651

DC         164

DE          877

FL     27,465

GA     7,062

HI           710

IA       4,762

ID       1,608

IL       8,944

IN       5,700

KS      2,878

KY     4,506

LA      4,893

MA     3,509

MD     3,051

ME     2,403

MI      5,942

MN     5,319

MO     5,552

MS     4,308

MT     1,956

NC    10,405

ND         927

NE       1,991

NH      1,434

NJ        4,808

NM      1,851

NV      2,111

NY      9,357

OH      9,764

OK      4,013

OR      4,162

PA     13,262

RI        1,045

SC       5,964

SD       1,201

TN       6,165

TX     19,204

UT       1,361

VA      5,459

VT          751

WA     4,584

WI       6,622

WV     2,550

WY        777

Guam/Puerto Rico/

Virgin Islands    1,059

Unknown/ Other Territory 793