Thank you Mr. Chairman,

I appreciate the opportunity to testify before the Subcommittee today.

As of November 2009, there were nearly 8 million veterans enrolled in the VA Healthcare system.  With new veterans entering the system every day and approximately 174,000 Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom patients receiving VA healthcare, it is clear that our duty to our Nation’s veterans is as strong now as it has ever been.

Today, there are 153 VA Medical Centers and 768 Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) available to serve the needs of these veterans.

When a veteran calls to schedule an appointment in one of these 921 facilities, they should be able to receive an appointment that is timely and appropriate to their medical needs.

Unfortunately, for many veterans, this does not happen.

The VA lauds itself for completing 99 percent of its primary care appointments within 30 days of the desired date.  However, this means that nearly 32,000 patients still are waiting beyond 30 days for their primary care appointment.

Additionally, there is a discernable difference between existing patients and new patients, as only 88.8 percent of new patients complete their appointments within 30 days of the desired date.

Healthcare delayed is healthcare denied and our Nation’s veterans deserve better.

In September 2007, VA Office of the Inspector General found that the Veterans Health Administration’s method of calculating the waiting times of new patients understates the actual waiting times.  In this report, the Inspector General made five recommendations to reduce wait times at VHA facilities.  To date, four of these five recommendations remain unresolved.

When I first was elected to Congress, I inquired into the wait time numbers from Veterans Health Administration facilities in my District and across the country.  The numbers the VA gave me both for VISN 8 and nationwide did not match with the stories I heard from my veterans.  It was clear the VA was playing games with scheduling and cancelling appointments.  I fear these games are still being played today.

For this reason, I introduced H.R. 84, the Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act.  This bill would make the standard for a veteran seeking primary care from the Department of Veterans Affairs 30 days from the date that the veteran contacts the Department.

Veterans should not need to wait more than 30 days to receive an appointment from their primary care physician.

The VA does provide a high level of care to all of the veterans who are enrolled in the system.  This is why the majority of patients rate their level of overall satisfaction with their treatment as “very good” or “excellent,” regardless of whether they are receiving inpatient or outpatient services.

I want to be clear: this bill is NOT a scheme to move the VA towards privatization.  I simply want to ensure that veterans receive care in a reasonable amount of time.

As Members of Congress, we have an obligation to ensure that veterans receive the best healthcare available to them.  If veterans are having problems receiving care within 30 days of contacting the Department of Veterans Affairs, then Congress needs to allow them to look for an alternative.  That is what this bill does.

This hearing today is to determine whether the VA is meeting the goal of timely access to care.

Our Nation’s veterans did not wait 30 days to answer the call of duty.

They answered their Nation’s call and took up arms to protect our freedom.

They deserve the same dedication and steadfastness from us.

With over 116,000 veterans living in my District, I have the distinguished honor to meet with these true American heroes on a regular basis.  I hear about the issues they have with the VA.  Over and over again, I still hear about how difficult it is to schedule an appointment a doctor in a timely matter.

This is unacceptable and must be corrected.  The Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act is an important step in fixing this persistent problem.

Congress recently allowed for advanced appropriations for the VA.  This new funding structure should allow the VA to properly manage their funds and hire the staff necessary to meet the demand at VA facilities. 

However, when the VA still fails to meet the needs of our veterans seeking healthcare, this legislation provides an effective alternative.

Congress and administrations must not turn the care of our Nation’s veterans into a political issue.

Instead, we must all work together to ensure that they receive the healthcare they risked so much to earn.  We must continue those practices that already work and improve those that are failing.  H.R. 84 does just that.

Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back the balance of my time.