Grave concerns regarding veterans’ access to care emerged recently after inexcusable wait times for care were brought to light. To make matters worse, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the agency tasked with protecting the men and women who serve so selflessly, was covering up the issue by manipulating wait lists. I think we can all agree that this situation must be remedied as soon as possible so that veterans across the country get the care they deserve.

In response to the crisis, Congress overwhelmingly passed the “Veteran’s Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014” last week and the president signed the bill into law today. This legislation funnels more than $16 billion to the VA – the largest integrated health care system in the country – to reform the way health care is delivered to veterans. In addition to increasing the oversight of VA facilities, the funding will help veterans access health care outside of the VA system. Specifically, the legislation devotes $10 billion to pay private doctors to treat eligible veterans who the VA can’t treat in a timely manner. An additional $5 billion will be allocated to hiring more doctors and health care professionals to serve veterans.

From coast to coast, we fight every day to ensure that our patients receive the highest quality care possible. Now, we will have even greater opportunities to serve veterans in more settings.

ACC Florida Chapter Governor A. Allen Seals, MD, FACC, is already taking action. A resolution proposed by the Florida Chapter calling for the Florida Medical Association (FMA) to immediately establish an ad hoc committee to address this VA crisis has been adopted by the FMA’s House of Delegates. “These individuals that proudly served our nation should not be left on ‘waiting lists’ and sustain increased suffering and increased mortality,” notes the resolution. In addition to adopting the resolution, the FMA has established a physician registry to identify physicians willing to see VA patients.  Other state medical associations are also following suit.

The ACC has representatives from the Army, Navy and Air Force who act as liaisons between their respective services and the College. These liaisons represent their military cardiology colleagues, enhancing collaboration between the ACC and their communities, and optimizing use of the tremendous resources the ACC has to offer.

I know we can build on this network and other initiatives at ACC to join with the VA in better serving our nation’s heroes. This highlights the importance of timely and convenient access to care, and is an example of how that improved access can impact health care disparities.

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