U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

August 4, 2006

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director

                        303-455-7600

Andrew Nannis  – Press Secretary

                        202-224-5852


  Senate Approves Sen. Salazar’s Vision Creating Rural Veterans Health Care Office in V.A.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than six million of America’s veterans live in rural communities where they face unique challenges and concerns. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs fails to recognize this important distinction. However, the Senate last night approved the creation of an Office of Rural Health Care, an idea spearheaded by United States Senator Ken Salazar, placing rural veterans one step closer to improved health care.

“This is a positive step forward. This new office will increase the VA’s focus on this often-neglected segment of our population and improve the way our government provides services and care to those veterans,” said Senator Salazar. “The care our Nation provides rural veterans in return for protecting our country should not suffer because some may have chosen to live in rural America. We owe them no less for their sacrifice.”

The original idea for a rural veterans’ health care office grew out of a field hearing Senator Salazar chaired with veterans living in Colorado’s rural communities who expressed their concerns about the V.A.’s failure to recognize the special circumstances of the regions where they made their homes. Senator Salazar then teamed with Senator John Thune (R-SD) to introduce the Rural Veterans Care Act (S.2433), to address these concerns by creating a specialized Office of Rural Health Care within the VA.

A 2004 VA study of 750,000 veterans found that veterans living in rural areas are in poorer health than their urban counterparts. Because of the distance and other difficulties associated with obtaining care, many rural veterans put off preventive as well as necessary treatment.

As a result, veterans living in rural areas are in poorer health and pay more for health care than their urban counterparts. Despite the fact that 23 percent of the nation’s veterans live in rural areas, the VA does not currently have a high-level office responsible for coordinating care to this vital constituency.

  • There are approximately 5.7 million veterans in the U.S. living in rural areas, including tens of thousands in Colorado.
  • Many of these veterans are forced to travel hundreds of miles to obtain care. In Northwest Colorado, for example, veterans must drive hours to Grand Junction for care.
  • According to a recent VA study, veterans in rural areas are in substantially poorer health than their urban and suburban counterparts. With an average U.S. health score of 50, urban veterans scored a 37, and rural veterans scored a 33.
  • More than 44 percent of U.S. military recruits come from rural areas. In contrast, 14 percent come from major cities.

Specifically, the Office of Rural Health would be charged with conducting, promoting and disseminating research into issues affecting rural veterans; and developing and refining policies and programs to improve care and services for rural veterans. The Director of the Office would also be required to identify officials in each of the nation’s 23 Service Networks to be the point person for consulting on and coordinating research and policies in their respective areas.

Finally, the Office of Rural Health will conduct a study on the feasibility of expanding the use of fee-basis care, whereby the VA contracts its services out on a limited basis to third-party provider, in an effort to improve increase access for care for rural veterans.

The bill now awaits consideration in the House of Representatives.

 

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