From the Office of Senator Kerry

Friday, January 23, 2004

Washington D.C – Senator John F. Kerry today called on the Bush Administration to explain how they plan to provide quality health care to the thousands of troops returning from overseas duty without further stressing an overburdened Veterans health care system.

“I am outraged by the fact that soldiers are being forced to wait in substandard housing to receive medical care,” Senator Kerry said. “We must provide adequate medical care for those who put their life on the line for America. I am disappointed that the administration has not acted sooner in alleviating the health care crisis facing our veterans and better planned for our returning troops. It is my hope that this administration will immediately address the back-log and keep faith with those who keep our country safe.”

Recent press reports show that there is already a backlog of active duty troops waiting for medical care. As forces return from Iraq, the problem will only increase. Last fall it was reported that hundreds of national guardsmen and reservists were forced to live in substandard housing at Ft. Stewart , Georgia, while they awaited treatment. More recent reports show that currently some 2,500 troops are waiting for medical care after returning from overseas.

Pentagon officials have acknowledged that with the massive rotation of troops out of Iraq, DOD medical facilities will be insufficient. In a letter to Senator Kerry written in December, Pentagon officials say they plan to send some active duty troops to VA medical facilities. However, VA facilities are already operating at capacity, with 40,000 waiting for care, even after the Bush Administration took the drastic action of excluding veterans from the system, suspending outreach and attempting to raise co-payments to drive down participation.

Addressing the same issue Senator Kerry also wrote to Secretary Anthony J. Principi of the Department of Veterans Affairs:

“Less than a year after you took the drastic action of excluding veterans from the VA healthcare system, nearly two years after you suspended outreach activities to others, and while tens-of-thousands of veterans wait for care in the VA system, I am gravely concerned that the dearth of capacity in the Defense Department’s health care system and the VA’s traditional role in supporting DOD’s medical mission may impinge further on the ability of the VA to meet its mission to care for all of America’s veterans.”

Text of letters to Secretary Rumsfeld and Secretary Principi follow.

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January 22, 2004

The Honorable Donald Rumsfeld Secretary of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-1000

Dear Secretary Rumsfeld:

On October 21, 2003, I wrote to you requesting information about reports that military personnel at Fort Stewart, Georgia, were housed in sub-standard facilities while awaiting medical care in a back-logged Army medical system. Last week I received a response from Acting-Army Secretary R. L. Brownlee. A copy of Secretary Brownlee’s letter is attached for your review, but among other things he notes:

The rapid call-up of Reserve Component Soldiers to support the Nation’s tactical and strategic missions resulted in an unanticipated back-log of Soldiers in a medical hold status at major installations throughout the Army. . . . Our medical infrastructure has been augmented through increased use of medical support units, case managers, contract civilian medical support, and alternate Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities [emphasis added].

Last week, the Associated Press reported that more than 2,500 soldiers continue to wait for healthcare at a time when the largest rotation of U.S. forces in recent history is already underway and likely to lengthen the lists of service members on medical hold or needing post-deployment medical care.

Secretary Brownlee’s correspondence and the continuing rotation of U.S. forces out of Iraq raise several important questions:

• How many soldiers have been treated outside of the DOD healthcare system? • How many soldiers have been treated by “contract civilian support?” • How many soldiers have been treated in VA medical facilities?

I remain gravely concerned that these reports of continued delays for care by American soldiers, despite efforts identified by Secretary Brownlee, reflect a DOD hospital system that is under-staffed and under-prepared. The GAO identified serious shortcomings in the Department’s pre-deployment health screenings last autumn. I am concerned that the delays in care identified here reflect serious problems in the overall vitality of the DOD healthcare system.

There is nothing more important than the care and well-being of our troops. They have earned this care and we must not fail them. I hope that you will give your personal attention to this issue of basic welfare for our troops. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry

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January 22, 2004

The Honorable Anthony J. Principi Department of Veterans Affairs 810 Vermont Avenue Washington, DC 20420

Dear Secretary Principi:

On October 21, 2003, I wrote to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld regarding reports of poor living-conditions and back-logged medical care for military personnel at Fort Stewart, Georgia. I received a reply recently from Acting-Army Secretary R. L. Brownlee. A copy of his letter is attached, but in it he refers to Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities:

The rapid call-up of Reserve Component Soldiers to support the Nation’s tactical and strategic missions resulted in an unanticipated back-log of Soldiers in a medical hold status at major installations throughout the Army. . . . Our medical infrastructure has been augmented through increased use of medical support units, case managers, contract civilian medical support, and alternate Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities [emphasis added].

Less than a year after you took the drastic action of excluding veterans from the VA healthcare system, nearly two years after you suspended outreach activities to others, and while tens-of-thousands of veterans wait for care in the VA system, I am gravely concerned that the dearth of capacity in the Defense Department’s healthcare system and the VA’s traditional role in supporting DOD’s medical mission may impinge further on the ability of the VA to meet its mission to care for all of America’s veterans.

Secretary Brownlee’s correspondence raises the following questions:

• How have VA medical facilities been used by the DOD? • How many DOD patients has the VA treated? • What metrics has the VA developed to measure the affect this use is having on its ability to care for other veterans? • What do these metrics indicate about impact on the VA’s core missions? • How much will it cost the VA to provide these services to DOD? • What mechanisms are in place for the VA to recoup these costs from DOD? • What budgetary impact do you expect this mission will have on VA healthcare in the current fiscal year as well as FY05?

Every American who returns from Iraq, Afghanistan, or any deployment deserves the best care this country can provide. But we must not care for one generation of veterans at the expense of another. I am very concerned about the capacity of the Defense Department’s healthcare system to meet the demands of the current conflict. But I am equally concerned that the VA may be asked to further stretch its limited resources, further complicating a bad situation. Please give your personal attention to this issue of basic welfare for our troops and our veterans. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

John F. Kerry