DAV Magazine — September/October 2016
Presidential Candidates Present views on DAV priority issues
EDITOR’S NOTE
DAV—which is a non-partisan organization—believes its members deserve to know where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump stand on key veterans issues in time for the general elections on November 8th. DAV asked both candidates to discuss specific policies they would propose regarding particular issues. Their responses are presented below as a way for our members to compare the candidates’ positions on issues affecting America’s veterans and their families. The responses have been edited by DAV for brevity, however, you can read their complete responses to all of our questions at dav.org/learn-more/news/2016/presidential-candidates-qa. The cooperation of the candidates and their campaign staffs is much appreciated.
Top Veterans Priorities
DAV: What are your top priorities for addressing the many challenges facing veterans, particularly those who are injured or ill from their service?
Clinton: I firmly believe that caring for our veterans is a sacred responsibility. That belief has helped guide my life in public service, and it will be a core tenet of my presidency. Upon returning home, no veteran should have to fight for a job or struggle to find adequate health care. That is why I have put forward a comprehensive plan to support veterans and their families.
I will create a new framework for VHA health care delivery by refocusing, reorganizing and streamlining the VHA to best serve veterans in the 21st century. I also will oppose the privatization of the VA health care system, which would throw the brave men and women who served us out into the health care marketplace. Choice should be a part of the solution, but the VA must maintain the ultimate responsibility of ensuring quality health care for every veteran, and delivering the specialized services they need and deserve. Studies have repeatedly shown that VA health care outperforms that of the civilian sector, and veterans are very satisfied with the care they receive once they are in the system.
Trump: VA reform will be at the top of my priority list when I become President of the United States. Along with growing a strong economy, restoring national sovereignty and recapitalizing our armed forces, making sure our veterans get the care they deserve will be at the forefront of my agenda as we move to restore government to the people. My ten-point plan to reform the VA can be viewed at: donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/icymi-trumps-ten-point-plan-to-reform-the-va.
The Trump administration will ensure that our service members are taken care of from the time they raise their hands to take their oaths until they give that last full measure for their country. Much of the focus has been on healthcare for our veterans, but my administration will address the totality of veterans’ issue.
Strengthen, Reform and Sustain the VA Health Care System
DAV: As President, how would you reform veterans health care in order to ensure that veterans have timely access to high-quality, veteranfocused health care?
Clinton: Veterans must have access to a system that puts their needs first. It is unacceptable that in the 21st century, our veterans still face long wait times and inconsistent care. As president, I will work to build a system that is fully prepared for their unique and growing needs. But I also know that we cannot simply throw money at these problems, as the VA’s implementation of the Veterans’ Choice Act has shown. We also cannot put our veterans at the mercy of the private insurance system without any care coordination, or leave them to fend for themselves with health care providers who have no expertise in the unique challenges facing veterans.
Under my plan, we will reform the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to create a fully networked organization dedicated to best practices and continuous improvement. That means refocusing, reorganizing, and streamlining the care process. And it must have the health care providers necessary to ensure it is able to provide quality and timely care. I would refocus the VHA as a veteran-centric provider of serviceconnected care.
Trump: Every veteran, from the moment of taking their oath of office, should become part of the robust, comprehensive veterans healthcare system. When these individuals leave the service and need access to the VA system, they should be able to get care where and when they need it. This means veterans should be placed in a system where with a single ID card, they can go to whatever facility or caregiver they wish. This will force the VA system to compete with the private sector and will relieve pressure on the VA system.
What is most critical is not that we get veterans off ghost lists or that we see a veteran in a specified time. We should be concentrating on outcomes for our veterans and not just on outputs of a scheduling system. The totality of care is what is critical for our veterans, and that is what we will focus on in the Trump-Pence administration.
Claims and Appeals Processing Reform
DAV: As President, how would you reform the claims and appeals process to ensure that all veterans get fair, timely and accurate decisions on benefit claims?
Clinton: My veterans plan recognizes that it is time for change, and it proposes concrete steps to get us there—ending the benefits and appeals backlog through overtime work, productivity improvements, and brand new initiatives.
The VA and DOD must work together to better anticipate claims and compile resources before backlogs spiral out of control. To streamline and simplify that process, we should integrate their medical evaluations, using “fully developed claims” from private providers, allowing rulesbased automatic adjudication for the simplest of applications, and ensuring veterans have an effective appeals process that ensures the VA gets it right. I also will direct DoD and VA administrators to eliminate bureaucratic barriers that inhibit seamless coordination and information sharing, including through new linkages with the private sector.
Trump: The claims process must be reformed if we are to provide timely care to our veterans, regardless of their situation. In order to clear the backlog and to deal with the ever-increasing claims load, a more streamlined system must be put in place that takes advantage of technology and a change in priorities for the VA.
We should focus on further regionalizing the process; taking the claims process to the veteran rather than having a mountainous bureaucracy impede adjudication. Veterans with claims should have an expectation of adjudication within 30 days and an appeal, if required, in a similar time window. If evaluations take longer, the veteran should be fully apprised of the steps along the way and should be involved in the process.
Find out more about the candidates’ responses to our questions regarding DAV’s legislative priorities—including women veterans issues and comprehensive caregiver benefits—at dav.org/learn-more/news/2016/presidential-candidates-qa.
DAV—which is a non-partisan organization—believes its members deserve to know where Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump stand on key veterans issues in time for the general elections on November 8th. DAV asked both candidates to discuss specific policies they would propose regarding particular issues. Their responses are presented below as a way for our members to compare the candidates’ positions on issues affecting America’s veterans and their families. The responses have been edited by DAV for brevity, however, you can read their complete responses to all of our questions at dav.org/learn-more/news/2016/presidential-candidates-qa. The cooperation of the candidates and their campaign staffs is much appreciated.
Top Veterans Priorities
DAV: What are your top priorities for addressing the many challenges facing veterans, particularly those who are injured or ill from their service?
Clinton: I firmly believe that caring for our veterans is a sacred responsibility. That belief has helped guide my life in public service, and it will be a core tenet of my presidency. Upon returning home, no veteran should have to fight for a job or struggle to find adequate health care. That is why I have put forward a comprehensive plan to support veterans and their families.
I will create a new framework for VHA health care delivery by refocusing, reorganizing and streamlining the VHA to best serve veterans in the 21st century. I also will oppose the privatization of the VA health care system, which would throw the brave men and women who served us out into the health care marketplace. Choice should be a part of the solution, but the VA must maintain the ultimate responsibility of ensuring quality health care for every veteran, and delivering the specialized services they need and deserve. Studies have repeatedly shown that VA health care outperforms that of the civilian sector, and veterans are very satisfied with the care they receive once they are in the system.
Trump: VA reform will be at the top of my priority list when I become President of the United States. Along with growing a strong economy, restoring national sovereignty and recapitalizing our armed forces, making sure our veterans get the care they deserve will be at the forefront of my agenda as we move to restore government to the people. My ten-point plan to reform the VA can be viewed at: donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/icymi-trumps-ten-point-plan-to-reform-the-va.
The Trump administration will ensure that our service members are taken care of from the time they raise their hands to take their oaths until they give that last full measure for their country. Much of the focus has been on healthcare for our veterans, but my administration will address the totality of veterans’ issue.
Strengthen, Reform and Sustain the VA Health Care System
DAV: As President, how would you reform veterans health care in order to ensure that veterans have timely access to high-quality, veteranfocused health care?
Clinton: Veterans must have access to a system that puts their needs first. It is unacceptable that in the 21st century, our veterans still face long wait times and inconsistent care. As president, I will work to build a system that is fully prepared for their unique and growing needs. But I also know that we cannot simply throw money at these problems, as the VA’s implementation of the Veterans’ Choice Act has shown. We also cannot put our veterans at the mercy of the private insurance system without any care coordination, or leave them to fend for themselves with health care providers who have no expertise in the unique challenges facing veterans.
Under my plan, we will reform the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to create a fully networked organization dedicated to best practices and continuous improvement. That means refocusing, reorganizing, and streamlining the care process. And it must have the health care providers necessary to ensure it is able to provide quality and timely care. I would refocus the VHA as a veteran-centric provider of serviceconnected care.
Trump: Every veteran, from the moment of taking their oath of office, should become part of the robust, comprehensive veterans healthcare system. When these individuals leave the service and need access to the VA system, they should be able to get care where and when they need it. This means veterans should be placed in a system where with a single ID card, they can go to whatever facility or caregiver they wish. This will force the VA system to compete with the private sector and will relieve pressure on the VA system.
What is most critical is not that we get veterans off ghost lists or that we see a veteran in a specified time. We should be concentrating on outcomes for our veterans and not just on outputs of a scheduling system. The totality of care is what is critical for our veterans, and that is what we will focus on in the Trump-Pence administration.
Claims and Appeals Processing Reform
DAV: As President, how would you reform the claims and appeals process to ensure that all veterans get fair, timely and accurate decisions on benefit claims?
Clinton: My veterans plan recognizes that it is time for change, and it proposes concrete steps to get us there—ending the benefits and appeals backlog through overtime work, productivity improvements, and brand new initiatives.
The VA and DOD must work together to better anticipate claims and compile resources before backlogs spiral out of control. To streamline and simplify that process, we should integrate their medical evaluations, using “fully developed claims” from private providers, allowing rulesbased automatic adjudication for the simplest of applications, and ensuring veterans have an effective appeals process that ensures the VA gets it right. I also will direct DoD and VA administrators to eliminate bureaucratic barriers that inhibit seamless coordination and information sharing, including through new linkages with the private sector.
Trump: The claims process must be reformed if we are to provide timely care to our veterans, regardless of their situation. In order to clear the backlog and to deal with the ever-increasing claims load, a more streamlined system must be put in place that takes advantage of technology and a change in priorities for the VA.
We should focus on further regionalizing the process; taking the claims process to the veteran rather than having a mountainous bureaucracy impede adjudication. Veterans with claims should have an expectation of adjudication within 30 days and an appeal, if required, in a similar time window. If evaluations take longer, the veteran should be fully apprised of the steps along the way and should be involved in the process.
Find out more about the candidates’ responses to our questions regarding DAV’s legislative priorities—including women veterans issues and comprehensive caregiver benefits—at dav.org/learn-more/news/2016/presidential-candidates-qa.
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