Support Our Veterans by Supporting Our Hospitals

By Former U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly

Last month, as always, we celebrated and honored the brave men and women who have served this country, who answered our country’s call and served our nation in uniform. On Veterans Day, we also remember the duty we share to care for those who put their lives on the line for us.

This important responsibility is only growing.

Like all of us, America’s veterans are getting older. Nearly half of the more than 18 million men and women with military service are 65 or older. The average age of those who served in the Vietnam War, our largest veteran group, is 71. As these individuals continue aging, their healthcare needs, which already tend to be more complex, are also increasing.

But, of course, the needs aren’t limited to older veterans. Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, many of whom bear both physical and psychological scars from combat, require and deserve a broad range of care. Post-traumatic stress and challenges reintegrating into civilian life have increased the demand for mental health services alongside physical care.

We owe it to our veterans to ensure reliable access to quality healthcare. And our hospitals are critical to that mission.

In Congress, I worked hard to expand access to healthcare, especially for our military and veterans. I am so proud of helping to secure the St. Joseph VA Health Clinic in Mishawaka, Indiana. The state-of-the-art facility made it easier for thousands of Hoosier veterans, who previously had to drive hours to neighboring cities, to get the best medical care available. I was proud to introduce the Jacob Sexton Military Suicide Prevent Act and the Servicemember and Veteran Mental Health Care Package, which make mental health resources more available to those who serve, because the lasting effects of military service are often more than skin deep.

The Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) has made progress in improving access to and quality of veterans’ care and more than 9 million veterans are enrolled in its healthcare system. But it can’t do it all. Nearly half of veterans rely on local hospitals and healthcare systems for their healthcare needs, even when using VA benefits.

Hospitals are the only facilities that provide continuous 24/7 medical care. Whether military or civilian, whenever an individual or family experiences an emergency, day or night, they can count on getting immediate, quality care at their local hospital. It doesn’t matter their age, race, gender, or even whether they have insurance. Hospitals treat every patient who walks through their doors.

The around-the-clock access to complex care that hospitals provide is critical to veterans. Research shows that veterans are more likely to experience chronic and complex health conditions, like cancer, stroke and heart disease, and they are more likely to have worse outcomes than non-veterans, even when adjusting for age and other factors. In other words, veterans are at heightened risk of becoming sick with a serious disease, and they tend to fare worse when that happens.

Our hospitals are best equipped to handle those needs. They have the full slate of resources to care for even the most severe conditions. And if they don’t, they can get patients into a continuum of care and coordinate a course of treatment with the right specialists. More than four in five patients say they value having their care coordinated under one roof rather than being left on their own to string together a patchwork plan themselves.

Recent analysis underscores hospitals’ crucial, unique role in providing care, including in rural communities. Americans rely on the around-the-clock care that hospitals provide, with rural patients visiting Emergency Departments nearly 18 million times in 2021 alone.

There are symbolic ways we honor those who serve: the parades, the BBQs, a handshake and thank-you. And then there are practical ways — like ensuring those who preserve our freedom are taken care of. That is an ongoing mission that we must regularly recommit to. I encourage policymakers in Washington to continue to support our vets by making sure they have access to quality healthcare — which includes standing with our hospitals.