Ninety-eight percent of veterans favor more health care choices outside the existing VA medical system, according to a new poll released by Concerned Veterans for America.

Among the poll’s key findings:

• Ninety-two percent of veterans think it is very or extremely important that lawmakers in Washington improve the way health care is provided to veterans; and
• Fully ninety-eight percent of veterans support efforts to reform the health care veterans receive generally.

Giving veterans more control over their health care goes beyond adequately funding the current VA Choice Program. It requires deeper, more comprehensive reform that not only expands veterans’ health care choices, but also tackles the systematic obstacles to providing quality care. The poll found that:

• Sixty-one percent of veterans think it is difficult to access medical care through the VA;
• Sixty-four percent believe wait times at VA medical facilities are unreasonable; and
• Forty-nine percent think problems at VA medical facilities are due to bureaucracy and mismanagement.

It is unacceptable that many veterans are forced to use VA facilities that make them wait, neglect them or provide them with low-quality care. Any legitimate choice legislation must solve these problems by including:

• Real health care choice that empowers veterans at the VA;
• Effective cost controls;
• Innovative pilot programs; and
• Increased transparency of costs and quality of VA care.

The popularity of the Choice Program speaks to veterans’ desire to control their own health care. It’s time we gave them that control. Veterans chose to serve their country – they deserve to choose their own doctor. Sign the petition urging Congress to support VA choice.

The post Vets Overwhelmingly Favor Health Care Choice at the VA [NEW POLL] appeared first on Concerned Veterans for America.