Bill seeks hospitals for vets in every state

[unhappycamper]

Bill seeks hospitals for vets in every state
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 15, 2009 15:46:59 EST

A bill introduced Wednesday in the Senate proposes to provide equal access in every state to a full-service veterans’ hospital.

Three states — Alaska, Hawaii and New Hampshire — do not have full-service veterans hospitals, but the bill, The Veterans Health Equity Act of 2009, orders only access to either a VA hospital or comparable contract services in the continental U.S.

Freshman Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., the chief sponsor of S. 239, made no secret of the fact that she is looking out for her state.

“New Hampshire is currently the only state that does not have a full-service veterans hospital or a military hospital that provides comparable care to veterans,” she said. “This imposes a great burden on too many New Hampshire veterans who are forced to travel out of state for routine medical services.”

New Hampshire’s other U.S. senator, Republican Judd Gregg, said the 130,000 veterans living in the state who need VA care travel to Maine, Massachusetts or Vermont.


Rest of article at: http://armytimes.com/news/2009/01/military_veteranshealth_equity_011509w/%2e

[eilen]

1. People with TBI's can't drive

There should at least be a military hospital in NH that the veterans can access that can address their routine medical needs.