President-elect Obama has previously stated that under his Administration, he will restore health care eligibility for priority group 8 veterans. Priority group 8 veterans include non-service-connected veterans whose income exceeds approximately $32,342 without dependents.

With reports of veterans facing difficulties obtaining care at VA medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics in a timely fashion, one has to question whether or not it is advisable to open the VA’s doors wider and place further strain on the system…

From VetsFirst’s perspective, the answer is unqualified: Yes, priority group 8 veterans have earned access to VA health care because they served our Nation in uniform and they either stood ready to defend her, or defended her and were fortunate enough not to have sustained a service-connected injury.

Priority group 8 veterans deserve VA health care and their inclusion strengthens the system. The VA is the Nation’s largest medical education institution. Category 8 veterans provide young doctors and researchers healthier patients thereby rounding out their medical education experience. Doctors trained in the VA should and must learn medicine on a population that will more closely resemble society – this happens when Category 8 veterans are included.

Regarding the already long wait times for the existing categories of veterans being served, this once again reinforces the need for advanced appropriations so that VA administrators can plan for increased demand. It will be prudent to have the VA open the door slowly to control the onslaught of category 8 veterans, but advanced appropriations will give the VA ample time to add more staff and ready more treatment rooms.

The bottom line from VetsFirst’s perspective is simple: Every veteran who served this Nation honorably has earned his or her access to VA health care for a lifetime. Furthermore, every Congress and Administration should make ample funds available to provide each and every veteran the health care they need in a timely fashion.

Let’s see if President-elect Obama can begin universal health care with the veteran population.