3.6.24: this mp3 audio file was automatically transcribed by Sonix with the best speech-to-text algorithms. This transcript may contain errors.
Speaker1:
I am speaking with Doctor Shereef Elnahal, who is undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Doctor Elnahal, thank you so much for taking a few minutes for me.
Speaker2:
Thanks so much for having me on, Matt.
Speaker1:
Well, the VA announcing one of the largest ever expansions of veteran health care here. What's changing with this expansion of care?
Speaker2:
Well, we expect millions more veterans to qualify for VA health care as of Tuesday, March 5th, and that includes veterans who are deployed in either the Gulf War or any of the post 911 missions, including Operation Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, new Dawn and more. But also any veteran who is exposed to a toxin during their service, regardless of whether they were deployed into any foreign conflict. That includes exposure to burn pits and Agent Orange, of course, but also jet fuels, pesticides, herbicides and other exposures that they may have experienced at a base domestically. And so these new groups of veterans were originally scheduled to qualify for health care every two years leading up to the year 2032. But because of a decision that President Biden made, we're going to make all of those veterans eligible as of Tuesday, March 5th. And so we're really excited because we know VA health care ends up being the highest quality and often most accessible option to veterans, and we have the privilege of providing more care to more veterans in ways that we haven't before. As of next week.
Speaker1:
Very good, wonderful, wonderful news there for veterans, especially those, as you say, who have been exposed to these, you know, toxic chemicals and other events. How's the VA going to determine if veteran participated in a in a toxic exposure risk activity and is eligible for this expansion of health care?
Speaker2:
We have a couple of ways of determining that for any veteran who's already enrolled but has an opportunity to get more of their health care costs covered because of this policy, we're screening and we've screened more than 5.2 million enrolled veterans already. On top of that, for a veteran who's not yet enrolled, we are querying a very large database of exposures that a veteran may have experienced during their service. It's called the individual longitudinal exposure record. And so if you indicate to us that you think you've had an exposure, we can crosswalk that and do the research ourselves to confirm it. And if you are exposed, we will make you eligible for VA healthcare. So please don't wait. Go to Va.gov pact and click apply for Health Care.
Speaker1:
Very good. And this is, um, this eligibility is, I guess, for, for all aspects of VA health care. It's not just for, for certain, um, types of care. Right. It's for VA health care in general, I guess, for lack of a better term on my part.
Speaker2:
That's right. Uh, it's really every option for VA health care that we can offer you, which includes primary care, mental health care, uh, acute care and hospital setting, whether that's in an emergency room or an inpatient bed, intensive care, telehealth, you name it. We can offer that care to you. And we're really excited for any veteran who might qualify.
Speaker1:
Very good. And, um, you know, obviously at least a few years, a few years back and this is a few years in the rearview mirror now, I guess. Um, but there were obviously, uh, there have been some struggles at the VA with providing health care in a timely basis to a lot of veterans. Um, luckily, my my dad, who has since passed, he did not experience that. That was not his personal experience with the VA. Everything was always great and timely with him. But, um, what have what sort of, uh, progress has been made as far as, you know, getting that care to those who have served this country in a more, you know, quick and and, and timely basis.
Speaker2:
Well, first of all, I appreciate your father's service to the country as I appreciate any veteran's service to defend our freedom. And so we always learn from situations where we don't provide care in a timely way to veterans, and the way we prepared to be able to meet the moment for veterans this year is by hiring more health care workers than we ever had before in 2023. In fact, we brought on more than 61,000 new health care workers across the country. That includes thousands of new mental health care workers and health care workers across the spectrum to be able to meet veteran care needs. And so I think we have the workforce numbers that we need. We've also been going to many more places to get more space by either acquiring it or leasing it, but also working with the Department of Defense to be able to get into their infrastructure to provide veterans who may live around those bases. And so we're really doing everything we can to add people and space to be able to meet the need.
Speaker1:
Very good. Anything else, doctor Elnahal that you would like to add that comes to mind?
Speaker2:
Just that President Biden asked us to accelerate eligibility for all these veterans, and we prepared to do so because we know that this has cared, that veterans have earned. And so originally, the law called for these veterans qualifying, you know, every two years, different cohorts up to 2032. And instead of waiting, we're making all of those veterans eligible as of Tuesday, March 5th. And we're really excited about that. We hope veterans take us up on it, even if we've said no to you before in an application for health care, chances are we can say yes because of these new eligibility, um, moves that we are making. So we're really excited to serve more veterans.
Speaker1:
Very good doctor Shereef Elnahal, undersecretary for health at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Doctor Elnahal, thank you so much. I really do appreciate your time.
Speaker2:
Thank you. Appreciate it.
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