Cantwell Pushes for More Access to VA Healthcare
6,000 veterans to benefit in Washington state
SPOKANE, WA - This morning U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is meeting with veterans and local Veterans Affairs officials in Spokane to announce legislative efforts to seek approximately $30 million for Washington state VA medical centers. The funds could increase access to healthcare for an estimated 6,000 Washington veterans.
"Our veterans took care of us when our country needed them. Now we need to take care of our veterans," Cantwell said.
Next week Cantwell will join her colleagues in a bipartisan effort to increase VA medical center funds by $1.3 billion nationwide. Approximately $30 million of those funds would go to Washington state, which received $496 million for VA medical care last year. Next year, Washington state is expected to receive approximately $521 million for veterans healthcare. The amendment to the Iraq supplemental bill would increase those funds to $551 million, allowing the state to care for approximately 6,000 new veterans.
"Veterans have helped defend and ultimately preserve this great nation for future Americans," Cantwell added. "We need to make sure we keep our commitment to these heroes."
The Spokane VA Medical Center is the primary VA hospital facility in Eastern Washington. The hospital operates about 30 hospital beds and 30 rehabilitation-oriented nursing home beds. The hospital had about 182,000 outpatient visits last year. 2,800 people are still on the waiting list to receive primary care. One third of the facility's patients travel more than 100 miles to receive primary care.
Because of its strong bipartisan support, the amendment is expected to be added to the Iraq supplemental next week.
Next Article Previous Article
