Veterans allege VA circumventing MISSION Act, delaying care
HOUSTON - The MISSION Act passed in 2018 gave veterans the right to seek treatment through a community care network. But since January, some say VA hospitals all over the country are circumventing the law with deadly consequences.
FOX 26 spoke with two veterans, who asked not to be identified out of fear the VA would retaliate against them.
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Both veterans, who had substance abuse issues of their own, are now working to help other vets struggling with drug abuse, PTSD and homelessness.
They say they know of veterans who've waited over a month for treatment. There shouldn't be a wait because of the 2018 MISSION Act.
"If you could not get mental health or substance abuse treatment within a 30-minute drive of your residence or a 20-day wait, when you needed it, you had the absolute right for a community care provider in the network," said Darin Selnick..
Since January, a mandate took away a veteran's right to get treatment sooner through a community provider and not the VA.
According to the Red Team Report, "The increasing number of veterans being referred for community health care and the rapidly rising costs are eroding the VA's direct care system." That means veterans are waiting longer for treatment, especially those dealing with substance abuse issues.
"There's an increase in the suicide rate," Selnick said. "Many veterans are in danger, health wise or suicide wise, because they're not getting treatments or they're being told they must wait."
One of the two veterans says he personally knows of three veterans who committed suicide while waiting for substance abuse treatment.
Both say they believe more than 100 veterans in the Houston area have had to wait for substance abuse treatment since January.
We reached out to the VA hospital for comment, but we've yet to hear back.