Improve VA (Veterans' Affairs) Healthcare to Stop the High Rate of Veteran Suicide

Since 2009, an estimated 27,780 veterans and 2,659 service members have died by their own hand. In a single year alone, more veterans die by suicide than have died in all the years of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars combined. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Wait lists for mental health and even medical care can be excessive, sometimes taking 3 months for a primary care appointment and even months to years to receive mental health treatment. There are simply not enough medical and mental health professionals employed by Veterans Affairs (VA) to go around. Over one million benefits claims are currently on the back burner due to lack of personnel to review the files. The drastic underfunding of the VA healthcare system has a great impact on the quality and quantity of care that veterans are able to receive.

Proper medical and mental healthcare for those that have served our great nation should be a priority in the United States of America. Unfortunately, our nation's veterans are often faced with long waiting lists for medical care and mental health treatment. Due to the great difficulty in receiving proper care experienced by those who have fought for our country many veterans have resorted to suicide. As is the case with Army Specialist Ryan Yurchison who died three months in to a six month waiting list for inpatient treatment his local VA facility. We strongly urge the federal government, who has a responsibility to care for our current and former service members, to increase funding and the number of medical professionals to provide proper care at VA health facilities around the country.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/improvements-va-healthcare-system-effort-lower-rate-veteran-suicides/rwT90HWC