The medical care received by America’s veterans has long been criticized for its uneven quality, delays in service and wasteful spending practices.

With the U.S. fighting two wars, the number in need of quality care will continue to grow. Veterans and their dependents should not have to endure long waits and inadequate medical care — it’s time to address these issues and chronic reports of staff shortages, outdated equipment and decaying facilities.
Part of the problem is the budget bottleneck on Capitol Hill. Each year, Congress decides how much money to give the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide medical services, and almost every year — 20 out of the past 23 — Congress has been late in approving funding. This ritual of tardiness leaves VA administrators unable to make informed decisions on hiring staff, paying for needed equipment or meeting performance goals. That’s no way to run a business — especially when it’s the largest health care provider in the country.
So it’s encouraging to see near unanimous support from Congress and the Obama administration for legislation that could break the logjam: a bill authorizing Congress to approve funding for veterans’ medical care a year ahead of the regular budget cycle. The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 will allow the VA to make key decisions to improve the efficiency and quality of service. President Obama is scheduled to sign the bill this morning.
“You wouldn’t run a lunch wagon without knowing how many employees you can hire,” said Hawaiçi’s U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. “From now on, Veterans Health will get their budget one year in advance, and they will know how many doctors and nurses they can hire and what funds will be available for important long-term investments like (information technology).”
The act won’t smooth out all the rough edges. Careful planning will be needed to ensure that the VA’s year-out budget projections are accurate. Fortunately, the act requires the Governmental Accountability Office to provide much-needed public oversight over how the VA builds its budget. This should allow Congress to make more informed decisions — which will be critical when approving funding a year in advance.
America’s veterans have endured enough challenges defending our country. They should not have to endure a poorly run medical system.