We need to support health providers that give care to Wisconsin veterans | Opinion

“Service” is a word with many meanings here in America. Most simply, it’s the act of helping others. For many of us, service first calls to mind the men and women who volunteered to sacrifice for their country — our military veterans. Yet service can also remind us of the important work done by so many in the medical field, like the doctors, nurses, and frontline caregivers who staff our community hospitals and health centers.

Both our veterans and our medical caregivers are incredibly important in the impact they bring to our communities — and both need our support. In fact, the two are intertwined. Hospitals are struggling to keep their doors open, and veterans and other vulnerable patients will bear the brunt of the consequences if and when their local health systems are forced to close.

Hospitals provide the care the VA is lacking in Wisconsin

Hospitals are the backbone of so many communities, especially here in Wisconsin. They’re open 24/7/365, while many other medical providers are limited to business hours. Because emergencies, illnesses, and injuries can happen at any time, hospitals are there for you. They are also equipped to meet many more complex care needs than other facilities, including NICUs, burn units, and in-patient psychiatric care. Hospitals are there for everyone who walks through their doors, especially those in underserved and at-risk communities.

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As the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Network and a Vietnam Veteran, I know exactly how much my fellow veterans, especially those in the rural parts of our state, rely on hospitals and health systems, including the VA, to support their complex health needs. These needs often include chronic pain, post-traumatic stress, mental health disorders, and substance abuse disorders. However, the VA has been unable to keep up with the need for veterans care. With about 283,700 veterans residing in Wisconsin alone, and the VA not having facilities in most rural areas, veterans’ care is often outsourced to local hospitals and health systems.

This makes it a significant issue for our veterans that so many hospitals across the country are under threat. With Medicare reimbursement rates failing to keep pace with the costs of care, reimbursing only 82 cents for every dollar spent, many care centers are financially drowning. Coupled with other problems — like workforce shortages and sky-high prices of other care components — this makes for a perfect storm, and hospitals are at risk of being swamped.

When rural hospitals struggle, so do our veterans

The problem is amplified in rural areas. A recent study shows how more than 250,000 people in our state live beyond 15 miles from a hospital, forcing many to choose between traveling extensively or forgoing care altogether. Now bring veterans’ care into the mix, where there are even more restrictions and boundaries. Many veterans are disabled, making extensive travel extremely limiting if not impossible. How is this acceptable, especially for those who have given their all for us in the name of freedom?

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This status quo is unsustainable. It’s time our lawmakers ensure Medicare pays a fair rate and insurance companies are accountable for denying care for patients. It’s time we stand behind our hospitals and health systems and strengthen them, instead of cutting funding. It’s certainly time we oppose any harmful legislation that would push hospitals into an even deeper hole. It’s time we support our veterans and healthcare workers – who do so much to support us.

Quentin Hatfield is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Network

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hospitals, especially in rural areas in Wisconsin, are struggling