More than 100,000 veterans who have been discharged since 2001 are not being offered healthcare and other services, according to a new study.
A
Stars and Stripes story claims the veterans, who left the military with discharges other than honorable ones, are being unfairly punished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"Veterans who have served since 9/11 are being excluded from the VA at a higher rate than any other generation of veterans," said study author Dana Montalto, according to Stars and Stripes. "They're being denied very basic services."
The issue seems to stem from the discharge type. The report, writes Stars and Stripes, says rules passed by Congress state that only veterans given dishonorable discharges should be denied services like healthcare, help with disabilities, and housing assistance for the homeless. The VA, however, has a different set of rules that is denying these services to veterans with a discharge below honorable but above dishonorable.
"I believe the report provides us, as a department, an opportunity to do a thorough review, take a fresh look at this issue and make changes to help veterans," VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson said, according to Stars and Stripes. "Where we can better advocate for and serve veterans within the law and regulation, we will look to do so as much as possible."
The VA has been the subject of much negative publicity in recent years stemming from a scandal centered on
falsified wait times. Several veterans died while waiting to see a doctor.
Another piece of the VA scandal
involves hefty bonuses being paid out to troubled facilities.
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