VA recently unveiled the Equity Action Plan to mark its commitment and promise to support all Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors―regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, religion, disability, sexual orientation or geographic location, as we continue to provide world-class care and benefits.
In coordination with the Biden-Harris Administration’s whole-of-government equity agenda, VA maintains its mission to advance equity for all by focusing on the five strategies of benefits, health, access, economic security and data. These strategies are aligned with the VA FY 2022-2028 strategic plan and seek to address systemic barriers experienced by Veterans at various access points.
The Equity Action Plan launch event was hosted in collaboration with the team at the South Texas VA Health Care System. The team invited Veterans, congressional, state and local officials, community partners, Veteran Service Officers and VA staff to join a series of events centered around VA’s continued path toward equity. The events included a round table discussion, VA Equity Action Plan and VBA Equity Assurance Plan overview, and a One VA experience supporting VA enrollment and benefits. The VA Equity Action Plan and VBA Equity Assurance Plan were introduced by VA Deputy Secretary Tanya Bradsher and Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs. The overview featured Navy Veteran speaker Stephanie Gattas, CEO and founder of The Pink Berets, who spoke about her equity experiences at VA.
“If it wasn’t for VA, I don’t know that I would be standing here today,” said Gattas.
If you missed the live webinar, you can watch it now for free on VA’s YouTube channel. No login is required.
As this work continues, updates will be posted on VA.gov/Equity. Learn more about the Administration’s equity work at whitehouse.gov/equity and check out all Federal Equity Action Plans at performance.gov/equity.
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VA remains open for business and is closely monitoring the Change Healthcare (CHC) cybersecurity incident.
VA’s Veteran Buddy Check Week is planned for Oct. 21 – 25, 2024.
Carry The Load, an organization dedicated to remembering the fallen, will visit 34 VA National Cemeteries traveling 20,000 miles along five separate routes covering all continental 48 states known as the National Relay for Memorial May 2024.
All us poor bastards that served in the Us military are jokes to the grossly overstaffed and overpaid VA government workers. You come back from service to your country and do your part improving your education and building a productive family and career. But when help is needed from the VA you are told over and over “You don’t qualify”. Something is really wrong and backwards with this VA administration when veterans are penalized for becoming productive citizens after US military service. But hey, I am sure the Equity program will solve that problem!
This is bull. The VA people are wonderful. The system has tried to kill me twice.
I was reading the VA | NEWS on https://news.va.gov/
VA launches Equity Action Plan in commitment to serving all Veterans Dated March 27, 2024.
The article included a link to the VA FY-2022-2028 Strategic plan (not sure how a plan that started in 2022 was just “Launched”) in which I found to be a disturbingly political dive into identity politics.
“STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 2.1: (Underserved, Marginalized and At-Risk Veterans) VA emphasizes the delivery of benefits, care and services to underserved, marginalized and at-risk Veterans to prevent suicide and homelessness, improve their economic security, health, resiliency and quality of life and achieve equity. 46”
I would like to know who exactly the VA has determined is “Marginalized”. Vague language like this leads to abuse of power and the subversion of one group for another rather than EQUAL treatment for qualified veterans.
The strategic objective references an executive order summarized as a footer in the Strategic Plan:
“46 (Executive Order 13985 Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government 2021). “The term ‘equity’ means the consistent and systematic fair, just and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.” (January 25, 2021).”
I am pleased that the VA proclaims to stand in service of all these mentioned people but will you do it by reducing service to those not mentioned in the summary?
Assuming all these efforts are a result of the Biden administrations executive order:
“…Consistent with these aims, each agency must assess whether, and to what extent, its programs and policies perpetuate systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for people of color and other underserved groups. Such assessments will better equip agencies to develop policies and programs that deliver resources and benefits equitably to all…
(b) The term “underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life, as exemplified by the list in the preceding definition of “equity.” “
Which in itself is problematic. The characteristic that you should focus on is VETERAN! Yet you want to separate us in to “Populations sharing a particular characteristic”. I want to know that that list of particular characteristics is. Again, vague language results in abuse of power and tyranny. The very thing most veterans fought against.
Can you also define for me what communities have been “systematically denied” opportunity and what systems are providing the denial? More vague language.
I have been VERY disappointed with the VA medical system’s treatment of veterans in the Hampton Roads area. You have committed every failure: Multiple re-scheduling of appointments, Doctors who perform the tasks they state on appointments, failure to contact veterans with test results, etc. The faces are always friendly but the performance is abysmal.
So lets talk about equity. VETERANS in western Wisconsin and other locations get great care and service while VETERANS in Hampton Roads get the aforementioned abysmal service. There is an inequity that should be remedied before chasing Identity politics.
Perhaps, Your strategic planning, identity politics and passing the buck are the root cause.
DO BETTER for ALL VETERANS !
26 year VETERAN retired.
Excellent points sir!
DEI is a stupid effort on the part of our government! Equality, not Diversity is the answer. It has always been the answer,
Boy, I have read thru most of the comments in this forum, and I’m literally surprised that Veterans that have served their country with honor and distinction have so little regard for the complexity of running an organization like the VA, and the feeling of entitlement that seems pervasive throughout this site. I did my time during the Vietnam Era, not a career soldier, but honorably discharged, and I betray my age when I seem shocked that people have such a low opinion of the care they receive from the VA. Drop back to the pre-2000 era when vets got practically nothing for their service. I got 88 bucks a month as an E-2 when I first enlisted…
Remember, it’s Congress that makes the rules for the VA, not the VA itself, and we have better care now than we ever had in the past. Direct your anger to where it belongs and vote for people who actally support Veterans. Have you tried getting medical care outside the VA system recently? It’s not exactly fair and balanced unless you spend thousands of dollars a year for medical insurance premiums that don’t give you any better care than the VA does unless you’re lucky enough to find compassionate and caring doctors and medical groups that are actually effective.
I would agree that not all VA care is equal throughout the US, and that it’s not always convenient to get care close to where you live, but I think it’s a privilege rather than a right to have any care I receive with only a small, predetermined co-payment. Income doesn’t matter unless you’re not reading the qualifications right – I did have a friend that was told that he had too much income by someone he spoke to over the phone, but when he actually applied by filling out the forms, he did qualify… Get someone to help you if you can’t download of get the forms.
Maybe I’m missing something here. But I don’t think anybody owes me anything for doing my part for my family to live free. Been to any third-world countries lately?
This has really tripped a switch.
My husband a Vietnam, veteran.
Had a 380% combined service connected
“ILLNESSES” when he passed away
So what is really taking place??
Find out who is already out here abusing.
100% PT YOU CANNOT “WORK!!”””
Oh equality::;: 100% PT VETERANS are not supposed to work. There are 3 different auto detailing car washes between duval and baker county’s I’m sure numerous more, ran by 100%PT. VA is tax free and these car washes are cash pay……
Talking about abuse of the system.
I used them at first because it was a veteran. But when I became aware 100PT
BS………. They would put most under the federal penitentiary….. SO WHO IS REALLY SEEING WHOSE WHO……????
The VA Health “Care” System thought it was fine for me to wait almost 2 weeks to have a broken wrist casted, and would not pay my community visit to an ortho specialist, even though the ER Dr. said it was extremely important to get it seen soon by an expert. Is the equity care thing about giving all veterans such horrible “care”? The VA is responsible for my health care, yet my health seems meaningless to the VA. Also, a Dr. employed by the VA kept me waiting for months to reveal my X-Rays were clear after saying to me “You probably have cancer”. That comment and follow up did more harm to my mental health than can be described here. The VA should be disbanded and a blank check for good health care should be written to the Veterans who were promised lifetime healthcare in exchange for their(our) service.
My husband was a Vietnam Veteran, commenting to others
Negativity is something I spent 22 years
10 service connected cancers, as well as other service connected illnesses.
VA is a nightmare. I figured out what they don’t want you to know. I finally got my husband 100PT I CALL IT THE WAR AFTER THE WAR.
I served my country for four years during the Vietnam war, but because I didn’t sign up for VA benefits upon discharge I can’t get them now because I make too much money.
Ur eligible. I can help
I’m just a surviving spouse of a Vietnam Vet.
I’ve been through the war to get my husband‘s benefits
I call it the war after the war
Thank you for your service.
So, does this mean we have the same medical services as our congressmen, senators, president mayors, governors, and other federal elected officials.? that would be great,
thank you,
It’s BS like most of the things that the VA “claims” it is doing all while making it impossible for veterans to get the same before mentioned services.
If I thought leaving a comment would actually affect a positive change, I would give a statement. Suffice it to say, that not all women veterans are treated the same as male veterans when they are retired.
They may, occasionally, be seen but they are not to be heard, only silenced.
I all ways thought that Equality was what being a Veteran was all about. Remember the old saying, “Everyone in a foxhole is colorblind”. Equity is not Equality, which is something the VA was always supposed to be in its’ service to all veterans.
You tell people not to leave personal information and then you turn around and ask for our email address and our name. Why?
[Editor: Some commenters have realized that a valid name and email isn’t required. Over the years, though, I’m thankful that those who have left comments regarding self harm HAVE used valid names and emails, and we’ve referred them to the appropriate care.]
I read through the data links contained in the linked documents and am disappointed in the ability of those authors to analyze the data. While their analysis shows a difference between various ethnic groups claims approval rates, it does not even attempt to figure out why. Also, the analysis only compares all ethnic groups against the ‘white’ ethnic group. Yet there are literally data points all over where the ‘white’ ethnic group fairs worse than other ethnic groups. In those cases there is absolutely no mention of the fact shown in the data that the ‘white’ ethnic group is ‘underserved’. So the discussion presented is not data driven on making things ‘equitable’ it is assumed before any analysis that the ‘white’ ethic group fairs better than other ethnic groups, even though there are data points that show this is not the case. Also, there is no mention or discussion of the ethnic make-up of the claims ‘deciders’ nor any discussions of the reasons for claims denials. Additionally, no discussion of the process by which claims are decided. I find it hard to believe that claims ‘deciders’ look first at ethnicity when deciding a claim and make a decision based upon that information. There are simply too many other items for them to review. The questions the VA should be asking are; 1) what is the reason for claims denials, 2). does that vary between ethnic groups, 3) Are the claims that are denied, denied on an ‘equal’ basis (i.e. comparing two denied claims against each other, is it clear that the denial rationale is the same?). Once you have that data, then you can decide if there is a problem and how to address it EQUALLY between ethnic groups. Starting with the assumption that the ‘white’ ethnic group is receiving preferential treatment, then ignoring data points that show otherwise is not only dishonest, it sows mistrust everywhere.
Thank You !!!
Simply Thank you for your ability to SPELL IT OUT SO SO for loss of better words
Point Blank Blunt.
I know you’re war after the war all so well.
But your entitled to community care
Meaning you can choose a private physician outside of the.
Community care is through the VA you have to call to get approval.
By the grace of God, my husband’s cancer doctors were not VA. Community care did help with Payment . We also carried two other private insurances.
This is yet another “feel good ” program using the most recent verbiage of “equity”. A vet is a vet period. We all should receive equal care and there is no evidence that this is not the case. Get off the woke soapbox.
And yet, I (23 years AF) was denied access for economic reasons.
Where were the Veterans and their caregivers at the round table discussion. If you want to know what a Veteran needs when it comes to health care ask them!
I agree with Eva’s comments below. I have 401k/ IRAmoney above the limit and consequently am not eligible for VA medical coverage.
I always felt the VA was colorblind and treated ALL veterans equally. This just a waste of money and time.
Concerning that I have been denied benefits by the VA for years. I proudly served in the US Coast Guard during the Vietnam war, I have an honorable discharge with a DD214. Their reasoning is I make too much money. I sure as hell didn’t make that much serving.
This government has the money to send overseas to countries that hate us and free healthcare to illegal immigrants but I make too much money. I was a cop for 21 years and construction worker years before.
Everything is not equal in this country.
What specifically will change? Im sure any prior strategies treated everyone equally. Right?
So whats new? Specifically.
We know what you’re doing and you know why recruiting is a mess.
Tom, what will change is if you are a white male you will go to the back of the line.
The VA needs to hire the best qualified not by the color of your skin! We do not want to lose our great health care that we have now!
Another feel good program by the Biden controllers that will only weaken the VA system. Once a vet always a vet what else do you need to know. The VA has more problems with professional staffing and administrative issues already. Concentrate on the solid professional care for all vets STOP this equity segregation nonsense!
Agree Chris, enough of the division!
Is this Equity crap necessary ? All the VA should have to be concerned with is: Is this person a Vet, if so, they get the help they need. PERIOD
Agree, absolutely correct Curtis!
But I still don’t believe that non-service connected veterans will be treated as anything more than 2nd-class people. Only service-connected veterans are allowed things like travel pay to medical appointments and dental care. This is an absolute shame. And those of us who never saw combat in a war zone or who were conscripted into service by the CIA years after the Vietnam War was over and have no recorded military record will continue to be treated differently, not by the workers in the VA facilities, but by the Veteran’s Administration itself. FYI, there are only to people working in the VA to review eligibility for Service-connected pensions, and those of us who have been denied such eligibility for the past 40 years are still left slipping between-the-cracks of the floorboards. So much for EQUITY–a political manufactured word.
It is great to hear the commitment to all veterans, no exceptions. It is though there are way too many exceptions. I am fortunate to have the VA as I too would not be alive right now after my Aortic Dissection in 2012. I think it is great to make these commitments in words, but the actions in the doing is what I see way too often missing. I want to know why I can go to outside hospitals and they are overall clean from the parking garage to the elevator outside to the entrance and elevators inside. I can only wish the VA did not look like it was a haphazard and minimal operation in taking care of the building as well as the people. I have been complaining about this for over 10 years and still the ugliness of the building care on the outside has not changed. The care inside has greatly improved and I appreciate that. I am not expecting a castle, but it does not have to look like you are running a second or third class operation.
I must say that I am truly thankful for the care I get at the VA. Sure people make mistakes, but overall I cannot be more appreciative of the people that want to do a good job.
THANK YOU!
Randy
I volunteered for four years service USAF in1962. While I was overseas Okinawa & Taiwan, the Vietnam war broke out. I tried to volunteer to go set up comm gear etc in Saigon, instead I got shipped to HAFB in Florida. While I was there my knees began to give me trouble.( while in Okinawa I fell down a hill coming from a site we were maintaining/
eventually one of my knees was operated on in Okinawa). When I got out of the service I was told if I had problems to go to the VA). I now have stainless steel knee joints provided by private insurance and medicare. When I contacted the VA, I was told they had to many Vets and I was not VA eligible at that time but it would change in the near future. After checking with the VA over several years and getting the same response, I quit contacting them. I admit I always felt there were other Vets that needed the VA services much more than I did. So when the VA talks about ALL VETS, does that mean I am finally eligible? I am 81now, have I waited long enough?
VA has info on thousands of widows and widowers. We have the room and experience to take these homeless Vets in. 1- Va needs to reach out. 2 VA needs to do assessments of these Vets and use us to match us up.
Big Job!? We have a large group to use in all areas. We are ready.
We are Absolutely frustrated here in NC. We want to help, please listen!
You do know, as educated individuals, that the term “Equity” is not only a word of contention among many Americans, including myself, but also a term used by Marxists. Why use this term at all, why isn’t “Equality” sufficient? We all would agree that serving all Veteran’s with equally (equality), should be enough. Equity, implies moving individuals to the front because of their differences. Equality means that “all” are moved equally. But I suggest that you already know this, and with the White House marching orders, you are eager to support such.
There is so much Election Year BS on this website now. Equity Action Plan? For whom? So enlisted veterans get the same treatment as Commissioned Officer Veterans? BS. I have to right to get more pills to sleep? Goodnight, Good Luck & go away?
So, does this mean that VA has NOT been treating all veterans the same?
Really? I served over a decade and deployed but the VA has stymied and refused to acknowledge one of my service related issues for years. And it’s a shame that I have to consider hiring an attorney to receive benefits that I earned…..
The VA Equity Action Plan is nothing more than DEI disguised to hide its’ continued violation of the Constitution and various subordinate laws.
The military – and the VA – has been mandated for decades as an organization where everyone is equal and should – not may – be treated equally.
Thus, the implementation of yet another program to waste or divert dollars under the auspices of improving service is nothing less than condemnation of a VA Department whose Secretaries and regional Directors need to be jailed pending trial for defrauding the Veterans they apparently have not been serving.
Equity means providing less and poorer service for heterosexual White men. It’s really that simple. They’ve already started segregating the men and women with designated women clinics and provide separate but “equal” care.
Someone needs to file a lawsuit to see how women are getting “equitable” treatment in the form of fast appointment times over men, how much money is being diverted from ALL veterans to these pet diversity projects from actual veterans?
Really, it’s disgusting.
I always thought a Vet is Vet is a Vet. I never cared about what they did in their bedroom and really didn’t want to know about it. Now it’s all be hear about and we are supposed to Celebrate it? I thought we lived in a democracy which means the majority rules but we live it a minority rules and the other 95% of us have to go along. Now for the real discrimination, as an E5 combat veteran in the Army I served in Vietnam and fought like all by Army brothers. You would think that we would all be treated equally by the VA but not true. I made the mistake of living below my income for 40 years and saving and investing portions of my income. It went into IRA’s. Social Security doesn’t cover annual expenses so I withdraw money from the IRA’s to make ends meet. Because the VA counts this as income and I am not disabled I have to pay copayments for everything including drugs. Where is the Equity in that? So lets call VA benefits what they are, services provided to disabled vets ( well deserved) and low income vets. Doesn’t matter we all served the same. We punish the people who do the right things financially and saved for retirement.
It’s great to hear about equity barriers being broken, one equity not addressed is the equity of coverage for all veterans, especially retired vets. We all are not eligible for care with the VA, that’s to bad.
This equity crap is for the birds when it comes to the VA and veterans. All this bill does, is try to prove there an issue within the VA, veterans and military. All equity bills, programs, etc., creates racial tensions. Just treat all veterans the same (thought they all were) … you dont need to waste time passing a bill to do that. Spend your time hiring qualified staff and drs vice the unqualified staff and drs that have been put in place during the covid scare when qualified staff and drs were fired for not getting vax’d.
The VA has enough problems without creating more with the equity plan as a part of DEI it is causing more harm than good. To pander to the mentally ill who think they are not what their biological sex at birth was is the actions of having no sense of reality just as many of them do. Veterans deserve better treatment and not special treatment for delusional people who want surgery or medication to change sexes. If the administrators don’t see this as a waste of money and is not a service connected condition they have no business being in the VA.
All this “equity” BS is because of Biden /Harris’s push for all the lbgq2 community {abcdefg} or whatever pronoun they are using. I find it immoral and biblically against God’s word. I agree ALL veterans should be seen and treated fairly, but don’t push their ungodly behavior down my throat with this EQUITY crap.
The VA on Ramsey st, Fay nc does not care for female veterans nor wives of retired veterans. Very disrespectful and unprofessional.
Attitudes from staff was we do not want females vets and dismissed semi comatose female with disabled husband Veteran as sole care provider and charge hi copay for aspirins .
Very abusive and made comments like they have Medicare, Medicaid – dismiss patient
How is this program benefitting the spouses of veterans that are also caretakers. I.e., transportation to medical appts, etc. Our diligent savings over the years is a for dire necessities and not considered as incone.
wht should our tax dollars be used to care for veterans at the gender they enlisted as not wat they want to be all that money can be used to help those that can not help themselves gender changing is a choice like enlisting so if you enlisted as 1 gender thats the care you recieve if you choose to change your gender then that should be on your dime not mine or anyone elses that pays taxs
My husband had to be placed in a memory care facility that specializes in aggressive behavior over a year ago. I applied a year ago in April. One day before Easter I received a reply that I do not qualify for any financial assistance because my assets are too much . In 2023 I paid over $130,000 to keep my husband in this facility. I don’t know how long he will survive, but I must continue to pay because he does not qualify to go into a Medicaid facility because of his aggression. When I run out of money, I will be forced to sell my home to pay for his care. Again, why is , our government denying my husband who served from 1961 to 65 as a United States. Marine denied help when they give help to everyone that’s not even a citizen.
I agree 100% VETERANS FIRST
AMERCIANS 2nd
Put our homeless veterans out of motels
To take in Mexicans and the government paid the motels more for the Mexicans to stay. Flipping Really They hushed that up real quick.
I am a veteran, a daughter of a veteran a wife of a veteran and a mother of a veteran…I was taken out of the VA because supposedly. My husband and I have savings in IRAs that make our yearly “income” more than what they decide is eligible. My husband has disability. I do not have any health issues however I am a veteran. It is beyond me WHY illegals, non citzens can get free medical and I can’t be in the VA system. IRAS should not be counted as income. To save for the future is wise since I could become a widow or terminally ill. I think I served so I should be given this benefit.
Welp. Here’s my ONLY issue. Now that we’re to “make space” for all those other pronouns my Women’s Clinic waiting room has been “repurposed” So I am mandated to stay in the main room with male pts. NO. NO thank you. I want my space back. If I could be comfortable I would be seen in a general clinic I stead of women’s only.
I am personally tired of hearing about, “Equity”. My “Service Connected Disability” causes me tremendous pain. Other than bottles of pills the only relief I get for a few hours is from Acupuncture and Chiropractic care. However the V.A. Will only provide 12 visits per year with the very slight possibility of an additional 6 visits each, but never combined at the same time. The V.A. Tells me that there are, “Funding” limitation.
Is it, “Equity” that transgender veterans may receive Sex Reassignment Surgery at taxpayer expense. How does being a Transgender which we are told is genetic and an individual is born as being, become a, “Service Connected Disability”? If there is Funding for Sex Reassignment Surgery, then why isn’t there Adequate funding for pain control for documented Service Connected Disability?
Well said..
Equity means having fair and impartial treatement. Transgender Veterans have not recieved any gender affirming surgery on the VA dime. Interesting enough the report that the VA did regarding gender sffirming surgery showed that money was not a factor because it was cost effective. Maybe 2,000 transgender want surgery. The majority just want top surgery and its a one time thing.
Darn. Guess I made a big mistake. I had always thought that the VA served ALL Veterans equally? Who is being underserved as a veteran? If they are underservedit is only because they haven’t ask to be served, or sometime expect too much just because they are A veteran?
Once again I must say that a Veteran is a Veteran. There should be no race, sexual or any other difference between what is a Veteran. Treat us equally like you have .
The only “equity” that matters is my US citizenship and my DD-214! Everything else is crap to keep from serving the veterans. VA administrators should be ashamed to look any veteran in they eyes
All Veterans should receive free medical care and free prescription drugs. Veterans have earned that much. When you go into the service you are saying you are ready to die for your country.
Well said..