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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 28, 2006
CONTACT: Linda Bennett @ 202/225-9756
Bush Administration Shortchanging Veterans’ Mental Health Funding
Washington, D.C. – The Bush Administration failed to fully fund its
promised $300 million to address gaps in access and quality of mental
health services for veterans over the last two years, according to
Government Accountability Office (GAO) findings delivered to a House
committee today.
Preliminary findings of the GAO study, requested by Rep. Michael Michaud
(D-ME) and Rep. Lane Evans (D-IL), show that the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) actually budgeted only half (approximately $53 million) of
the $100 million it had committed to mental health care initiatives in
fiscal year 2005. VA also claimed to allocate another $35 million in FY
2005 through a general fund, but GAO found “VA did not notify networks
that these funds were to be used for [mental health] plan initiatives”
and that medical center officials “were unaware that any portion of
their general allocation was to be specifically used for mental health
strategic plan initiatives.” VA did not distribute the remaining $12
million of the promised $100 million because VA officials claimed there
was not enough time to distribute the monies, GAO said.
For fiscal year 2006, GAO found that VA failed to distribute all of the
promised $200 million for additional mental health care staff,
allocating only $92 million for new initiatives and $66 million to
continue efforts from FY 2005. GAO reported that it is unclear whether
VA medical centers will actually spend all of the FY 2006 mental health
care strategic plan funds.
“GAO’s preliminary findings reveal that, contrary to the
Administration’s claims, there is no accountability for spending the
resources required to fulfill VA’s own mental health plan and to address
the mental health care needs of veterans. The Administration has
critically shortchanged veterans by failing to spend needed funds to
address gaps in access and quality of mental health care, instead
offering false claims that VA is ready and able to provide these
services,” said Michaud, Ranking Member of the Veterans’ Affairs
Subcommittee on Health. “Clearly, our oversight of the VA’s
implementation and delivery of mental health services will have to be
more vigorous.”
One in three veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who come to
the VA has mental health care concerns.
A copy of GAO’s testimony regarding its findings is available at
http://veterans.house.gov/democratic/press/109th/pdf/9-28-06gao.pdf
The full report will be released later this fall.
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Larry Scott
