In 2003, 1.69 million veterans did not have health insurance and were not
receiving ongoing care at Department of Veterans Affairs medical hospitals
or clinics, according to a report released October 19. The findings,
published by the Harvard/Cambridge Hospital Study Group on Veterans’ Health
Insurance, noted that “Many of the 1.69 million uninsured veterans in 2003
were effectively barred from VHA (VA medical) care because they had incomes
above the eligibility threshold, or because of waiting lists at some VHA
facilities, unaffordable co-payments for VHA specialty care, or the lack of
VHA facilities in their communities.” The report, which varies significantly
from estimates by the VA that the number of uninsured veterans is under
900,000, emanated from a doctors’ group that favors federally financed
health care.
