Rep. Mace addresses concerns surrounding Veterans at town hall

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace and the Concerned Veterans of America hosted a town hall meeting on Monday night to address the challenges Veterans face in America.

The town hall focused on many different topics surrounding Veterans, but the key conversations revolved around healthcare including wait times, getting the proper care, PTSD and depression among those who have served.

“The VA does such a poor job of addressing veterans’ healthcare,” Mace says. “A lot of times we shouldn’t prevent them from getting an appointment, they can’t get it with the VA; we should allow them to get it elsewhere.”

Around 17 Veterans take their own lives a day across America, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“We’re talking about ensuring that veterans are cared for when they’re coming home, and we’re keeping that promise to those who have won the battle, ensuring that it’s time to carry exists, it’s can be life and death benefits for many veterans,” Concerned Veterans of America Policy Director, Tyler Koteskey, says.

Wait times for Veterans needing primary care in the Lowcountry vary…

• In North Charleston, the average wait is 19 days.
• In Charleston, there is no wait.
• In Goose Creek, it is 13 days.
• In Beaufort, the average is 39 days.

“With all the veterans and the military family members in the room, we have a kind of face-to-face knowledge that the VA is not delivering care in a timely fashion at all,” Concerned Veterans of America Deputy Director, John Byrnes, says.

Mace says that one-third of all Veterans in the state live in the Lowcountry, which is why these issues are so important.

“It comes to veterans that need imminent healthcare, they can’t get into a VA facility,” Mace says. “We shouldn’t deny them the ability to go to a private doctor or get private medical care and get reimbursed for it. There are a lot of options.”

The organization and Mace say they are continuing to work with other politicians to enforce better Veteran care across America.

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