Adding this for a historical context: http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/23/politi...rticle_sidebar

If there's a timeline or chart comparing all the other changes and evolutions in US society, and public policy, I haven't found it. IMO, we should expect our government and legislators to chew gum and walk at the same time....and treat Veterans Affairs in a modern, comprehensive manner. That would mean federal agencies coordinating, and political parties negotiating. There's no good reason to segregate veteran healthcare from civilian healthcare any longer. We've done away with "insane asylums", Tb sanitariums, orphanages, and "Welfare Hospitals", too.

It's one thing to have Specialty inpatient services, or trauma and emergency centers, or outpatient clinics. But today's veteran is part of every category of medicine/healthcare that's important to civilians, including R & D and cutting edge technology. The disparate pieces relate to disabilities, medical devices (wheelchairs, prosthetics, hearing aides), occupational/physical therapy (aka rehab, or skills re-training), pharmaceuticals, ageing demographics and long-term care.....but mental health services in particular.

Viet Nam vets didn't get the counseling or therapies they needed *and deserved* in the 70's or 80's, because mental health was undergoing its own transition and evolution during that time. Agent Orange victims were ignored because chemical/environmental harms were ardently dismissed by large, powerful industry sectors (like Tobacco).

My point is -- that Veteran healthcare was improved after general public healthcare was made better. The "Greatest Generation" isn't just a bunch of WWII vets, but some 80 million ageing baby boomers who need hip replacements along with Alzheimer's research...and lots of federal funds.

Some have suggested a Veteran Medicare (single payer) type of solution, which is routinely shot down by anti-tax/small government advocates and federal deficit hawks. What doesn't make sense to me is how congress is eager to fund the DoD, and anything remotely connected to "military".....but won't consider any kind of "War Tax", let alone forego their own August vacations to address millions of veteran's needs.