MOUNT CARMEL, Ohio (AP) – Republican Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio is meeting with veterans in southwest Ohio about concerns related to problems with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
He scheduled a Friday town hall meeting at an American Legion Post in Mount Carmel, about 20 miles east of Cincinnati.
Also Friday, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald planned a roundtable discussion on veterans’ issues in Columbus.
The meetings come as an updated audit of Veterans Affairs hospitals shows tens of thousands more veterans than previously reported are forced to wait at least a month for medical appointments. The updated report includes new figures showing that the wait times actually experienced at most VA facilities were shorter than those on waiting lists for pending appointments.
Earlier this month, Portman visited the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center in Columbus, where he said VA problems won’t be solved with money alone, but show the need for more accountability and efficiency.
Portman supports legislation to authorize a “choice card” for veterans to use for health services outside the VA system if they can’t get an appointment in a reasonable time. It also provides that option for veterans who live more than 40 miles from a VA facility.