I have a introduction, description of the problem and implications of the problem. I need some help with what other scholars are saying about the problem, some new policy recommendations and a little help with a conclusion. Attached is what I have so far----- Veteran Access to Health Care Benefits The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Health Administration has made tremendous strides in health care in the last decade. It is often mentioned as a model for a national health care system. It is also not without its faults. The most common complaint among veterans regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs is access to information, most specifically health care benefit information. This paper seeks to find new and innovative ways to improve access to information for these veterans. Introduction The VA currently offers several benefits for all veterans such as health care and pharmaceutical services and plans, educational benefits, compensation and pensions, special home loans, survivor benefits, vocational rehabilitation, life insurance, and burial service (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2008). Nevertheless, problems still exist regarding veteran’s psychiatric treatment, medical facility competence and conditions and access to basic healthcare. About a quarter of the nation’s population is potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans ( U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2008). The goals of the Department of Veterans Affairs have been ambiguous, however, proposals have been made for future change, yet the major issues of access to health care are still an obstacle. A new generation of veterans is returning to the U.S. from the wars in Iraq and Afganistan. Providing for these veteran’s needs and their reintegration into civilian society has raised the challenge of providing for all veterans with a level of health care and benefits that honors their service to the nation. In addition to suffering different types of injuries, Iraq and Afganistan veterans are younger than the majority of those treated at VA facilities. A 2008 Rand Corp. report stated that these “Veterans feel uncomfortable and out of place in VA facilities”, which historically have treated older and more chronically ill veterans. These perceptions may discourage younger veterans from seeking access to the health benefits they are entitled too. Description of the Problem Access to benefit information and knowledge that the information exists is crucial for veterans to be able to use the benefits they are entitled to. To receive VA health care benefits most veterans must enroll. When they enroll, they are placed in priority groups or categories that help the VA manage health care services within budgetary constraints and to ensure quality care for those enrolled. Unfortunately, many uninsured veterans are barred from VA care because of a Bush administration order halting enrollment of most middle income veterans. Other veterans are unable to access VA care because of unaffordable copayments, long waiting lists or lack of facilities in their community. In addition, “many uninsured veterans do not even realize they are eligible for VA care” ( Nelson, Starkebaum & Reiber, 2007). Even some combat veterans are excluded from receiving health care benefits based on their income level. Many Americans falsely believe that all veterans are entitled to health care benefits through the VA, but this is clearly not the case. Implications of the problem The VA has suffered publicly when it was discovered that the men and woman who were returning home from military service were not receiving the proper access to the types of care and benefits they were entitled to. In 2007, President Bush sent legislature to Congress to reorganize the disability and health care system for United States veterans wounded in Iraq and Afganistan. This proposal would eliminate needless bureaucracy and provide more assistance to families dealing with the long term effects of veteran’s injuries (Baker, 2007). This proposal has been asserted since the “shoddy conditions and mind-numbing red tape at Walter Reed Medical Center” was discovered (p. A3). Critics argued the need for change was urgent and the former president acknowledged the system of care had fallen behind.