DeRoche: Help veterans access mental health care

By Craig DeRoche

Read it in The Detroit News

(Photo Credit: Canva)

Michigan is blessed to have some of the most patriotic Americans in the country call our state home. More than 532,000 veterans live in the Wolverine State, and as one of the top 20 destinations for military retirees in the country we should pride ourselves on the community that heroes who served our country have chosen to build here.

Unfortunately, far too many veterans face significant challenges when returning from the battlefield, be they with visible scars or invisible ones such as PTSD and substance abuse issues. According to the latest available data from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 882 Michigan veterans died by suicide from 2016-20. Ending this crisis will require a comprehensive public health approach that harnesses the full breadth of the government, nonprofit and business sectors to provide greater access to community care for veterans suffering with suicidal ideation, mental health and addiction.

A critical first step is getting our former service members to identify as veterans and understand the benefits and resources available to them. Unfortunately, many of Michigan’s veterans are also struggling to access the disability benefits to which they are entitled. According to reports from the VA, only 17.8% of veterans in Michigan currently receive VA disability compensation, below the national average of 23%. It is clear that changes to the system are needed to bridge this gap.

A significant impediment that veterans have faced when trying to secure VA disability benefits is the claims system itself. A maze of bureaucratic red tape, many veterans find it daunting if not impossible to navigate the process themselves. As such, they have turned to VA-accredited actors such as attorneys and veterans service organizations (VSOs) for assistance. But while these entities can provide some important help, there are limitations to the ways they have been able to support veterans through the process.

Policymakers in Washington are aware of these issues and are considering reforms to the VA disability claims system. Of note is legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of congressional members. His bill, known as the PLUS for the Veterans Act of 2023, would create a pathway for entities such as private consulting agents to gain recognition as VA accredited actors and further assist veterans.

Private consulting agents fill gaps in the current system by helping veterans start new benefits claims and assisting at each point along the way. But because they work on a contingency basis and receive payment only if there is a benefit increase for the veteran, they are able to harness marketplace incentives to leverage extensive resources and staff expertise in a way that is simply unavailable to current accredited actors assisting with initial VA disability claims. But while private consulting agents have been assisting veterans for several years, their ability to help has been somewhat limited. Current rules at the VA preclude private consulting agents from gaining recognition as an accredited actor has discouraged new entrants in the marketplace at a time when they are especially needed. Not only that, but many veterans are simply are unaware these companies exist because as unaccredited actors they are not listed as a resource by the VA.

The PLUS Act would resolve these issues by reforming the accreditation process to offer a pathway for private entitles to achieve this recognition via a rigorous review process. It would also institute new criminal sanctions on unscrupulous actors that may try to exploit veterans, in effect expanding access and choice while offering new protections.

For these brave Americans who have sacrificed so much, the least we can do is to take measures to expand veteran access and choice when it comes to how they navigate the process of receiving VA benefits. Measures such as the PLUS Act are a great step forward in ensuring that we accomplish this goal.

Craig DeRoche is former Republican speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives