How Well Does the U.S. Care for Its Veterans? An Expert Weighs In

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A new book by Suzanne Gordon ’67 chronicles the impact of military service—and how we aid those who wore the uniform

By Beth Saulnier

As an undergrad on the Hill, Suzanne Gordon ’67 was an avid antiwar activist who opposed U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Today, she’s a prominent researcher and journalist covering veterans’ affairs, with a focus on healthcare.

Titled Our Veterans: Winners, Losers, Friends, and Enemies on the New Terrain of Veterans Affairs, it explores how serving in the military can impact people, and the issues that many former servicemembers face in rejoining civilian life.

Says the New York Times in a capsule review: “This chilling account explores the physical, economic, and psychological consequences of military service on veteran health and takes a critical look at the many players involved in shaping veteran life in the United States.”

You and your coauthors aren’t veterans; why devote your work to veterans’ affairs?

It's ironic, because I'm an antiwar activist; I’m very concerned about the human cost of the military adventures we get into, but we must care for the people who serve in them. To me, it's an outrage that the politicians who support these wars don't want to pay for their human consequences. Veterans’ benefits should be included in any decision to engage in combat—but many in Congress refuse to give adequate money to take care of the people who sacrifice for us.

And this book was a collaboration with veterans; it couldn’t have been written without the many who shared their experiences with us. We spent years talking with veterans, hanging out with them, going to VA [Department of Veterans Affairs] hospitals with them. So I see our book as reflecting the realities of the veteran experience.

What are the most common misconceptions about veterans’ issues?

There are so many. First of all, I don't think a lot of people understand what a veteran is.

How do you define a veteran, then?

Many people think a veteran is someone who was in combat. But I define it the way we do in the book: anybody who served in the active-duty military. Another common misconception is that all veterans are eligible for benefits. In the VA, access depends on the status of your discharge, whether you have a proven service-connected disability, or whether you have a sufficiently low income.

Also, a lot of people think the only injuries that people in the military have are due to combat. But the military is a series of very dangerous occupations, even if you never leave the continental U.S. People always talk about “combat veterans,” but the problems that veterans have are not just from combat.

People always talk about 'combat veterans,' but the problems that veterans have are not just from combat.

What do you see as the major issues facing veterans?

There is a mental health crisis and a debt crisis, with predatory lenders near bases and even on naval ships. One in four women in the military experience some form of sexual harassment or assault—including rape or even murder.

But fundamentally, one of the biggest issues is that society often blames veterans’ problems on the VA as opposed to the root cause, which is unsafe practices in the military that could be changed.

Obviously, you need a force of arms to defend your country. But you don't need to send people into elective wars. You don't need to make the harms worse, like with burn pits and faulty equipment. And you certainly don't need to expose women—and even some men—to sexual trauma.

In the book, you underscore how much we fund the active military compared with support for the personnel who served in it. Could you talk about that?

The Department of Defense budget rises and rises; politicians fall over themselves to give the Pentagon more money. But when it comes to the VA and the budget for healthcare or benefits, it's like pulling teeth. They may raise the budget, but grudgingly, and it’s never enough.

For example, almost four million veterans have been impacted by various toxic exposures during various wars, including burn pits. Senate Republicans almost killed the bill that would have expanded coverage for many of the military personnel who suffered from burn pits and other toxic exposures.

And again, “It's too much money.” You see this constantly—since the Revolutionary War.

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Speaking of the Revolution: one striking takeaway from your book is how shoddily the U.S. has treated many of its veterans since its founding. How so?

Obviously, if you're in combat, people are going to shoot at you or bomb you; there are certain things you can't prevent. But there are others you can prevent, and the military does not do enough to do that.

You mentioned that benefits depend on how someone is discharged. How does that work?

You can't get access to benefits if you have an “other than honorable” discharge—and since 1980, 600,000 people have received these discharges and don’t get VA benefits, even though they have serious mental or physical problems.

People who have a traumatic brain injury or PTSD and self-medicate by getting drunk and then get into a fight—they’ve received these punishing discharges. Many women who reported sexual assault by a higher-up have received this kind of “bad paper” discharge.

You’ve written extensively about the virtues of the VA healthcare system. Why do you admire it?

Study after study shows that the VA delivers better care than a profit-driven system, by almost every measure—from mental health to cancer care to chronic disease management.

That’s because it's a national system that’s integrated, with electronic medical records and physicians, nurses, and other staff who work in teams. They communicate—they don't just put notes in a record—and talk about complex patients.

And veterans have complex problems. When the average 65-year-old goes to the doctor, they have three to five presenting problems; the average Vietnam vet has nine to 12.

What about the headlines about crumbling VA facilities and months-long waits for an appointment?

The picture of the VA as antiquated, with long wait times and so forth, is the product of a decade or more of propaganda, funded by ultra-conservative foundations and think tanks, and increasingly supported by the hospital industry, because they want to tarnish its image.

And the reason is very simple: money. They want the tens of billions of dollars that we spend on the public sector to go to the private sector.

How has ending the draft changed who becomes a veteran?

Since 1973, we’ve had an all-volunteer military—but many call it an “economic draft,” where poor people are drawn to the benefits. Increasingly, recruitment campaigns place less emphasis on patriotism and more on a good job, healthcare, and a college education.

We increasingly recruit from certain areas of the country—the South, Southwest, and Mountain West. It becomes almost a family business: your granddad and dad were in the military, and now you are. So the consequences of this all-volunteer army is a huge civilian-military divide, where the burdens of service are not equally shared.

Since 1973, we’ve had an all-volunteer military—but many call it an 'economic draft,' where poor people are drawn to the benefits.

Overall, what are some potential solutions to the issues we’ve discussed?

We need people in Congress who support a more judicious foreign policy—one that doesn't see taking up arms as the solution to every problem—and who question the huge expenditures on the military at the expense of everything else, including the care of veterans.

We need to have a real debate about our country's priorities and how we spend our money. The very fact that we use economic incentives for recruitment from poor communities should tell us that we need other ways to help those communities resolve their economic and social problems.

We need to bring veterans, not just traditional veterans’ service organizations, into the debate and try to solve this military-civilian divide—so veterans don't feel excluded, but feel they really are part of the American community they have served so well.

Top image: Illustration by Cornell University

Published August 18, 2022

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Comments

1. 

   Alisa

   23 Aug, 2022

   I have not read the book.
   As a physician, I think there are major concerns with the healthcare that veterans receive (that could be better assessed perhaps by interviewing doctors currently outside of and with insight into the VA system).
   While I agree with some of the criticisms, this should not be a platform for arguing for one political party over another as is apparent from the commentary. Throwing money at an issue doesn’t solve the issue! (And voting down a bill might just mean the money is badly allocated in a proposal!)
   Providing for non-government-controlled services, including healthcare in a competitive private market, would do more to solve the problems and inequalities that veterans face.

   Reply
   • 

     Daniel Kountz, Class of 1970

     25 Aug, 2024

     This is true,if they can spend billions on other countries wars they dam sure can take care of our own

     Reply
   • 

     VR

     3 Feb, 2025

     Yes, the “competitive private market” has done wonders for the civilian population. As a physician within the VA, I can attest to the incredible service we provide to our patients *despite* the chronic underfunding, understaffing, and incessant efforts to further undermine the broader organization. I encourage you to read Gordon’s book.

     Reply
   • 

     Burrion Kemp, Class of 1995

     28 Feb, 2025

     Doc,
     Actually, after 30 years post military, I always used insurance when I could, but after 2 back surgeries, one under Trumps first term, and the exact same surgery under the Biden presidency, and now that I have just went through my entire file and put it all on paper, there is a distinct difference from president to president. The moral and attitudes were different. Back surgery under trump took from ER visit to back to work, roughly 7 to 8 weeks. Under Biden, 9 months, and I just waited 15 months for two MRIs due to my atrophy and loss of 85 lbs while waiting. I lost my company, vehicles, family and my anxiety related to PTSD is now coupled with sever depression. IT is not coincidence, after losing everything, i could barely leave the house so I stayed away from the VA, I just went back in Nov 4th, its Feb 28th and I have not seen an Ortho, and doing my own research, it appears my right shoulder is most likely inoperable, the extended wait effects me again. I will credit the VA that the actual procedure or treatment is comperable to any other medical facility, but there was a night and day difference, and continues. I have been put in a position to sue the VA, it is my only option, and I truly believe that had the election gone the other way, I wouldnt waste my time. Everytime i had an encounter with the VA under Biden I came out the other end worse off by far, they have taken a 25 year, very respected homebuilder, who never filed a claim, to a pennyless, 57 year old college graduate, who has stopped dreaming. i just want to work. Physicians are no longer the PC, its a NP, the first one pulled me out of Community care for my surgery under under Biden, when I pressed her on it, she put me back in, at the back of the line, she knew what this was costing me, when I demanded she put me back in line where I was before the “mistake” she replied “I dont see any reason to expidite”. This was april, my MRI had been completed in December prio. I knew I had no other option but to pull my last card and go after her. She called the cops, the cops apologized and told me to give her hell. All of that is a symptom of poor leadership, it had become adversarial from the minute you walked in, under trump, the patient advocate tipped me off to the coming ellimination of effective pain management, which played a major role in my approach with the VA. and hearings examiner that risked her job to make sure I didnt lose 20% disability. unheard of common since and compassion. I think you have to experience it over an extended period of time to see patterns, at least I do. 3 bask surgeries, now two shoulders, wrist surgery, recommended surgery on both feet, and hearing loss for infantry is a presumptive condition. since my exit physical is lost, they wont call it service connected. Its presumptive for Infantry, which is really just marketing, nothing has changed

     Reply
     • 

       Jim's Daughter, Class of 1968

       26 Mar, 2025

       This isn’t about the president—it’s about doctors, resources, and how your injuries were handled.

       My father was burned over 70% of his body under President Carter, a Democrat. The VA care he received was extraordinary and saved his life. If that happened now—under Trump—I honestly don’t know if there would be enough doctors, beds, or even a burn ward available. Mental health services that supported him for years are now nearly nonexistent due to budget cuts.

       You had doctors who treated you. Whether your care was great because of the administration, or simply the quality of the doctors and timing, is debatable. I say that with empathy—I have a spinal cord injury, and I know firsthand how painful and unpredictable recovery from back and cervical fusion can be. My surgeons at Kaiser warned me that sometimes it doesn’t work, and the pain can worsen. I decided against it for now.

       I understand pain. My father lived with it every day, nearly ended his life over it, and yet made it to 81 and met his grandkids. I’m genuinely sorry for your constant pain, your financial loss, and the toll it’s taken on you.

       That said, the notion that your outcome is solely due to Biden being in office isn’t the whole picture. I get that your experience with the VA changed, and that your pain and frustration are real. But systems like the VA don’t flip overnight based on who’s in the White House. What you’re describing—long waits, loss of continuity, overwhelmed staff—is a systemic issue that’s been building for decades.

       You say under Trump things moved faster. Maybe they did. But when leadership underfunds mental health, eliminates pain management programs, and creates a toxic environment for providers, those ripple effects show up later. Like now. Like what you experienced.

       I’m not dismissing your suffering. I’m saying be careful where you place blame. It’s easy to pin it all on the current president, but the cracks in the VA have been deepening for years—across both parties.

       You want to work. You want to be treated with dignity. You deserve that. Veterans deserve that. But let’s aim our frustration at fixing the system—not just the figurehead in office. Real change comes from holding all leadership accountable—not just the ones we didn’t vote for.

       Reply
2. 

   Stone Quillian, Class of 1979

   23 Aug, 2022

   Haven’t read the book yet myself, but as a 31 year USMC veteran who, since retirement, has worked for the Defense Health Agency, I’ll note that adjudicating (eg, figuring out what!??) disability benefits is a vexing issue. As an example, apparently so many veterans has service connected obstructive sleep apnea that the VA has noted that they might need to look at how often they award that. Another vexing issue is how the financial compensation is calculated – it’s a function of one’s retirement pay, not the worth of the individual or economic cost of the disablement.

   Reply
3. 

   Lawrence William Raymond MD, ScM

   24 Aug, 2022

   I plan to read this timely contribution but in the meantime, wish to call attention to the mutually beneficial roles of VA hospitals and medical students and other trainees, especially the “Dean’s Committee” facilities, like the W. Haven VAMC where I once worked. Long live the VA and those whom it serves!

   Reply
4. 

   Kathy Matson

   8 Jan, 2024

   I am dumbfounded by the recklessness of our leaders who neglect accountability for the true costs of war: the human factor. I’m anti-war AND respect the men and women who serve honorably at the risk of personal harm and/or death. Veteran suicide due to lack of services is a travesty. Veterans who have to wait months and years for services is unexcusable. People are not pawns. To all veterans and their families: thank you! Many will respond in humility, from hearts that value freedom for everyone. I wish I could do something more to dignify your service!

   Reply
5. 

   katie van horn

   2 Jul, 2024

   My parents both vietnam veterans, my father who served in the Korean war as well, is languishing in the inadequate care, concern or benefits owed to him, while my poor mother didn’t even realize they qualified. Why ANYONE serves in the US military is beyond me, not worth it, they take their pound of flesh then desert you, banking on the fact you’ll die before actually figuring anything out. My father suffered mulitple strokes is in a nursing home and the VA is like well we will try and help but “it takes awhile” what an absolute disgusting thing to do to our vets. Do not serve this county they do not care about you or your family

   Reply
6. 

   George

   2 Sep, 2024

   I’m a veteran, and she’s absolutely incorrect. First of all, the VA places veterans into a priority group. If you are priority 1, like me, you still have to wait 4-8 months just to see an orthopedic. Primary care is eight weeks minimum.

   The paperwork is a mile long, and the employees are mostly low skilled, which is why they work for the VA. Occasionally, you will get a physician or nurse who worked in the private sector, and decided to work at the VA part-time as a form of charity, but 99% of physicians were rejected by the private hospitals.

   Secondly, Veterans with good jobs don’t use the VA. They go to private hospitals.

   Thirdly, doctors at the VA have one hand tied behind their back because of the regulation. For example, let’s say you have an obvious broken wrist. Despite the bone sticking out, you cannot skip the primary care physician, because the only way to see the orthopedic is to get a referral from your primary.

   Now if you have a broken wrist, they would probably get you in pretty quickly because it would be considered an emergency. But let’s say you have a problem with your knee, but you can still walk around, although with a noticeable limp. In this case, you’d wait 8 weeks for the primary, an additional 8 weeks to see the orthopedic, then another 6 months to schedule surgery (if needed. And that, my friend, is priority 1. If you are priority 3 through 6, forget about it. You will be dead before they see you.

   Reply

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