Vets, don’t hesitate to contact VA

The Wednesday letter, “What benefits to veterans have now?” made statements about VA health-care benefits that are simply not correct. It is true that non-service connected veterans are not guaranteed health care. However, the VA hospital in Seattle provides an awful lot of inpatient and outpatient care to non-service connected veterans each and every day, much of it at little or no cost.

A veteran who needs it should not hesitate to look into VA health care. There is the hospital on Beacon Hill in Seattle, and there are also several community-based outpatient clinics, one in Seattle on Lake City Way and one in Mount Vernon. Everett doesn’t have such a clinic. But Everett does have a contract Veterans of Foreign Wars national service officer, Rene Taculad, at 2711 Oakes Ave. He can give advice on all sorts of VA benefits and does not charge for his services. Or a veteran can go to www.va.gov/health/.

I worked for the VA regional office for over 20 years, dealing with the needs of disabled veterans. I don’t always agree with VA, but no one should overlook what it can accomplish.

Joe Buck
Redmond