Big Sky Times

Concerned Veterans for America Strategic Director Chris Enget says ongoing administrative challenges within the office of Veterans Affairs (VA) have Montana military veterans “facing several obstacles to getting the care they need.”

“Montana veterans are facing several obstacles to getting the care they need. Many providers have left the network because the VA failed to reimburse them time and again. And the VA isn’t notifying veterans when they qualify for community care. So, there are less options in network for veterans to get care and the VA isn’t letting them know when there are places outside of the VA to get care. Most veterans must self-advocate to get access to the care they need and have earned,” Enget told Big Sky Times.

Enget, himself a U.S. Army veteran of 12 years, elaborated on the specific importance of behavioral and mental healthcare for veterans.

“Mental health care for veterans is incredibly important. Many veterans are struggling with physical ailments and mental health problems. Not being able to get the care they have earned, especially in the mental health space, has caused the veteran suicide rate in Montana to be one of the highest in the nation. Out of 17 VA facilities in Montana, 12 of them have no new appointments for veterans,” Enget stated.

When asked what action he would advise Montana’s U.S. Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines to take in response to this situation, Enget was clear in his answer.

“Our senators must stand up to the VA administration and ensure that it fully implements the MISSION Act. Giving veterans choice and options outside the VA is the solution that will make a difference in many veterans’ lives,” Enget said.

Sen. Daines recently joined 19 other senators in sending a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, asking that the department correct recent policy initiatives that are making access to care more difficult for veterans.

The letter asked the VA to cease recent changes that appear to be in compliance with recommendations made by the Red Team, a panel commissioned in January by Dr. Shereef Elnahal, Undersecretary for Health, to “assess the trends and drivers of increasing community care spending” in the department.

The Red Team came to the conclusion that community care, which is a referral process to expand potential services and care to veterans, was “a potential existential threat” to VA’s direct care system, however the senators’ letter argues community care is a “vital lifeline” for veterans and the VA.

The community care system was created in 2018 with the enactment of the MISSION Act, which expanded VA care options to allow veterans to seek care that was available to them within their community from local providers as well as VA care. “For countless veterans, the convenience, accessibility, and control that community care offers is life-saving,” the senators wrote in the letter. “In the years since the MISSION Act was enacted, the VA healthcare system has seen significant increases in enrollment, utilization, and reliance, as well as improvements in key measures of quality and veteran trust.”

Sen. Daines’ letter was also signed by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) along with Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.).

A Montana native, Enget joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 in 2005, and served for 12 years. He coordinated military funeral honors and participated in 1,100 military funerals over his tenure.

Enget was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012, where he served with the 484th MP Combat Support Company, 503rd Military Police Battalion under the 2-2ID and trained Afghan Police and Army forces.

During his deployment, Enget sustained serious injuries when hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and received a Purple Heart. He was medically discharged from the military in 2017.

After the conclusion of his military service, Enget returned to Montana, opened his own business and became involved in veterans advocacy. His own personal struggles with obtaining medical care from the VA led him to become involved with Concerned Veterans for America four years ago.