Mr. Pena's Letter to the Editor

Adolfo Pena, the World War II vet who appears in dueling ads by the McConnell and Lunsford campaigns, wrote to the Galveston Daily News to complain about Bruce Lunsford's VA clinic, Valor Healthcare. In Mr. Pena's own words:

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said a VA patient advocate would be at the Galveston County clinics starting this week.

Veterans Should Have Their Own ‘Bill Of Rights’

In reference to the article by Marty Schladen (“Veterans complain about clinics,” The Daily News, April 13): I am a veteran of World War II and we veterans do not have any idea what the contract with Ray Lanier, president of Valor Healthcare, says.

So it puts us veterans in a weak position to discuss the treatment we get.

Schladen’s article said the Veterans Administration pays Lanier’s company $400 for each veteran it sees annually. Once we register with Lanier’s company, he has no incentive to see us because the more times the company sees us the more money it loses.

That puts us veterans in a very weak position and at the mercy of the company. The company received a good contract — but bad for us veterans.

Lanier said his company’s clinics have enough resources to provide good care and that there are more than enough staff and providers for its patients.

I do not doubt this! He continued to explain that his company intentionally leaves open three or four slots in each doctor’s schedule each day to accommodate patients without appointments.
That is something hard to understand because, if you do not have an appointment beforehand, you just do not see any doctor. Clinic employees will make an appointment for you but you have to wait at least three months. This has happened to me.

The clinics should have a Bill of Veterans Rights on the wall for us to read so we are able to ask intelligent questions when the opportunity arises.

On the same token, the Veterans Affairs Department should inform us veterans of our rights.
Adolfo PiñaDickinson