Department of Veterans Affairs leaders say they are fulfilling the agency's fourth mission by expanding help and medical care to non-veterans during the coronavirus pandemic.
VA released an update of all the aid it's offering to non-veterans across the country Tuesday as part of the department's fourth mission to serve as a backup for the American healthcare system during times of crisis.
As the number of cases nationwide continues to grow, so does the number of veterans infected and dying of the virus across the country.
As of Tuesday, VA said at least 257 veterans had died of COVID-19, an increase of 16 from a day prior, and at least 4,261 veterans had tested positive, though some reports cast doubt on the department's daily tally. VA said it had administered more than 37,361 tests nationwide.
VA cares for about 9 million veterans, about half of whom are 65 or older, a population at increased risk for the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And toxic exposures during military service could complicate matters for some veterans, weakening their ability to fight off infection.
VA officials have continually said they have weighed extending help for non-veterans as part of the department's fourth mission against caring for veterans, its first mission, working to ensure "that care to veterans will not be disrupted."
“VA is committed to helping the nation in this effort to combat COVID-19,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement Tuesday. “Helping veterans is our first mission, but in many locations across the country, we’re helping states and local communities. VA is in this fight not only for the millions of veterans we serve each day; we’re in the fight for the people of the United States.”
The department denies any shortages.
VA has a guide for veterans on coronavirus, which includes the request that veterans who believe they are ill should call their local VA before they show up to the hospital.
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