I also agree we should not invade Canada. I live right near there. It would be terrible. What we are hearing and what we have heard now for a number of months is a discussion about deficit reduction, about how we proceed and how we address…

Historically, the VA has not done a particularly good job in outreach.

I am concerned about the older veterans right now, say Vietnam vets.

VA standards and eligibility requirements often change.

For the Post-9/11 veterans, the VA is now providing free health care for the first 5 years upon their return.

I do not think it is too much for this Committee to get testimony on time so staff and Members have an opportunity to adequately understand its contents.

I think we can also say in fairness to the VA in the last few years we have seen a significant turnaround.

You would agree with me that your job is to make sure that every veteran in America... know what those benefits are.

it is completely unacceptable, with the vast resources of the VA, that they were incapable of submitting their testimony to this Committee on time.

We know that the best solutions are not all coming out of DC, that they are at the local level where we are seeing great solutions.

It does not mean anything to the veteran if that veteran does not know about it.

I believe the improvements to TAP have made positive contributions to it.

I think you have heard from all of the members the importance of working effectively with State, local government, and non-profits.

I would like to thank the Committee for the opportunity to testify here today and encourage you to examine our State programs and services for best practices.

We appreciate that if we are going to do justice for all veterans--the older veterans and those who are just returning--we are going to need a level of cooperation.

If people know what they are eligible for and are not in all kinds of different levels, it might be easier for the average veteran to say, 'yes, I can walk in the door,' rather than having been rejected and never coming back again even…

So what you are telling us is that the need is out there.

The AAMC applauds subcommittee Chair Bernie Sanders and Ranking Member Richard Burr for continuing their attention to the gaps in access.

By 2025, we will need over 50,000 new primary care physicians.

1 in 5 Americans lives in an area where there are too few primary care providers.

What happens if we don't do something about it? What happens in 2016?

If we want to get more young people into primary health care in underserved areas, clearly, we need to expand the program.

We spend about $10 billion a year on that program, who are graduating almost no primary care physicians.

But Ms. Spitzgo, am I correct in assuming that unless we increase funding, there will be a number of States in this country which have needs, significant need, but will not be receiving National Health Service Corps dollars?

One of the reasons, in fact, I voted for the Affordable Care Act is that there were great, significant expansions in the Federally Qualified Health Center programs and in the National Health Service Corps.