At no personal cost or income restrictions, all civilians and veterans alike are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations administered by State governments. The current distribution crisis caused by a vaccine supply shortage is compounded by elusive State protocols mandated.

Veterans, however, benefit from a second additional VA-pathway to receive the COVID vaccine. Having direct federal supply, Castle Point VA hospital, for example, provides a fantastic, no-wait, walk-in, inoculation services. However, VA red tape also requires the Veteran first to qualify for, and then to enroll in the full VA health treatment plan, a similar condition not required of civilians or of Veterans who are inoculated at State vaccination sites.

Confoundedly, on March 17, 2015, the U.S. Congress created an additional enrollment barrier by enacting an income-limited “means test” for VA Health Plan eligibility that now excludes many senior Veterans, especially those retired from union and civil service careers That VA health plan exclusion the also excludes those veterans from the VA COVID vaccination programs which sabotages the primary goal to protect all veterans from COVID.

To maximize and expedite the VA COVID inoculation of all Veterans, please contact all local, state and federal officials to program from the VA Health Treatment Plan and its egregious income-based vaccination restrictions. That disconnect may be accomplished with: 1. By authority of VA officials, if possible, or 2) by presidential executive order or 3) by congressional legislation.