Veterans with mental illnesses on average had almost one-third fewer visits with mental health professionals in 2005 than they did in 1995, according to an investigation conducted by McClatchy Newspapers, McClatchy/Miami Herald reports. For the investigation, McClatchy examined Department of Veterans Affairs reports and an analysis of VA data released under the federal Freedom of Information Act. The investigation found that mental health care for veterans is "wildly inconsistent from state to state" and that veterans in rural and western states often had more limited access to mental health care, McClatchy/Herald reports. According to the investigation, VA spends as much as $2,000 per patient for outpatient psychiatric treatment at some medical centers but spends only $500 per patient at others. In addition, patients at some VA medical centers had visits with psychiatrists, but those at other facilities had visits with social workers, the investigation found. The investigation also found that almost 100 VA clinics "provided virtually no mental health care in 2005," McClatchy/Herald reports. VA officials in 2005 and 2006 told Congress that the department planned to spend an additional $300 million on mental health care, but VA has not spent $54 million of those funds, according to the Government Accountability Office.

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Ira Katz, deputy chief patient care services officer for mental health at VA, said that the investigation could indicate the use of different strategies for mental health care in different areas to allow the department to "better learn what works and what doesn't work." Katz added that "VA is involved in a very active process of identifying and filling gaps in care." Steve Robinson, government relations director of Veterans for America, said, "There are VA facilities that were fine in peacetime but are now finding themselves overwhelmed. So they're pitting the needs of the veterans of previous wars against the needs of Iraq veterans" (Adams, McClatchy/Miami Herald, 2/11).