Veterans' Benefits

Although citizens of American Samoa, including veterans, are eligible for essentially free medical care, the medical facilities in American Samoa are limited and financial problems have disrupted care at the only hospital. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sends doctors to American Samoa on a quarterly basis, but their main purpose is to do examinations for benefit claims, not to treat patients. Under this arrangement, the psychiatric needs of veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder are not being met, some veterans claim that it is hard to obtain needed medical referrals, and veterans who need drug and alcohol treatment or readjustment counseling are not being served. A greater percentage of veterans in American Samoa (20 percent) receive VA compensation or pension benefits than do veterans in the rest of the nation (10 percent). VA home loans, however, are unavailable to veterans in American Samoa due to problems in administering the program on communally owned lands.

GAO found that: (1) the medical facilities in American Samoa are limited; (2) supply problems have affected patient care; (3) the primary purpose of visiting doctors was to perform examinations for benefit claims, not to treat patients; (4) VA did not meet the psychiatric needs of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder; (5) a greater percentage of veterans in American Samoa received VA compensation and pension benefits than other veterans in the rest of the nation; and (6) VA home loans were not available to veterans in American Samoa.