by Brieanne Lyda-McDonald, MSPH
North Carolina is home to the 8th largest number of military Veterans in the United States. With approximately 619,000 Veterans living in our state, Veterans make up around 8% of North Carolina’s population [1]. As the graphic from the Veterans Strategic Analysis & Research Tool below shows, 12% of Veterans are female, 4% are unemployed (younger Veterans, ages 18–34, are unemployed at a higher rate of 5.7%), and most Veterans in North Carolina are either White (70.3%) or Black/African American (22.4%) [1]. Nearly 30% of North Carolina Veterans are disabled [1].
Source: D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families [1].
Although Veterans live in many parts of the state, certain counties in North Carolina have higher populations. The map below shows the top ten counties with the highest numbers of Veterans, which are [2]:
Source: Carolina Demography [2].
As individuals transition from active duty to Veteran status and as they age, they often face considerable challenges in navigating health care benefits and receiving care that is well-coordinated between the civilian health sector and the Veterans Affairs health system. In addition, many Veterans have ongoing behavioral health care and substance use treatment needs and may need assistance with other drivers of health, such as housing and employment.
The passage of the PACT Act in 2022 brought an increase in the number of Veterans who are eligible for care [3]. The increase in eligible Veterans, previously existing challenges, and changes being discussed at the federal level related to VA funding all have an impact on how Veterans receive care. Considering the existing landscape, there is an urgent need to identify actionable strategies for improving access to care, care coordination, and developing the right workforce to meet Veterans’ health care needs across their lifespans.
The North Carolina Institute of Medicine will be convening a task force beginning in summer 2025, aimed at:
We look forward to sharing more with you as this project develops.
References
1. V-START dashboards. D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families. Accessed March 6, 2025. https://ivmf.syracuse.edu/research-analytics/veteran-data-insights/v-start/v-start-dashboards/#statereportdash
2. Memorial Day snapshot: Who are NC’s veterans? Carolina Demography. May 27, 2021. https://carolinademography.cpc.unc.edu/2021/05/27/who-are-north-carolinas-veterans/
3. The PACT Act and your VA benefits. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Updated March 5, 2024. https://www.va.gov/resources/the-pact-act-and-your-va-benefits/