by Buzz Davis, VFP Tucson dbuzzdavis@aol.com
Mr. Trump has appointed Dr. David Shulkin to lead the VA. He previously lead the VA Healthcare System as an under secretary for 1.5 years. Some say Shulkin is known as a turn-around/improvement expert for large hospital systems.
This is good news thinks Gary Augustine head of the Disabled American Veterans( DAV).
At the end of the selection process with other candidates being eliminated and one turning the job down, it came down to Shulkin or Koch brothers privatizer Peter Hegseth - who has been the ultra-conservative front man for privatizing the VA and proving the VA is incompetent. He did this as the head of the Koch funded Concerned Veterans of America.
Veterans group advocated strongly for Shulkin rather than Hegseth.
Thus the VA dodged the immediate "privatization bullet" but what will happen now is not known.
Many Republican House members want to privatize the VA along with busting the federal unions. (The VA has over 330,000 workers - nearly all unionized.)
Under Shulkin and the Choice program many more vets are being sent to the private sector. Costs for that care balloon.
For decades the VA has had 4 or 5 programs which allowed VA doctors to send vets to private sector hospitals if it was best for the vet and if that is what he/she wanted.
But the Choice Program sets no medical need standard. It flatly requires vets who live 40 mi. or more from the VA or who get certain types of medical appointments 30 or so days into the future, to go to the private sector if the vet wishes.
The last "Point" in Mr. Trump's written VA plan is: "10. Ensure every veteran has the choice to seek care at the VA or at a private service provider of their own choice. Under a Trump Administration, no veteran will die waiting for service."
Shulkin favors the VA continuing to push aggressively for each VA hospital to develop an integrated care system comprised of that VA hospital and other local hospitals so the VA can send vets to other hospitals for specialized care or faster care if the VA is overloaded.
Some politicians say just give vets a card or voucher and let them go find the best healthcare insurance they can - that will work just fine. Veterans groups say no that won't work. Some politicians argue close down the VA over 15 or so years and send all vets to the private sector.
The VA is the largest Single Payer/Single Provider healthcare system in the US. It provides excellent care, vets are pleased with the care and the cost is 10% less than Medicare and Medicare is 20% less than private care.
Thus the VA is about 30% less costly than private care. Many veteran advocates know that Congress presently does NOT want to fund the VA at a level at which it can hire staff, modernize facilities and build necessary new facilities.
Why? Because they fear that a fully funded VA system would put many private hospital systems to shame and show the world that in American Single Payer/Single Provider healthcare is very cost effective and of high quality.
Both Houses of Congress are now controlled by conservative Republicans. The months ahead will determine whether the VA is further privatized.
If you wish to join others who are working to slow or stop VA privatization please sign this petition. We are working with a small number of House members who are urging Re-Build the VA - Don't Privatize It.