Reforming the VA

Millions of Americans have put their life on the line for this country, and they deserve the best healthcare in their time of need.

I have spoken to hundreds of veterans and heard the complaints about slow and inefficient service. I know people have missed out on life-saving treatments because someone held up paperwork for arbitrary reasons. But, I also know that the VA has a type of institutional knowledge that needs to be part of the solution. Will private, for-profit hospitals be able to keep tabs on the unique issues that face veterans and no other category of US citizens? Will your local hospital be prepared to ask the right questions about agent orange exposure, Gulf War syndrome, and exposure to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq?

My plan is to greatly increase the role of private hospitals for routine care. All-too-often we ask people to travel long distances for inconvenient appointment times. While legislation has been passed to deal with this problem, based on my conversations with veterans, it clearly isn’t enough. I know people are still enduring the same incredible inconveniences. I want you to get your basic care from the doctor down the street, not across the state. However, I also want checkups at the VA to account for issues that will be missed by the average family practitioner. This plan is what will best serve our veterans. We owe them that.