According to Is the Department of Veterans Affairs colluding to deprive veterans of necessary health care options? Leaked internal reportyes.
This VA “Red Team” Report It was commissioned by the Veterans Health Administration to strategize how to direct more veterans to VA-run facilities rather than independent, or “community health,” providers. This is an egregious move from VHA concerned about competition.
Community care, established by the VA MISSION Act, requires veterans to have the option of using their health benefits for non-VA care if driving or waiting times for care at a VA facility are too long. ing. This is a popular program that has been transformative for millions of people.
However, the VA has a budgetary interest in veterans choosing VA facilities.
Through documents like the Red Team report, the department is figuring out ways to ensure veterans’ options are limited.
Despite being edited report Regarding its existence, the Red Team report itself was not widely circulated. Neither the House nor the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee was able to obtain a copy despite repeated requests. Fortunately, Empower Oversight, a government accountability watchdog organization, released Complete documentation. The report’s recommendations explain why this is so secretive and only visible to those who favor watered-down options.
First, the report suggests using telemedicine to cut off veterans’ access to community care. Currently, if the VA is not able to provide care close enough or quickly enough for a veteran, the veteran can use community care instead.
The Red Team report argues that the Veterans Administration is “providing timely care” and suggests shortening wait times for virtual appointments so that community care referrals can be denied. Telemedicine is a useful innovation, but it should not be used to eliminate options for veterans.
Second, the report urges the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce community health appointments for veterans across multiple treatment areas in order to “mitigate” (i.e. reduce) costs for emergency care, psychiatric care, oncology, etc. It is recommended that this be approved.
Apparently, timely, high-quality veteran care for ER visits, cancer screenings, and PTSD treatment is more important to VA’s “Red Team” than prioritizing veterans. is.
Finally, the report suggests “repatriating” (transferring without choice) veterans who receive treatment plans with community health care providers into the VA system. Too bad if veterans prefer community care. VA only cares about keeping veterans in their own system.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Dennis McDonough recently doubled down on efforts to restrict access to community health care on House Veterans Affairs Committee oversight hearinghis earlier statement that “my hunch is that access criteria should change to make community care less accessible” came true. (Related: Barr: Despite a strong Department of Veterans Affairs budget, many veterans still have difficulty getting the disability assistance they are entitled to)
Are you worried yet?
I’ve spent decades working in the Department of Veterans Affairs, the White House, and veterans’ health care policy, so I know when I see bureaucratic machinations. This report terrifies me. Not just because of the secrecy and intent to circumvent missionary law, but because veterans are paying the price.
Community care programs are very popular. In April, Secretary McDonough testified Last year, VA facilitated 47 million community health appointments. That’s 5 million more in-person appointments for him than the VA had scheduled at its own facilities.Demand for community care is increasing 15-20% per year. Last year, nearly 40 percent of the VA’s “total care workload” was provided through community care.
Programs don’t grow big by chance. The Red Team report states that the main reasons veterans rely on community care are long drive times, unavailable services, and long wait times.
Veterans are voting with their feet and the VA cannot stand it.
In the wise words of former Veterans Affairs Secretary General Omar Bradley: “We’re dealing with veterans, not procedures. Address their problems, not ours.” ” That sentiment should guide the VA’s decision.
Congress cannot support veterans in a way that blatantly undermines the options afforded to them by the Mission Act. House and Senate leaders must prioritize oversight and investigation into what the VA is doing behind the scenes to promote itself at the expense of the people it serves.
We should also prioritize the rapid passage of Sen. Jerry Moran’s Veterans Health Act and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ Veterans Care Improvement Act. It would write into law the standards by which veterans can access community care, making it impossible for the Veterans Administration to circumvent it. Rewriting regulations behind the scenes.
Veterans deserve nothing less.
Darin Selnick He is a senior advisor to the United States Veterans Affairs and is an Air Force veteran. He served as Veterans Affairs Advisor to President Donald Trump’s Domestic Policy Council and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.
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