Kayla M. Williams: JD Vance’s Dangerous Drive to Further Privatize the VA

Asked whether he would consider privatizing veterans’ health care, vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance said, “I think I would consider it.” While acknowledging that the Department of Veterans Affairs works well in some areas and rejecting the idea of ​​completely eliminating our second-largest federal agency, Vance reiterated the Trump campaign’s desire to expand the use of community-based care, regardless of the consequences for veterans and the nation as a whole.

It may seem harmless to encourage veterans to “provide more choice,” but this insidious push toward greater privatization is risky for several reasons. First and foremost, it is harmful to veterans themselves. Community care providers do not have expertise in the conditions that disproportionately affect veterans. My husband, who was wounded in combat, decided to give community care a try and was told by a provider, “We don’t know anything about blast injuries.”

When I sought out community care closer to home, my care provider did not screen for military sexual trauma or offer trauma-informed care to ensure I felt comfortable during exams. Community care providers are not familiar with the health risks of Agent Orange or burn pits, so they would not think to tailor cancer screenings to Veterans. The simple truth is that the VA provides high-quality, evidence-based, and culturally competent care to Veterans.

The more veterans are pushed into community care, the fewer resources there are to support the VA’s direct care system—and we risk reaching a dangerous tipping point that would cause that system to collapse. That would be bad for all Americans, not just veterans: About 70 percent of American doctors receive at least some training at VA facilities, the VA has pioneered innovations like heart surgery and liver transplants, and the VA serves as a critical safety net for the broader health care system in times of local or national crisis.

Weakening or destroying this essential part of our national health care system in the name of “choice” would have devastating long-term consequences.

Some argue that the goal is actually to help veterans access care closer to home and more quickly. Vance, for example, has claimed that the VA is “forcing” veterans to “drive 2 1/2 hours to a VA facility when they can get cheaper care closer to home.” But the idea that veterans could benefit from community-based care closer to home is often just a fantasy.

More than 150 rural hospitals closed between 2005 and 2019, and another 600 — or 30% of those that remain — are at risk of closing in the coming years. To make it easier for these people to get routine care without spending hours in the car, the VA has invested in improving access to telehealth for veterans, while the Biden-Harris administration has invested millions to expand broadband internet access nationwide, part of an effort to find real solutions to complex problems.

Also, don’t fall into the trap that veterans are forced to wait too long to get an appointment at the VA: Wait times for care at the VA are shorter In the civilian sector, the average wait time in major metropolitan areas is now 38 days, and waits are even longer for critical specialty care like neurology. Sending more veterans into the community won’t get them care faster, but it will further lengthen wait times for non-veterans in these areas.

Trump and Vance want to push more veterans into community care, despite the irrefutable fact that the VA is providing better care to increasingly satisfied veterans. Their goal of pushing more veterans into unregulated community care will not save taxpayers money, but it will hurt veterans.

Veterans deserve access to care that is tailored to their unique needs, and America needs a strong VA system to train doctors, drive innovation, and respond to emergencies. That’s why I support Vice President Harris and Governor Tim Walz: They know that government is designed to work for the people, and they will preserve and protect the VA rather than try to dismantle it for profit.