VA is gearing up for a massive shift of health care to the private sector

[Zorro]

President Trump’s signature policy for veterans — allowing more of them to shift their health care from the government-run system to private doctors and hospitals — is under attack from newly empowered Democrats and their allies on Capitol Hill.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie is moving quickly to roll out new rules by June that would expand access to private care, especially for veterans in rural and congested areas, if they have a 30-minute drive to receive primary care.

Within two years, as many as half the 7 million veterans now seen at VA could receive their care elsewhere, advocates of the change say.

Trump’s proposed budget, released last week, includes up to $3.2 billion in new spending next year for private-sector visits, including to walk-in clinics.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/va-is-gearing-up-for-a-massive-reroute-of-health-care-to-the-private-sector-but-democrats-are-fighting-back/2019/03/21/637f732a-467b-11e9-90f0-0ccfeec87a61_story.html

[Chakaconcarne]

1. This is helpful for rural veterans.....

It's a huge burden to travel (especially for elderly vets) and travel to VA which sometimes doesn't provide as good as care as private providers.