Arlington, Va. – Concerned Veterans for America is encouraging lawmakers to continue their work to stabilize the VA health care system, as both chambers hold hearings on the issue today. The grassroots organization has been urging Congress to pass a measure that reforms the VA’s community care and choice programs and then get to work on longer-term reforms to the department.
CVA Executive Director Dan Caldwell released this statement:
“President Trump and Secretary Shulkin successfully implemented many reforms at the VA in 2017 that will hopefully begin to change the long-troubled department. In particular, the passage of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act was a major accomplishment that offers Secretary Shulkin more tools to help fix the VA’s toxic culture.
“However, there is still much work to be done to fix the VA. Congress needs to pass comprehensive legislation that will better integrate the VA’s medical system with the private sector while also increasing health care choice for veterans. If Congress fails to do so or only passes legislation that makes small changes on the margins, there will still be far too many veterans who are suffering as a result of delayed and poor-quality health care at the VA.”
For further information or an interview, reach Chris Neefus at CNeefus@cv4a.org or (703) 517-4504.
BACKGROUND
For years, CVA has advocated for substantial health care reforms at the VA. In CVA’s Fixing Veterans Health Care Taskforce, the group advocates that veterans should have the option to take their earned health care benefits and use them to access care at the VA or in the private sector.
Beyond advocating for stabilizing the VA health care system over the short term, the grassroots group recently thanked Rep. Lamborn and his cosponsors for introducing the Veterans Empowerment Act in the House of Representatives, a bill the group says is strong and would make many improvements to the VA. Read more here.