CVA Launches Fixing Veterans Health Care Policy Taskforce
Bipartisan Group of VA Experts and Policymakers Focuses on Veteran-Centric VA Reforms
Arlington, Va. – Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) today announced the formation of the Fixing Veterans Health Care Taskforce to provide a bipartisan, veteran-centric, expert-driven set of policy recommendations to dramatically improve health care delivery for veterans.
The Taskforce will accept public comment and expert input focusing on systemic reforms to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), with final recommendations to be released in December 2014. The bipartisan effort will culminate in a policy summit in Washington, D.C., in early 2015 as the Taskforce ultimately aims toward passing meaningful reforms in the 114th Congress.
The Taskforce will be led by distinguished former VA practitioners, health care policy experts, congressional policy makers and CVA staff:
- Taskforce co-chairs include:
o Dr. William Frist (R-TN), former U.S. Senate Majority Leader
o Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA), former Congressman, Army Ranger
o Dr. Mike Kussman, former Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health
o Avik Roy, health care scholar at the Manhattan Institute
- Taskforce Executive Director: Darin Selnick, Senior Veterans Affairs Advisor for CVA
The public will be invited to participate by submitting their own ideas for veterans’ health care reform via the Taskforce’s website, taskforce.cv4a.org, before November 15, 2014.
Dr. Bill Frist on joining the VA Health Care Taskforce: “Our Veterans deserve the highest quality of health care, and the current inefficiencies and lack of transparency are preventing just that. This must change. That is why I am so excited to be part of a taskforce that is looking not just for change, but for hard solutions, solutions for how to address the agency’s systemic problems, and instill a culture of accountability to the VA. And most importantly, solutions that will be cost effective while improving the quality of health care for our veterans so we can better honor the incredible sacrifice they have made for us.”
Rep. Jim Marshall on the Taskforce’s mission: “All Americans, including all VA health care employees, know that entitled veterans deserve prompt, reasonably convenient, quality care that is as cost-effective as possible. And unfortunately, most Americans and virtually all VA health care employees know this isn’t happening. The latest reform legislation heads in the right direction but may not go far enough. It’s my hope that this task force formed by Concerned Veterans for America will produce a feasible road map for practical, doable, fundamental reform that can put the VA on the right track.”
Dr. Michael Kussman, on the VA Health Care Taskforce: “The VA Health Care System has shown it is capable of providing excellent care for most veterans, but for some this care has been delayed or difficult to obtain. The VA Health Care Task Force will consider changes and substantive alternatives that will offer options that ensure all veterans have access to the best care available in a reasonable amount of time. For an agency that provides critical care to such a large and deserving segment of our population, it is time to thoroughly look at how this is being done.”
Avik Roy, on his participation: “The numerous reports of VA facilities failing to provide timely, quality health care to our nation’s veterans is one of the great scandals of our time. These problems are not the result of mismanagement by a few, but of the VA’s outdated and bureaucratic architecture. We cannot fix them without addressing the fundamental flaws in the way we deliver health care to veterans. Veterans deserve the best care and coverage possible, and they deserve to choose from whom they receive it. I’m honored to join this all-star cast in an effort to bring needed reform to veterans’ health care.”
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To schedule an interview with Pete Hegseth, CEO of CVA, taskforce co-chairs, or Darin Selnick, please contact Emily Laird at 571.302.0973 or e-mail elaird@cv4a.org.