Before Congress enacted the Veterans Choice program, which allowed veterans to get care from non-VA hospitals, more than ten years ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs operated under a different structure. In 2018, the VA underwent a permanent transformation into a system that merges community care and VA-based hospitals, according to the Mission Act, which significantly increased veterans’ choices.
Currently, the private sector covers about 44% of veterans’ medical expenses. The overall need for veterans’ health care has increased dramatically throughout this time. Over the course of the last year, the VA enrolled 401,006 veterans in VA health care, which is a record amount of enrollment.
The biggest change that has probably occurred is that veterans now have more trust. To put it another way, the new system seems to be it.
As a seasoned health care executive and former head of the VA, I am all too familiar with the fact that health systems cannot be maintained without investments that keep up with a fast changing environment. The VA must make investments to update its people, facilities, and technology in order to provide veterans with a top-notch healthcare system. Congress also needs to provide the agency the latitude it needs to comply with these mandates.
