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McDonough Discusses State of VA at 2022 Convention

By Cara Rinkoff, Managing Editor

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough delivered the keynote address during the opening ceremony of JWV’s 127th Annual National Convention in Savannah, Georgia. McDonough said he came to the convention to give an update on the latest work the VA is doing as well as to hear some of JWV’s concerns. “I’m here because these are true heroes, patriots, and people that I can learn a great deal from and that’s what we’ve done today,” McDonough said. “I’m thrilled to…make sure that we’re living up to not only the president’s command to me to fight like hell for vets but living up to the high expectations of the Jewish War Veterans, to make sure we’re doing right by them.”

McDonough spoke to JWV just two days before President Biden signed the PACT Act into law, which he called the biggest expansion of veteran benefits in history. The Secretary noted that this would not have happened without the hard work and advocacy of JWV.

He said the VA still needs JWV to pass along a few messages about the PACT Act to ensure all veterans get the care and benefits they’ve earned. “First, we at VA want veterans and survivors to apply for their PACT Act benefits right now. Second, we will begin processing the PACT Act benefits for veterans and survivors on the earliest date possible, which is January first. And third, any veteran or survivor can learn more about the PACT Act by visiting www.va.gov/PACT or calling 1-800-MY-VA-411,” McDonough said.

McDonough said another goal he hopes to tackle at the VA is ending veteran homelessness. “Our focus here is on two simple goals: getting vets into homes and preventing them from falling into homelessness in the first place.” McDonough said the VA is currently halfway to its target of finding permanent homes for 38,000 veterans this calendar year. McDonough also hopes to increase the housing supply, make existing housing more affordable for veterans, and then get vets any treatment they may need – for substance abuse or mental health issues – to ensure they can remain in their homes.

While the VA is doubling down on its telehealth capabilities, the Secretary said the department is also investing in infrastructure. “We’re going to modernize our facilities…because vets in the 21st century should not be forced to receive care in early 20th century buildings,” McDonough said. “Instead, we need to build a VA health care system with the right facilities, in the right places, to provide the right care for veterans in every part of the country.”

McDonough said suicide prevention is the top clinical priority of the VA.

The Secretary also talked about the expansion of the caregiver program, saying that in October, the program of comprehensive assistance will be available to every generation of veterans.
McDonough said, “VA don’t serve some vets. We serve all vets.” He said this means that female veterans will get the care they need, that all LGBTQ+ vets will get the service and support they need, and that racial disparities within the VA system will be eliminated. “In this administration no veteran is going to have to fight to get the quality care and benefits they’ve earned—no matter who they are, where they’re from, how they worship, or who they love.”

In short, McDonough used his speech to address the importance of the Jewish War Veterans to his department and veterans in general.
“The partnership between VA and JWV is all about working together to deliver for veterans,” McDonough said.

Volume 76. Number 3. 2022

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The Private Care Push

By PNC Paul D. Warner, LL.M., Ph.D.

In June 2016, The Commission on Care issued a 292-page document containing eighteen recommendations for the improvement of the operations of the Department of Veterans Affairs system. The one which has most interested the Administration appears to be the use of private doctors.

Last year Congress passed a bill which they claimed would eliminate the arbitrary rules relating to when the VA would pay for the use private doctors by veterans. The old rules governing the use of private doctors were that the veteran would have at least a 30 day wait or a 40-mile distance to obtain care at a VA installation. The VA has proposed a 20 day wait for primary care or a 28 day wait for specialty care. The mileage requirement is replaced by a drive time standards which are 30 minutes for primary care or 60 minutes for specialty care. Clearly these are simply a new set of arbitrary rules. The only thing clear about the new rules is that they are less stringent and will probably allow more veterans to seek private care. Data provided by the VA shows that, currently, over about one-half the VA’s primary care sites have wait times longer the 20 days and specialty wait times longer the 28 days (there is some question about the reliability of this data).

The expansion of private care will come at the expense of the VA’s own health system. The VA estimates that the cost for privitization will cost from $13.9 to 32.1 billion dollars over the next five years. It appears that this money will come the VA’s budget, not from additional federal funding.

The following questions are some of those remaining to be answered:

  • How many more veterans will be eligible for private care under the proposed standards?
  • How will drive times be calculated?
  • Will the greater availability of private doctors result in more veterans using this option instead of their private insurance or Medicare?
  • Will veterans applying for private care get their appointments faster than at the VA?

The unanswered questions could dramatically change the VA’s effectiveness and costs.

There appears to be much pressure from the private sector to privatize the VA and make its funds available to for-profit organizations (e.g., private health insurance and pharmaceutical companies). In particular there are three private citizens who have the Department of VA’s ear. A Freedom of Information Act request and interviews with former administration officials revealed that they have been extensively involved in the VA’s policies and personnel matters. They have direct contact with the President who appears to be consulting with them about the VA. They have not followed the Federal Advisory Committee of 1972 which controls the activities of non-governmental advisors.

It does not look good for the VA and this is why many veterans’ organizations including Jewish War Veterans, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign wars are opposed to the proposed changes. There is one “veterans” organization which supports them, the Concerned Veterans of America which is supported by organizations whose primary goal is to totally privatize the VA.

Volume 73. Number 1. 2019

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