Privatizing Veteran Health Care is a Betrayal, Not A Solution

Hegseth & DOGE Prioritize Insurance Companies Over Veterans

Strategy Central

For, By, and With Veterans

By Monte Erfourth – December 14, 2024

Beware The Promise of Privatization!

Introduction

Pete Hegseth and his billionaire compatriots of DOG-E have taken aim at a group they purport to revere: America’s veterans. Hegseth, a Fox News regular and perennial advocate for privatizing government services, has been vocal about his disdain for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), suggesting that veterans “ask for too much” and that privatization is the solution to the VA’s woes. Of course, this push for "choice" in healthcare masks a broader agenda: dismantling the VA system and shifting costs onto veterans while fattening the pockets of private insurers.

Hegseth and his allies claim their crusade is about empowering veterans. In reality, their efforts would unravel the very fabric of a system designed to meet veterans’ unique needs. The VA isn’t perfect—what massive organization is?—but its integrated care model is unmatched in addressing service-related injuries like PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and complex prosthetic needs. College and vocational skills funding and the VA home loan are staples that have given generations of veterans a leg-up, not a handout. The primary concern in this article is health care. Privatizing these services would not only cost more but would also leave veterans scrambling to find care in a fragmented system ill-equipped to handle their challenges.

 Understanding Veterans’ Needs: The Case for the VA

The VA isn’t just a healthcare provider; it’s a lifeline. Many veterans suffer from conditions directly tied to their service, such as exposure to burn pits, shrapnel injuries, or the psychological toll of combat. Private healthcare providers lack the expertise and infrastructure to deliver the specialized care veterans require. For instance, the VA’s focus on prosthetics and mental health services has made it a leader in those fields.

But the VA's mission goes far beyond healthcare. It offers critical support in employment, housing, and education, addressing the broader challenges of reintegration into civilian life. Programs like the GI Bill have provided countless veterans with access to higher education and vocational training, enabling them to build new careers after military service. Similarly, VA-backed home loans have made homeownership attainable for veterans, often under more favorable terms than those available through the private sector. For those transitioning from active duty, the VA's employment assistance programs connect veterans with job opportunities tailored to their unique skills and experiences, ensuring they can contribute meaningfully to the economy.

Of course, as with any system, there are outliers. A small minority of veterans may exhibit unrealistic expectations, aim to defraud the system, or demand the VA meet every possible need, often with little regard for the limitations of the system. These individuals, while vocal, do not represent the vast majority of veterans, who deeply value the services provided by the VA. Most veterans approach the system with a sense of gratitude and pragmatism, recognizing that the resources they receive are both earned and essential to their well-being and success in civilian life.

The narrative that portrays veterans as entitled, pathetically seeking a government handout, or scammers and malingerers with no dignity or pride is a gross exaggeration of reality.  This false narrative is often peddled by those with little understanding of the sacrifices made by those who serve. Sometimes it is espoused by “born again hard” veterans who can afford to reject any VA support and look down on those who might need help transitioning to civilian life or living with physical or mental problems linked to their time in service.  But usually, it boils down to those who do not give a damn about service and have no problem cutting promised benefits in the name of “efficiency” while ignoring things like “effectiveness.”

The VA’s comprehensive support system—the healthcare, housing, employment, and education programs—reflects a holistic approach to serving those who have served the nation. It is an earned benefit, and an enticement to those considering joining the service. Dismantling or privatizing these services, as Pete, Vivek, and Elon propose, wouldn’t just be a disservice to veterans; it would fundamentally undermine their ability to succeed in civilian life. Veterans don’t need a patchwork of disconnected services; they need a cohesive, centralized system that understands their unique challenges and works to address them at every level. This is the promise of the VA—a promise that must be upheld. If you really care about what the VA does, conduct analysis on the department’s effectiveness, develop ways to improve or sustain services, and from there find efficiencies.  The goal is reasonable quality and effectiveness at a sustainable cost

 The Earned Contract

Let us drive this last point home a little more. Critics of the VA often portray veterans as entitled, painting benefits as handouts rather than what they are: earned benefits. Let’s not forget the unspoken contract between the nation and its service members. When service members don the uniform, they do so with the understanding that their sacrifices will be met with support upon their return to civilian life. Benefits like healthcare and disability compensation are not perks; they are obligations the country owes its veterans.

Part of the missing piece in the VA discussion is the incredible return on investment America gains from providing healthcare and other services to veterans. After World War II, the GI Bill exploded college graduation rates, ushered in a housing boom, and helped build a thriving postwar economy. Those wounded were in war were healed and enabled to fully participate in civic and economic life. These investments didn’t just help veterans—they helped build an America with a burgeoning middle class, unprecedented economic growth, and global leadership. Today’s veterans continue this legacy, contributing to industry, technology, education, and countless other fields. The VA’s support helps veterans leverage their unique skills and experiences to benefit not just themselves but also their communities and the nation at large. America’s promise of care to its veterans is repaid many times over through the lives they live and the contributions they make.

For veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, even when their service is officially over, they continue to serve the mission. American men and women were sent to fight in conflicts initiated under false premises and perpetuated by poor strategic leadership. When the Taliban reclaimed Afghanistan in 2021, it was veterans—not the Department of Defense or the State Department—who mobilized to evacuate Afghan allies.  This was a clear demonstration of their unwavering commitment to service.  It should not strike anyone as unusual that veterans recognize fellow travelers in war, especially when those travelers helped them fight it. Veterans honor those who supported them in war and respected them enough to find a way to ensure they were not abandoned.  It seems reasonable to ask that our veterans not be abandon to corporate greed.

 Hegseth’s Trojan Horse

Hegseth’s rhetoric about "choice" and efficiency bely a more insidious goal: reducing costs at the expense of care. Privatization would funnel veterans into a profit-driven healthcare system where denying claims and cutting corners are standard practices. This approach would decimate the VA’s integrated model, which allows veterans to receive coordinated care for multiple conditions—a critical feature for those dealing with complex injuries.

Moreover, privatizing veterans’ care would be a boon for corporations, but it would come at a steep cost to those who served. If veterans’ healthcare were outsourced to private providers, corporations would inevitably prioritize profits over patient care. Unlike the VA, which operates with a mission to serve, private healthcare companies answer to shareholders. This creates a system where denying care or reducing services becomes a financial strategy. For-profit insurers and healthcare conglomerates could exploit veterans by charging higher premiums, imposing additional fees, and limiting access to specialized care through networks that prioritize cost-saving over quality. Veterans with complex service-related conditions, such as PTSD, prosthetic needs, or toxic exposure-related illnesses, could face denial of services if their care is deemed too costly or outside the expertise of general practitioners

While the VA integrates care tailored to veterans’ unique needs, corporations would likely cherry-pick profitable cases, leaving those most in need to fend for themselves in a fragmented and often predatory system. This shift would represent not just a betrayal of veterans but also a lucrative opportunity for corporations to profit off the sacrifices made by those who served.

Bottom line: Hegseth’s suggestions are based on unsupported opinions.  He offers no data and the broader veteran community with decades of experience and evidenced based studies reveal the falsity of his claims. Veterans’ groups have repeatedly voiced opposition to privatization, arguing that it would undermine the very foundation of veteran care. Even Hegseth’s former colleagues at the VA have criticized his lack of understanding of the system’s intricacies.

 A Call to Action

Hegseth’s proposals don’t just threaten the VA; they threaten the social contract that binds the nation to its veterans. If we allow these cuts to proceed under the guise of “choice,” we send a clear message: America values its veterans only when it’s politically convenient. Veterans vote more, volunteer more, and are more patriotic than their civilian counterparts. They deserve more than empty platitudes on Veterans Day; they have earned tangible support every day of the year. For those who want to protect veteran's well being, this is a call to reject privatization of the VA.

Cutting government spending is indeed a worthwhile goal, and the VA, like any large institution, should continuously review its processes to identify inefficiencies and reduce costs where it can. Fraud, waste, and outdated systems should never go unchecked, and reform is essential to ensure taxpayer dollars are well spent. However, there is a profound difference between prudent fiscal management and the reckless dismantling of an institution that millions depend on. To make sweeping changes on baseless assumptions, such as the idea that privatization will automatically lead to better outcomes, is the act of a fool, not a patriot.

Let’s be clear: veterans are not asking for handouts. They are asking for what was promised to them in exchange for their service—service that can leave them physically scarred, emotionally burdened, and in some cases, economically disadvantaged. Didn’t our nation learn this lesson in the wake of Vietnam? Does Hegseth really want to cut VA benefits when our leaders lied about the reasons for going to war, lied about the results, and carried on for two decades with strategies that could not achieve the objectives they outlined? The notion that “choice” in healthcare will somehow save money or improve care ignores the realities of the for-profit medical system, where denial of care is a feature, not a bug. Privatizing the VA isn’t a solution; it’s a betrayal.