Republican vice presidential hopeful JD Vance recently suggested that more private healthcare should be integrated into the Department of Veteran Affairs, sparking a backlash from Democrats. Despite recent improvements in the department’s approval ratings, issues persist such as long waiting times for appointments and a backlog of over 240,000 claims. Vance believes that allowing more private sector care will save money and provide better service to veterans. However, Jacqueline Simon from the American Federation of Government Employees warns that full-fledged privatization would upend veteran care as the VA has developed expertise in dealing with complex issues faced by the veteran patient population. Michael Cannon from the CATO Institute argues that free market forces will lead to better results for veterans, while Kate Monroe, CEO of Vetcomms.us and Marine veteran, emphasizes the importance of careful consideration if privatizing portions of VA healthcare is to be considered.
