Trump's (R) Administration keeps Denying that the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) is headed toward Privatization, just like it couldn't Stop Denying that Mass Layoffs of 80,000 Employees wouldn't Impact Veteran Care. But Facts have a way of Catching-Up.
After Intense Pressure from Veterans' Groups and Congress, the Administration was Forced to Walk Back its Plan, cutting 30,000 Jobs instead. Already, though, the VA has Lost Thousands of Health Care Staff since January, including 688 Physicians and 1,882 Registered Nurses, while still Claiming its Services remain Unaffected.
The Budget Numbers don't Lie, even if Trump and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins (R) do. This year, the Trump Administration requested a Record-Breaking $441 billion VA Budget for Fiscal year 2026. That's a 10% Increase over last year and, In-Theory, should be Good News for Veterans and the People who Care for them.
Yet, Buried in the Fine Print is a Deeply concerning Contradiction: Even with the Budget Expansion, the VA Plans to Eliminate nearly 3,000 Jobs, including over 2,000 from the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), which handles Disability Claims, Education Benefits, and more.
In other words, the VA is Spending more Money, just Not on the People who keep the System Running. Some are Forced to Work Out-of-Closets, due to Untenable Working Environments, while others are being Overworked or Incentivized to find Work Elsewhere.
While the Administration Claims it's Focused on "Eliminating Waste" and "Empowering Local Leaders," in Reality, it is Hollowing-Out the VA's Internal Capacity. VA Staff are being stretched Thin, even as more Veterans enter the System. Instead of Hiring more Nurses, Claims Processors, or Crisis Responders, the Administration is pushing Billions-of-Dollars into the Private Sector via Expanded Community Care Programs. This seems less like Reform, and more like Privatization by Attrition.
In the House of Representatives, where the Veterans Affairs Committee Advanced the Veterans' ACCESS Act, the Path toward Privatizing Veterans' Health Care becomes Clearer. Framed as a way to Reduce Wait Times and Empower Veterans through Online Self-Scheduling, the Bill would Expand Veterans' Ability to seek Care Outside the VA system.
No One denies that Veterans Deserve Choices in their Health Care. But Choice without Access to Quality, Specialized Care isn't really a Choice at All. Long-term Cuts to Medicaid, Totaling more than $1 Trillion, will inevitably Force the Closure of many Rural Hospitals that Veterans depend on. And with a Hollowed-Out or Dismantled VA system, these Veterans will be left Sicker, Poorer, and Without Access to the Care they've Earned.
The VA's own InternalAanalysis, the "Red Team" Report from May 2024, has been Removed from the VA.gov website. It Warned that Rising Costs of Private-Sector Care, $30 billion in FY2023 alone, are Threatening to "materially erode the VA's direct-care system." This Erosion isn't Hypothetical. It's Happening. Staffing Shortages are so Severe that 82% of VA Facilities Report Critical Nurse Vacancies, and now even more Jobs are being Cut.
Rather than Fix the Staffing Crisis, the Trump Administration is Shifting resources away from VA Hospitals and Clinics, and into For-Profit Care. For example, Funding for In-House VA Medical Services is being Cut by 17.4%, even as the Community Care Budget jumps 50.7%. What Message does that send?
Combined with Cuts to Food Assistance that many Veterans rely on, Reductions in Federal Agency Staffing where One-in-Three Employees is a Veteran, Cuts to Housing Programs that Prevent Veteran Homelessness, and Deep Cuts to Medicaid, on which over a Million Veterans Depend, it's time to say WHY.
I am a AF 40% Disabled Vet from 1965-1973. I have been in the VA since 1974, currently using the NYC Manhatten VA. I was able to get VA Dental Service with a Co-Pay. Now we are sent to a Dental School with Students performing the Service, near-by. I will be 81 on 8/5/2025.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker
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