Veterans’ ACCESS Act Sparks Concerns Over VA Health Care Privatization
While headlines focus on budgets and personnel changes, a quiet transformation is taking place behind the scenes — and it could alter the future of VA healthcare as we know it.
The Veterans’ ACCESS Act is being framed as a way to give veterans “more choice” and “faster access” to healthcare. But behind that patriotic branding lies a growing fear from veterans’ advocates: this is privatization, one contract at a time.
If passed, the ACCESS Act would shift even more care away from VA facilities and into for-profit civilian healthcare systems — a model that has historically cost more, delivered less, and left veterans without specialized support for complex military-related conditions.
What the Veterans’ ACCESS Act Would Do
The bill expands the existing VA MISSION Act, which already allows eligible veterans to seek community care outside of the VA. But the ACCESS Act would go further:
- It broadens eligibility criteria for non-VA care, including for routine services.
- It mandates shorter wait times before veterans can opt for private providers.
- It reduces oversight and streamlines payments to private contractors.
- It subtly encourages outsourcing mental health services, despite the VA being one of the largest integrated mental health systems in the U.S.
Supporters argue this gives veterans freedom. But critics — many of them VA doctors, veteran service organizations, and policy analysts — see it as the next step in dismantling the VA from the inside out.
Read more in Military.com’s full opinion coverage.
Why This Should Concern Veterans
Let’s be blunt: community care is already underperforming. Since the expansion of outsourced services:
- Costs have skyrocketed with minimal oversight.
- Veterans wait longer for private appointments than they would through the VA.
- Rural veterans have struggled to find providers who even understand military-specific health issues.
And when something goes wrong?
The civilian system doesn’t have a case manager who knows how to connect you to benefits, disability ratings, or military records. You’re on your own.
The ACCESS Act could widen these cracks into chasms.
VA Healthcare Isn’t Perfect — But It’s Purpose-Built
The VA system isn’t flawless. But it was designed for veterans, by people who specialize in treating complex service-connected issues like:
- PTSD and combat trauma
- Agent Orange and toxic exposure
- MST (military sexual trauma)
- Polytrauma and limb loss
- Moral injury and war-related mental health conditions
That expertise doesn’t exist in the civilian system — at least not at scale. And sending veterans into that system, without full context, is asking them to settle for less.
What You Can Do Right Now
This bill hasn’t passed — but it’s gaining support.
Here’s how to raise your voice before it’s too late:
- Contact Congress
Tell your representatives you oppose expanding VA privatization.
Use this site to find them: house.gov/representatives - Demand Transparency
Ask the VA how much money is being spent on community care vs. internal VA investments. Call on them to publish outcomes for private care vs. VA care. - Tell Your Story
Have you had a bad (or delayed) experience in community care? Share it at DisabledVeterans.org/contact. Your story could help block bad policy.
“Choice” Shouldn’t Mean Second-Class Care …
Veterans didn’t enlist for shortcuts. They deserve care that understands their service, their trauma, and their sacrifice. The ACCESS Act sounds good on the surface, but the reality is murkier — and potentially dangerous.
We’re not against options. But options shouldn’t be a cover for dismantling a healthcare system built by and for veterans. We need to invest in the VA — not quietly outsource it out of existence.
“Department and agency rules are made to be broken.” – FBI, DOJ, VHA
Thank you executive branch toilet brushes and their mother the judical branch… for creating an army of prima donnas with unlimited legal resources, immunity, and favoritism from mommy dearest..the federal courts. Timothy McVeigh will be resurrected eventually. Don’t cry when it happens. You’ve had decades to remedy the injustice.
There’s people out there in the mental health field who go to work there just so they can discriminate…see who they want to and don’t see who they don’t want to… backed by unlimited legal resources and immunity. They don’t have to treat non military trauma and biological conditions unrelated to service. They can get away with that all day long… and take your benefits for PTSD.
your completely wrong on this article
There’s people out there who suffered for a decade from chronic pain and the VA would do nothing. Service connected too. The same people in there denying care, administration, will be out in the private sector doing the same shit if they mostly got rid of VHA. But, at least you’d be able to contest it or sue. Right now as it is there is really no suing to obtain care. They are immune basically. That’s a bad situation… and the government is not evolving into one that delivers justice and enforces healthcare laws.
There’s more to healthcare than just shots, pills, and emergency care. They have hundreds of thousands fooled. You get a cervical spinal disk herniation and they’ll run you around in circles for decades until you can’t stand up. At least with ACESS Act, you’ll get a formal denial letter instead of malpractice and unethical practices. “Our healthcare is under attack” propaganda only serves to continue those unethical practices and the denial of care.
The inpatient psychiatric wards and nursing homes keep. Everything else wipe it off the face of the planet. They deny care and play games… they suffer no reprocussions and protected by unlimited legal resources and immunity. I’ll take private care any day. They don’t fuck around and they don’t usually hire bums. You’re forced to deal with the worst of the worst at VA .. people who shouldn’t be in healthcare. Also VHA could be filled to the brim booked and overflowing… nothing done about it .. people leave or die.
They only have like 2 PTSD programs in each state… and the rest of the so called mental health people they hire you can’t even trust as far as you can throw them. You can’t tell them shit. If you get PTSD benefits and they find “non military trauma” then they can potentially diagnose you with something that might disqualify you from being there period. This narrative that private care is “more expensive but less quality” is absolute nonsense. It’s more expensive because people get full healthcare from the private sector. It’s less expensive at VA because people aren’t getting full range of healthcare. Also the best people aren’t there. The quality is better outside VA by a long shot. Whoever says otherwise has an agenda or just dishonest or ignorant.
Anything but what they have going right now would be great. It was only 15 years ago that I heard someone say, about PTSD benefits, “Well you might want to get better at some point” as in it’s either gonna be heathcare or compensation and pension benefits for you buddy. Later I was denied care for service connected physical condition and left. They don’t care either. Out with the old in with the new. They have unlimited demand, constant stream of people exiting service, no incentive to provide long term quality healthcare to anyone. No reprocussions for anything thanks to our derelict political structures and sorry ass Congress people. All they do is talk and get a government check just like the bums who fuck you at VHA.