On March 14th, VA Secretary Denis McDonough issued recommendations destined for review by the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission, a commission created by the 2018 VA MISSION Act, which was designed to promote vast privatization of VA healthcare.
If approved, Secretary McDonough's recommendations would:
- Close large segments of the VA health care system, including at least 17 integrated VA medical centers around the country;
- Destroy tens of thousands of union jobs in communities across the country;
- Deny veterans their preferred choice in health care providers; and,
- Force our nation’s heroes to find their own care from a patchwork of for-profit providers.
While Secretary McDonough claims that his recommendations would not harm veterans or VA employees, the reality is that his recommendations call for the closure of 20 VA medical centers.
Key Terms & Definitions
- CLC – Community Living Center
- RRTP – Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program
- ED – Emergency Department
- ICU – Intensive Care Unit
- Med/Surg – Medicine and Surgery
- CBOC – Community-Based Outpatient Clinic
- Relocate – VA proposes to move these services from one VA facility to another VA facility
- Close – VA proposes to shut down an existing VA facility
- Privatize – VA proposes to terminate existing VA services and send Veterans to the private sector to receive for-profit care
- DOD – U.S. Department of Defense
- HIS – U.S. Indian Health Service
- FQHC – Federally Qualified Health Centers (private care)
