Veterans Affairs Secretary Vows Not to Privatize Agency

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

3. Uh-oh. That means they're going to privatize the V.A.

Because I live more than 40 miles from the nearest V.A. clinic I've been put into the Choice program, where a private doctor is contracted to provide services. I also see a private doctor, but chose to use the V.A. when he prescribed a drug that costs $900 a month. The V.A. charges $8 a month for the same drug.

The provider tried multiple times to get me to let go completely of my private provider, and I kept telling her I didn't trust the V.A.'s contracting their services out -- that I wasn't sure of the stability of such an arrangement -- especially during the time of Trump. Then during one appointment she told me out of the blue she was retiring the next day. Given how convenient her office was -- two miles versus 45 for the V.A. clinic -- I was a little dismayed. When I asked the V.A. for a replacement, they assigned someone at a private company in San Diego -- 120 miles away! They see me via computer conferencing, which is really a unfulfilling experience. They wanted me to come down once every six months to meet with their doctor. So I"m back to using the local (45 miles) clinic.

That's my experience with a privatized V.A. In neither case have I gotten the sense of being cared about because of my service. What it feels like to go to a private provider is very sterile. At times I feel like they look at me as just another cash cow.