🚪 VA Ends Red Tape on Private Care Referrals — But At What Cost?

The VA announced it is eliminating the extra approval step for veterans seeking community care referrals. Under this new policy, VA doctors can refer patients to private providers directly, without requiring an additional VA doctor to sign off.

This implements a controversial piece of the Elizabeth Dole Act, signed in late 2024, and framed by Secretary Doug Collins as a win for “veteran choice” and convenience.

“Now, we’re making it even easier for Veterans to get their health care when and where it’s most convenient for them,” Collins said.

But union advocates and lawmakers are raising alarms. AFGE and others warn this is another step toward VA privatization—offloading care to contractors while gutting internal capacity. And Sen. Richard Blumenthal blasted the VA for cherry-picking easy wins while slow-walking over a dozen other provisions in the same law.

“Collins and the Trump VA are trying to take a victory lap… Their delay is not a win—it’s a warning sign,” Blumenthal said. “Whether [he] is willfully ignoring or flagrantly failing to act, the result is the same: veterans are being shortchanged, and the law is not being upheld.”

Blumenthal also highlighted unimplemented mandates like:

• Raising funding caps for noninstitutional elder care
• Expanding support for homeless veterans, including transportation and housing incentives
• Reinstating pandemic-era direct service authority programs

This provision on community care will remain in effect for two years, during which VA must report its impact to Congress. Lawmakers across both parties remain divided—some calling it overdue relief, others calling it a Trojan horse for outsourcing.

📎 Read the full article at Military.com
📎 Blumenthal statement via Government Executive