Veterans Deserve Better: The VA’s Quiet March Toward Privatization is Hurting Those Who Served Us

Today, as we honor the brave men and women who have served in our nation’s military, it is important to understand how they’re all too often being ill-served by the very institutions meant to support them. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), historically a beacon of care for millions of veterans, has increasingly been required to shift services to private health insurance giants like Cigna, Humana, and UnitedHealth Group and the health plans and pharmacy benefit managers they own and operate. This creeping privatization isn’t just symbolic — it’s impacting veterans’ health outcomes, quality of care, and the VA’s financial stability and is at the heart of many veterans’ complaints about the VA.

What we’re seeing is a slow but steady transformation, in which Big Insurance is stepping in to “supplement” VA care. But in reality, this often means veterans are being pushed into a fragmented, confusing system run by corporations that are more interested in boosting their bottom lines than providing access to quality care. For example, veterans referred outside the VA system to private insurers’ provider networks now face complex billing structures, skyrocketing out-of-pocket costs, and restrictions that make it hard for them to get the care they need. 

This is nothing new with these companies. Those insured in the civilian health insurance market are increasingly having to contend with the burden of prior authorizations, denied claims and steep annual premium and out-of-pocket increases that have become standard with private coverage. 

In a troubling trend, privatized VA care often includes narrow provider networks that restrict veterans’ access to specialists and therapies they need. Many vets find that they have to travel far from home or wait weeks for treatment — putting their health and well-being at risk. For veterans struggling with chronic conditions, mental health needs, or combat injuries, this lack of accessible, high-quality care can be devastating.

Studies show that veterans receive higher-quality care within the VA system than through the private sector. Yet, as funding flows from taxpayers to Big Insurance, it’s clear the mission has shifted away from what’s best for veterans. Veterans’ care should not be outsourced to companies that prioritize shareholders over patients. We should be strengthening the VA system, not hollowing it out in the name of "efficiency" or cost-cutting measures that ultimately cost us far more in terms of veterans' health and taxpayers’ money.

This Veterans Day, let’s remember that our nation’s commitment to those who served must extend beyond words. We owe it to our veterans to provide them with a VA system that delivers the care they need and deserve and that is not encumbered by profit-focused insurance corporations. The health of our veterans, and indeed the strength of our nation, depends on it.