Stop the Privatization of the Veterans Health Administration

 Background on VA Privatization

There are 22 million veterans in America. Of those 22 million, 9 million are enrolled in VA care, and 7 million get some or all of their care in VA hospitals. In addition, there are 49,000 vacant positions at VA hospitals across America. Most are vacant doctor, nurse & mental health positions. As VA vacancies go up, vet care goes down.

Since 2014, when the CHOICE program began, millions of vets have been sent into the private healthcare sector, and nearly 40% of all outpatient doctor visits have been routed into private healthcare. Many vets are dissatisfied with CHOICE and wait times for some vets are as long or longer in the private sector than they are at the VA.

Legislative proposals in Congress are threatening to drastically change how veterans receive healthcare. The Veterans Health Administration is under attack by groups who are encouraging the elimination of government programs and pushing the idea that only the private sector ‘works’. In surveys by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) & Disabled Am. Veterans (DAV), a vast majority of vets say they don’t want private care – they want their VA doctors & nurses.

Veterans For Peace are fighting back to “Stop VA Privatization, Fix, 
Fund & Fully Staff the VA.” And you can too.

Take action now by calling your House Representative and Senators and encouraging them to pass S. 1723, and HR. 3459. What would these bills do? The American Federation of Government Workers (AFGE) website says this:

“AFGE is urging Congress to pass S. 1723, which would allocate $5 billion to hire more medical professionals and narrow the staffing deficit at the VA, and HR. 3459, which would put new transparency requirements in place by requiring the VA to post on its website the total number of filled posit…

What YOU Can Do to Help Fix, Fund & Fully Staff the VA

Call your US representative & senators – tell them – 

• Fill the 49,000 vacancies, fully fund, and don’t privatize the VA!
• Call 1.833.480.1637 enter your zip code and you will be connected to your congressional office. Please leave a message for your US House representative and then call two more times and leave a message for your US Senators.
• House Representative: Hello this is ____ and I am a veteran who lives in ____. I’m calling to ask you to fill the 49,000 vacancies at the VA. Please do NOT privatize the VA. Fully fund the VA in the 2018 budget. I urge you to support HR 3459. Thank you!
• US Senators: Hello this is ____ and I am a veteran who lives in ____. I’m calling to urge you to fill the 49,000 vacancies at the VA. Please do NOT privatize the VA. Fully fund the VA in the 2018 budget. I urge you to support S. 1723. Thank you!

The above telephone number and congressional contact system is sponsored by the American Federation of Government Workers (AFGE). This union represents over 220,000 VA workers and the VFP Work Group works with their members and staff.

Sign this petition to the President & Congress.

Join the “Stop VA Privatization, Fix, Fund and Fully Staff the VA”

• please email Buzz Davis at dbuzzdavis@aol.com or call 608-239-5354.

Check out: Fighting for Veterans Healthcare (FFVHC)

• Located in San Francisco this group of vets, nurses and others fights back! Their website has great information on the situation we face & what the solutions are to fixing, funding and fully staffing the VA. https://ffvhc.org/ or E-mail: info@ffvhc.org 

 

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