Law Professor: Proposal to Privatize VA is 'Perilous'
April 5, 2016
Contact: University Relations
Phone: 410.837.5739
Writing in his column in Forbes, University of Baltimore School of Law Professor Charles Tiefer highlights a proposal that would shutter U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities and replace them with private service providers. The plan pits those who would reform the agency against those who would close it down in favor of the private sector.
"A panel picked largely by Congressional Republicans floated a proposal last week to eliminate all VA medical centers and outpatient clinics, and dump 9 million unprepared veterans on private sector care," Tiefer writes.
"Specifically, the proposal would funnel veterans' health care funds to private sector care, primarily for-profit. Gradually VA facilities would get closed. VA eventually would become 'primarily a payer,' under the proposal. The proposal would apparently deny veterans anything like the VA's recognized expertise in veterans' special injuries.
"Congress created the Commission. The Commission now appears to be a way to capitalize on the tumult about VA problems to promote an extreme privatization agenda."
Read the article.
Learn more about Prof. Tiefer.