Congress looks to ease veterans’ use of health care outside the VA

['Tony Leys', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow', 'Class', 'Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus', 'Display Inline', '.Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Where Img', 'Height Auto Max-Width', 'Vertical-Align Bottom .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Coauthors.Is-Layout-Flow .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar', 'Vertical-Align Middle .Wp-Block-Co-Authors-Plus-Avatar Is .Alignleft .Alignright'] TPR: The Public's Radio 2025-08-07 10:00:00

The proposals would build on VA community care programs that started under Democratic President Barack Obama and were expanded in Trump’s first term. Critics worry that steering veterans to private care facilities drains federal money from the VA hospital and clinic system. The Department of Veterans Affairs’ community care program pays for Sager’s treatments at Vanderloo Chiropractic Clinic in Waterloo. (Tony Leys | KFF Health News)A 400-mile drive to a VA hospitalAbout 9 million veterans are enrolled in the VA health system. But he contends Republicans are going overboard in shifting the department’s money to support private health care facilities.