Analysis of the Senator Elizabeth Dole Act
Last summer, two bills that would weaken the VA's direct care system and accelerate the privatization of veterans' healthcare were introduced in the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee (SVAC): the Veterans HEALTH Act (from U.S. Sen. Moran) and the Making Community Care Work for Veterans Act (introduced by U.S. Sen. Tester).
VHPI strongly opposed these bills’ most egregious provisions in our policy briefs and a SVAC hearing statement. Major VSOs likewise challenged the deleterious components, and the bills were pulled back for renegotiation.
On Tuesday, a comprehensive community care bill, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act was introduced in the House of Representatives.
Our analysis -- available here -- reveals two "Trojan Horse" provisions that would severely harm veterans and further endanger the VA healthcare system. VHPI strongly recommends that the legislation be withdrawn, and the problematic sections changed before reintroducing any similar legislation.
