Budget for Veterans to See Private Doctors Would See Big Boost in GOP's VA Funding Proposal

[rangerrebew]

Budget for Veterans to See Private Doctors Would See Big Boost in GOP's VA Funding Proposal
 
Military.com | By Rebecca Kheel
Published June 04, 2025 at 5:38pm ET

The program that allows veterans to see private doctors using Department of Veterans Affairs funding would get a 50% boost under a spending plan released by House Republicans on Wednesday.

Overall, the House Appropriations Committee's fiscal 2026 VA spending bill would give the department about $453 billion -- a whopping $83 billion more than Congress approved for the department for this year.
 
Most of that increase would be slated for so-called mandatory spending, the type of funding that goes to benefits such as veterans disability pay. Discretionary spending -- the type of funding that is mostly used for medical care -- would get a 4% bump to about $134 billion.
 

"This bill is a testament to our unwavering commitment to those who wear the uniform and to the veterans who have served our nation honorably," said Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, who chairs the House Appropriations Committee's VA and military construction subcommittee. "We're not just talking about supporting our military and veterans -- this bill does it. This legislation invests in the health and well-being of our veterans, including focusing on mental health and homelessness assistance."

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/04/budget-veterans-see-private-doctors-would-see-big-boost-gops-va-funding-proposal.html

[The_Reader_David]

Good.  The model of the VA as essentially a copy of the British NHS with services limited to veterans was always a bad idea.  Specialized facilities to deal with problems (both medical and psychological) specific to the aftermath of military service, and really good insurance to let veterans go to whatever private doctors or hospitals they chose is what it should be, and this moves in that direction.