VA SECRETARY DOUG COLLINS PLANS TO IMPROVE MEDICAL CARE FOR VETERANS IN 2025

As a new administration comes in, all other parts of the system need to be changed, especially the medical care for Veterans. This has been on the news lately, as the VA Secretary nominee Doug Collins had promised to be the defender of the department's workforce and operations if he were to be in the open position. To Doug Collins, it's important that the health care delivery for Vets should be continuously improved to stay relevant in the future.
According to Doug Collins, the current administration won't repeat the things 40 years ago to what he will do to this date. He made it very clear that the new veterans need to receive the medical care for veterans that they deserve in this administration. But how can we really be sure that this is going to be implemented, and how soon? Let's dive in.
What's Included in the Improved Veteran Affairs Healthcare?
Here's what we know: Doug Collins plans to include the expansion of Vets' access to medical care for Veterans outside the VA system. This is a position that would likely cause a discussion among union groups and Veterans advocates.
These Veterans are worried that Trump's new executive orders could remove funding from the department's medical centers, which would be in favor of private-sector companies. What is also important right now is that Collins plans to clear up and balance the concerns if his position is confirmed in the coming days.
In addition to that, Collins also plans to fix the department's electronic health records, which this project had no progress at the time it was made. Currently, they are deciding if they are to keep the project or remove it completely from the system based on feasibility.

Key Priorities for the VA Workers
For Collins, it's only right that the VA workers are dedicated federal employees – where they must be accountable and efficient for future priorities, which include improving the outreach to the most vulnerable Veterans, specifically those who are at risk of suicide or homelessness.
Many of the federal employees worked remotely since the pandemic began, but now that the administration is under Trump's directory, they would require them to return to in-person work. Collins will also encourage the VA workers to come back to work after Trump signed an executive order in just a few days of being back.
His direct statement, "We're going to encourage them to come back to work, we're going to follow the president's directive on that, and we're going to make sure that we get people in there because, at the end of the day, it's about veterans."

Stricter Implementation of the Law
In terms of the VA's decision to offer abortion services to Veterans at the federal medical centers, Collins undertakes that he will make sure that the law is being followed. He faced a lot of questions where controversial issues of the VA about abortion services had been opened.
Sen. Democrat Patty Murray asked Collins, "Do you believe a Veteran who lives in Texas who has been raped and becomes pregnant should be able to get abortion care at her local VA?" – where Collins responded that he would look into the issue to make sure that the VA is following the law.
This stand made the Democrats on the panel believe that Collins wouldn't support nor protect female Veterans' access to reproductive healthcare.
Feds Paying for Private-Sector Medical Care
Collins faced a lot of questions throughout the whole hearing, especially about the issue of community care, where the federal funds pay for the private sector medical care for Veterans.
The main issue is that there are still too many restrictions for the Veterans who are looking for alternative VA clinics, as they will need to travel long distances and wait for a long time, hence why he pledged that he would make sure that the current administration will prioritize improving medical care for Veterans.
Suggested reads:
- Copayments Are Back: Things to Know About the VA Medical Center Change
- Your Guide to Using the VA Community Care Network
- Understanding the VA's Electronic Military Health Record System
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