VA secretary nominee promises more medical care options and upgrades

Veterans Affairs Secretary nominee Doug Collins on Tuesday pledged to be a fierce defender of the department’s workforce and operations if confirmed to the department leadership role, but also said health care delivery must evolve for the agency to stay relevant for veterans in the future.

“Veterans will always be able to use the health care system, the issue is how we make it better,” he said. “We don’t do the same things 40 years ago that we do today. Our newer veterans deserve every access to finding care where they can.”

That includes expanding veterans’ access to medical care outside the VA system at taxpayer expense, a position that could cause friction with union groups and veterans advocates who worry that President Donald Trump’s policies could strip funding away from department medical centers in favor of private-sector companies.

How Collins, a former Georgia Republican House representative and Air Force Reserve chaplain, balances those concerns will be a major focus of his first few months in office, if he is confirmed as expected in the coming days.

Collins faced tough questioning but little actual opposition during his hearing before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Tuesday, with most members signaling they will vote to approve him. But he was pressed on the issue of community care, where federal funds pay for private sector medical care for veterans.

About 40% of all VA health care appointments currently are through the community care system, but conservative advocates have argued that the program still places too many restrictions on veterans looking for alternatives to VA clinics with long travel distances or long wait times.

Collins expressed support for current and past legislation expanding eligibility for more outside care, saying that “delivering timely access to care and benefits for every eligible veteran is job one at VA.”

That includes fixing the department’s electronic health records overhaul — a 10-year, $16 billion project that has been stalled for more than a year. Collins pledged to task senior officials with seeing whether the upgrades can be restarted quickly, or if the project should be abandoned.

“This has become the new normal for federal projects, to appropriate millions of dollars and see no results in six or eight years,” he said. “It’s time to get this done.”

Collins said he believes most VA workers are dedicated and exemplary federal employees but also said accountability and efficiency would be key priorities moving ahead. He vowed to “improve outreach to our most vulnerable veterans — those at risk of suicide or homelessness.”

Collins also promised to “make sure the law is being followed” regarding VA’s decision to offer abortion services to veterans at federal medical centers, even in states where the practice is outlawed. Democrats on the panel said they took that stance as evidence that he will not support the reproductive rights of women vets.

Committee members are expected to vote on Collins’ nomination on Thursday. If he advances then, a full Senate confirmation vote could take place next week, with Collins potentially taking office before February.