Local veterans say shifts toward private health care could weaken the system created to care for those who served.
By Sequoia Nix
When people think about veterans’ health care, they often picture the federal system built specifically to serve those who have worn the uniform. But some veterans and advocates say that system is under strain — and that the effects could reach far beyond the veteran community.
Across the country, the health care system run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has increasingly relied on a program known as “community care,” which allows veterans to receive treatment from private doctors outside the VA system under certain conditions. While the program was originally designed to reduce wait times and improve access to care, some veterans worry it may pull resources away from VA hospitals and clinics designed specifically to treat them.
Shelley Corteville, a Lane County veteran advocate and longtime VA patient, said many veterans see access to health care as part of a promise made when they agreed to serve.
“When we signed our government contracts to serve our country, we were promised healthcare and that we would be taken care of,” she said.
Corteville said the growing reliance on private providers has raised concerns among many veterans, including herself.
“Privatization of the VA takes money away from the VA and takes medical care away from veterans,” she said.
For veterans living in Lane County — including student veterans attending Lane Community College — access to care can sometimes be complicated. While Eugene does not have a full-service VA hospital, many veterans now receive care locally through the Eugene VA Clinic.
According to Joseph “Joby” Reiley of Lane County Veteran Services, more than 10,000 Lane County veterans are enrolled in VA health care, with the vast majority receiving care through the Eugene clinic and occasional referrals to facilities in Roseburg or Portland for specialized services.
“Most care is now able to be obtained either at the Eugene VA Clinic or through a referral to a community provider,” Reiley wrote in an email.
However, he said veterans still face a number of challenges when accessing care.
One of the most common issues is confusion about who qualifies for VA health care.
“There is a general misunderstanding about who is eligible for care,” Reiley said. Some people assume only veterans with service-related injuries qualify, while others believe all veterans automatically receive care. In reality, eligibility falls somewhere in between and depends on several criteria.
Reiley also said staffing shortages in both the VA and the private health care system can lead to long wait times for appointments.
“The lack of primary care and specialty providers impacts VA as it does many private sector health care systems,” he said.
Nationwide, advocates say the VA system plays a unique role in serving veterans and supporting the broader healthcare workforce.
Roy Jeff, a Vietnam-era Veteran and national coordinator with Veterans for Peace, said the VA health care system has historically been a major training ground for medical professionals.
“Historically, the VA has been the vehicle that trains doctors and nurses in how to care for veterans,” Jeff said.
Through internships, residencies and other training programs, VA hospitals help prepare health care providers to treat complex medical conditions often associated with military service, including traumatic injuries and post-traumatic stress.
Jeff said weakening the VA system could have ripple effects beyond the veteran community.
“If the VA becomes weakened, it doesn’t just affect veterans,” he said. “It affects the overall health care system because so much medical training happens within the VA.”
Advocates with Veterans for Peace say they have traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress and staff on the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees and maintain regular contact with state and federal representatives about veterans’ healthcare policy.
While debates continue about the role of community care in the VA system, Reiley said many of the challenges veterans experience stem from the complexity of navigating large health care bureaucracies.
When veterans are referred to private providers through community care, he said, they can encounter difficulties coordinating between two different health care systems.
“Veterans are faced with the intersection of two huge bureaucratic systems — VA health care and private sector health care,” he said.
Even so, Reiley emphasized that the individuals working within the VA system are deeply committed to serving veterans.
“While it is sometimes difficult to access care, the care once obtained is usually high quality,” he said.
For advocates and service providers alike, ensuring veterans can access consistent health care remains an ongoing priority.
Corteville said many veterans also face challenges beyond medical care, including housing instability, food insecurity and mental health needs.
“I think there’s a lot of local vets that don’t have enough healthy food to eat, housing or mental health support,” she said.
As conversations about health care policy continue, veterans and advocates say understanding how the VA system works — and how it affects both veterans and the broader healthcare system — is an important step in supporting those who served.
For veterans seeking resources on the LCC campus, go to LaneCC.edu/Military-Veterans.
