Dangerous New Trump Bill Threatens Veterans’ Health Care

(This article appeared in the November/December 2025 issue of The American Postal Worker magazine)

The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act is an amendment and another extension of Trump’s 2018 VA MISSION Act, and part of the Project 2025 plan to privatize the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ (VA) provided health care. Let’s combat this devious betrayal to deprive veterans of getting top quality health care. This law does not improve health care experiences; it actually does the opposite by forcing veterans to use private community care providers. The definition of improvement is to make something better than it was before. When a law is created that eliminates thousands of VA jobs and replaces trained and experienced workers with private care providers with limited experience in carrying out the serious and complicated task of caring for veterans’ medical and mental health needs – that’s not improving health care, that’s destroying the top-quality health care experience that only the VA can provide.

On Aug 4, the VA, which is led by Trump-appointed VA Secretary Doug Collins, issued the following press release:

“The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced it will improve Veterans’ access to health care by extending the length of new VA community care authorizations to one year for 30 standardized types of care…. The change means Veterans referred by VA to community care for eligible standardized types of care will receive 12 full months of uninterrupted treatment at VA expense…. Community providers will be empowered to manage care with fewer administrative barriers… Veterans are encouraged to contact their local VA Medical Center Community Care Office for questions to see how these new updates may affect their care.”

(Note: The 30 types of care it references include practically every type of medical/mental health care that VA medical centers nationwide already provide.)

This doesn’t sound like improving the health care experience, it sounds like privatization!

What is the VA MISSION Act?

The VA MISSION Act is legislation Congress passed and President Trump signed into law during his first term in 2018. It requires all VA medical centers to implement the following changes:

• Streamline and improve community care;
• Establish a new urgent care benefit;
• Expand caregivers eligibility;
• Strengthen the VA’s workforce;
• Strengthen the VA’s infrastructure.

Through the MISSION Act, the VA has additional opportunities to enhance high-quality health care to our nation’s Veterans.

The 2025 Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans HealthCare and Benefits Improvement Act, coupled with Trump’s 2018 MISSION Act, and the Project 2025 plan to privatize veteran health care, is already in place, meaning VA health care is on a fast track to total privatization.

Our APWU Home Front articles will continue to provide our entire Union Veteran Council leadership and our APWU veterans’ family with updated, honest, and truthful information regarding VA issues and benefits. ■