I have held my substantive position as a veteran service agent with the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2003. I have been in various positions, but my last position was as a veteran service agent.
I believe that this contract will really hurt veterans and their families.
Since 2006, I have been witness to the privatization of our 15 health programs, which have been transferred to Blue Cross. Initially, the department said that only one health program would be transferred to Blue Cross. In the end, the contract was expanded and all 15 health care programs, including the Veterans Independence Program, which allows veterans to live independently in their homes, are now entirely managed by Blue Cross.
This is why that I'm telling you that even though the department is saying that this is just an administrative change, it is not, because the contract can be changed at any time. It is currently set up for a five‑year period, but it could be extended over many years. The veterans will be the hardest hit, because they will no longer be able to deal directly with their case manager.
Dealing with an insurance company or a private company won't give you the same level of service. Veterans need to be reassured, and there is no way they are going to be reassured by privatizing their care. We saw disasters happen with Blue Cross, and I worry about the other disasters coming with this privatization.