The head of the union representing Veterans Affairs employees slammed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for his 10-step VA reform plan that would give veterans the ability to opt out and use private sector physicians.
"Donald Trump wants to throw veterans to the wolves," American Federation of Government Employees National President J. David Cox Sr. said in a statement. "Private healthcare for veterans would be an expensive disaster, and no one should be fooled into believing otherwise.
Mr. Trump announced the plan Monday at a speech in Virginia Beach, Va., as a way to address the inefficiencies the agency has struggled with over the past few years. However, Mr. Cox vehemently disagreed that privatization would improve the VA system. "Trump's claims that privatization would improve care and cut costs are dead wrong. He is writing a blank check to huge hospital corporations to profit off the suffering of veterans," Mr. Cox said in the statement.
He also denounced the candidate for taking up the issue "on a whim" and said that Mr. Trump did not support VA privatization last fall.
More articles on leadership and management:
Fine-tuning the hospital board: 5 steps to better governance
Trump spells out 10-point veteran healthcare plan
The dangers of putting positive spin on bad news: 4 lessons from Theranos' successes and mistakes