Angel Gutierrez

English 219-033
January 9, 2017

Fixing the Department of

Veterans Affairs

Fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs 1

Introduction
The Veterans Administration is failing in it purpose to take care of US veterans. Over
the past few years, thousands of US service members have been experiencing
prolonged wait times and many veterans have died in the waiting process. In Phoenix
alone, more than forty US service members died in 2015 while waiting beyond their 14
day window to see a physician. The VA is also facing other deficiencies which include
insufficient staffing, inefficient use of staff labor, outdated computer systems, and poor
financial management. Money, stability, and lives are at stake because of the VA
deficiencies. The root of the problem is simple, and its solution has the potential to
make the VA one of the best hospitals in the United States, even among the leading
health care networks.

The US Department of VA
The US Department of Veterans Affairs,
or VA for short, has three responsibilities
to Veterans: provide medical care,
provide benefits, and provide memorial
services. The VA has been failing in

As of 2010, there have been

307,000 deaths within the VA

system that could have been
prevented with a shorter wait

providing medical care, and providing

benefits. These two departments within
the VA have seen many allegation of

time.

mismanagement within the past four

years. In fact, the American public have
become familiar with VA scandals since
2010, when mainstream news outlets
began reporting that the Phoenix VA
hospital falsified wait times to create an
illusion of efficient management. (Office)

-CNN

Fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs 2

The Root of the Problem

The people that run the Veterans
Administration cannot take full blame for
the deficiencies, because, it is the nature

This and the ideological commitments to

the program goals and methods of their
professional fraternities provide a powerful

of the system to be inefficient. No matter

and well-nigh irresistible incentive for

how many highly qualified persons you

empire building."

appoint to run a government organization,

the outcome will always be the same.
This is because government
organizations lack market competition,
which is essential in motivating any entity
to better itself. Dr. Roger Freeman of the

Inefficiency is the nature of a government

run administration, and is precisely why
the VA is failing in its purpose.
(Brownfield, Allan.)

The Simple Solution

Hoover Institution at Stanford University

asserts in his book, The Growth of

The solution to fix the VA is the opposite

American Government: "We must

of the problem. We must privatize the

recognize that, in contrast to private

Veterans Administration if we truly want

industry, where competition and the profit

to care for US veterans in the most

motive impose pressure for greater

efficiency and a natural and generally
reliable gauge of productivity,

efficient way possible. Privatization will

reverse mismanagement, and a lethargic

governmental programs have built-in

company culture, and will create an

counterproductive trends. It is a natural

efficient organization that will achieve its

tendency for a public employee to want to

purpose effectively. Alot is at stake not

handle fewer casespupils, tax returns,

welfare families, crimesin the belief that
he could do a better job if he had a smaller

only for the VA, but for its patients.

Privatizing the VA is the cornerstone of

workload, and most certainly have an

any recovery plan for the administration.

easier life. For the supervisor there is a

From privatization, the little things will

definite gain in stature, position by having a

work themselves out.

larger number of subordinates.

Fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs 3

Benefits of Privatization

For example, Governor Chris Christie of

To privatize the VA would mean to place

Task

the majority of the organization under

Force. The Privatization Task force was

private, and not government, control.

tasked with searching for all opportunities

When an organization has a motive for

to privatize state government

profit, it must analyze every action to

departments.

ensure effectiveness and efficiently. This

The task force concluded that $210

is the basic law of economics. In theory,

million dollars would be saved simply by

all deficiencies within the VA would begin

taking certain government-run programs,

to be reduced the moment the VA

and privatizing them. Other state leaders

becomes privatized. The long wait times

followed suit. In Pennsylvania, the state

would be reduced, high quality care will

saved $275 million by privatizing 49

be given to veterans, higher safety

government services. Chicago privatized

protocol would be undertaken by staff,

40 city services and, since 2005, has

and money will be spent efficiently. Most

generated more that 3 billion dollars. If

importantly, patients will not die because

the VA were privatized, it would no longer

of low quality care. The VA would go

deal with fiscal mismanagement, of which

from being mismanaged, to a well

it currently deals with plenty. Within the

organized machine capable of achieve its

past two years the Obama administration

mission effectively.

has allocated more than a billion dollars

Privatization for optimization

to the VA in an effort to help correct any

Privatization has a proven track record. It

saves time, money, and encourages
quality management. It has been
employed by many government leaders
in the past.

New Jersey created the Privatization

deficiencies, but a commission organized

by congress to investigate the VA claims
that this money has actually made things
worse. Considering the track records of
privatization, a privatized VA would have
made very good use of $1 billion.

Fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs 4

US policy makers must realize that we

cannot fix the VA by providing it money,

Step Three

this plan has been proven to fail. Instead

The board of directors must immediately get

of spending $1 billion dollars and

to work on the following tasks:

watching it have no effect, it is better to

spend far less and privatize the VA. It will
affect the VA in the most positive
manner, and many will be impressed.
(Governing Magazine)

1. Nominating a CEO, CFO, and other

proper officers.
2. Change all tax forms to switch from
a government entity, to a private
entity.
3. Create a mission statement and lay
out clear and precise goals for the

Implementation
The question is: How to we transition this

Organization. The goals should

Include: provide best care possible,
provide a quality network of doctors,

very large government-run organization

decrease wait times, improve

into a private organization? I have created

sanitation within hospitals.

a four point system to transition the VA

into a private organization:

4. Terminate previous employees/

officials as needed

Step One:

Step Four

It is essential to define privatization and

The CEO will begin to do his job. According

what it means to the VA. It is vital to decide

to the goals set out in step three, the CEO

whether to privatize the ENTIRE Department

must see to it that the new VA is effectively

of Veterans Affairs, or to only privatize the

pursuing the goals.

health care sections of the VA.

Step Two:
Congress must appoint individuals to a
board of directors.

Fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs 5

In Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read this proposal. The VA is an inefficient
organization by nature, and acts against its own mission statement. I firmly believe that
as long as the VA is a government run organization, it will continue to struggle. We
must privatize the VA if we truly want to give US veterans the best care possible. In a
four point transition system, we can transform the VA into a private organization.
Privatization has many proven benefits, including great fiscal benefits that can serve the
VA well. Since the nature of a private company is a motive for profit, the VA will begin to
run efficiently, and will even compete with the top tier hospitals in the US. This
improvement of care is great news for our veterans! Again, I thank you for considering
this proposal.

Fixing the Department of Veterans Affairs 6

Works Cited
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Company. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
"6 Problems at the VA That Shinseki's Successor Faces | The Center for Investigative Reporting." 6

Problems at the VA That Shinseki's Successor Faces | The Center for Investigative Reporting.
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"About Us | COMMISSION ON CARE." COMMISSION ON CARE RSS. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
Brownfield, Allan. "The Inherent Inefficiency of Government Bureaucracy." FEE Freeman Article.
Foundation for Economic Education, 01 June 1977. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.
"Challenges Facing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Part 5: VA's Culture." Stewart Liff. Web.
02 Jan. 2017.
"Commission on Care." COMMISSION ON CARE RSS. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.
"Everything You Need to Know about the VA and the Scandals Engulfing It." The Washington Post. WP
Company. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
"Fear and Retaliation at the VA." Project On Government Oversight. Web. 29 Dec. 2016.
General, VA Office of Inspector. "Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General." VA Office of

Inspector General. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.

Office, VA Web Solutions. "About VA." About VA. Web. 02 Jan. 2017.
"The Pros and Cons of Privatizing Government Functions." Governing Magazine: State and Local

Government News for America's Leaders. Web. 10 Jan. 2017.

Http://[Link]/cbsmiami. "Miami VA Whistleblower Exposes Drug Dealing, Theft, Abuse." CBS Miami.
Web. 29 Dec. 2016.