Mr. Selnick clashed with David J. Shulkin, who was the head of the V.A. for a year under Mr. Trump, and is widely viewed as being instrumental in ending Mr. Shulkin’s tenure. Mr. Selnick declined to comment. Critics, which include nearly all of the major veterans’ organizations, say that paying for care in the private sector would starve the 153-year-old veterans’ health care system, causing many hospitals to close. Under current law, veterans qualify for private care only if they have waited 30 days, and sometimes they have to travel hundreds of miles.

Source: New York Times January 12, 2019 15:44 UTC