{"id":40118,"date":"2021-07-24T09:15:00","date_gmt":"2021-07-24T09:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:12:39","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:12:39","slug":"the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/","title":{"rendered":"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his opinion piece, \u201cHealth equity for women, minority veterans can be achieved only through choice,\u201d Darin Selnick argues that VA has failed to ensure equitable access to quality care for all veterans, and that the solution to this problem is to \u201cget the VA out of the way\u201d by completely privatizing Veteran healthcare. <a href=\"https:\/\/mco.arcpublishing.com\/composer\/#_msocom_1\">[SJL1]<\/a> It seems like a simple and straightforward solution \u2026 except that it glosses over basic facts about health equity and the quality of care at VA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, health equity advocates have long argued that increased choice in health care providers does not lead to more equitable health outcomes. More than just access to the right doctors or the right procedures, health inequity is a result of a constellation of factors\u2014medical, social and economic \u2014 that lead to worse health outcomes for many. Even with expanded healthcare options, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK425845\/\">structural inequities and social norms<\/a> dictate the quality of care that patients receive even from the best doctors or the best hospitals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It must be noted that health disparities are not unique to VA. In fact, the problem is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.unitedhealthgroup.com\/viewer.html?file=\/content\/dam\/UHG\/PDF\/2021\/2021_AHR_Health%20Disparities_%20Report.pdf\">widespread across the entire American healthcare system<\/a> and negatively impacts underserved communities regardless of where they get their healthcare. Selnick notes for example that women only report receiving equal or better services than men within the VA in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahrq.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/wysiwyg\/research\/findings\/nhqrdr\/chartbooks\/veterans\/2020qdr-chartbook-veterans.pdf\">16 out of 22 measures of quality of care<\/a>. That is unacceptable, and VA will continue to strive for equity across all measures. But women <i>in general <\/i>are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ahrq.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/wysiwyg\/research\/findings\/nhqrdr\/chartbooks\/veterans\/2020qdr-chartbook-veterans.pdf\">systematically dismissed and misdiagnosed by their providers<\/a>, leading to <a href=\"https:\/\/milkeninstitute.org\/sites\/default\/files\/reports-pdf\/103017-Gender-BasedHealthDisparities.pdf\">poorer health outcomes<\/a> regardless of where they get their care. The same could be said for all other underserved communities, and we now have a large body of research showing that health inequity is a systemic and persistent fact of healthcare in America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As an institution founded on the goal of ensuring access to care for those who served in uniform, health equity is at the core of VA\u2019s mission. Institutional mission accomplishment requires us to focus on the needs of our patients and close any gaps to access that we can identify. As such, available data demonstrates that the centrality of health equity in the work that VA does has resulted in <i>reduced<\/i> disparities compared to other healthcare systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Black women who receive their care from VA, for example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC6608703\/\">do not experience the disparities in all-cause or cause-specific mortality that Black women who receive non-VA care<\/a> experience, and the gap in mortality rate between Black men and white men is smaller within VA than outside of it. Disparities between ethnic groups on accessing colorectal screening <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/31415338\/\">did not exist among those receiving VA care<\/a>, while the huge gap in access to screenings in non-VA settings is driving the <a href=\"https:\/\/cancerprogressreport.aacr.org\/disparities\/chd20-contents\/chd20-disparities-in-cancer-screening-for-early-detection\/#:~:text=Disparities%20in%20colorectal%20cancer%20screening%20rates%20contribute%20substantially,death%20rates%20for%20African%20Americans%20and%20whites%20%2819%29\">19 percent disparity in mortality due to colorectal cancer between Black men and white men<\/a>. Even the study that Selnick references shows no statistically significant difference in access to vaccines, health screenings, mental health services, and doctor visits within VA regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To be sure, these advances should not mask the areas that VA still has to improve. For example, gaps in access persist for those who are poor or live in rural or isolated areas. Native Veterans continue to face disproportionate barriers to quality care, resulting in outcomes such as higher rates of all-cause mortality. The data is also sparse at best when it comes to LGBTQ+ Veterans, and we simply do not have a full picture of what disparities they face. Lastly, while VA patient surveys show that Veterans across the board are highly satisfied with the care they receive, other studies found that satisfaction ratings vary based on specific aspects of interaction between the Veteran and VA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">VA has made significant advances in closing disparities and advancing health equity, but much work still needs to be done. This is why Sec. Denis McDonough called for a system-wide examination of how VA incorporates inclusion and equity in everything that we do and has committed to tracking VA\u2019s progress in meeting that goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Selnick\u2019s argument for <a href=\"https:\/\/health.jotwell.com\/individual-choice-and-health-disparities-a-fallacy-of-relevance\/\">\u201cmore choice\u201d as a fix-all is merely a convenient mirage<\/a>. The truth of the matter is that there is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes. VA is focused on doing that hard work, not illusory quick fixes and easy solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Joseph Albino is a Navy Veteran and he is the Executive Director of the Center for Minority Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs. He previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs at VA and as the Executive Director of the President\u2019s Task Force on Puerto Rico.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Lourdes Tiglao is an Air Force Veteran and she is the Executive Director of the Center for Women Veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs. She previously served as the Global Partnership Manager for Disaster Response &amp; Relief at Airbnb and as the Strategic Partnership Officer for Team Rubicon Global.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Editor\u2019s note: This is an Op-Ed and as such, the opinions expressed are those of the author. If you would like to respond, or have an editorial of your own you would like to submit, please contact Military Times senior managing editor Howard Altman, <\/i><a href=\"mailto:haltman@militarytimes.com\"><i>haltman@militarytimes.com<\/i><\/a><i>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":62552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":73,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[73,101,26,14],"tags":[],"coauthors":[6206],"class_list":["post-40118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"MYW5PPWE75GKXAY7PKCM76ZHWI","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-07-24T09:15:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T07:12:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"James Albino and Lourdes Tiglao\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"James Albino and Lourdes Tiglao\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-07-24T09:15:00+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:12:39+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 898,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Commentary\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Opinion\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2021-07-24T09:15:00+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T07:12:39+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"There is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/2021\\\/07\\\/24\\\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Opinion\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"opinion\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Commentary\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/opinion\\\/commentary\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"commentary\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 4,\n\t                    \"name\": \"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable - Navy Times","description":"There is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable","og_description":"There is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2021-07-24T09:15:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T07:12:39+00:00","author":"James Albino and Lourdes Tiglao","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"James Albino and Lourdes Tiglao","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable","datePublished":"2021-07-24T09:15:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T07:12:39+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/"},"wordCount":898,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Commentary","Daily News Roundup","Newsletters","Opinion"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/","name":"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2021-07-24T09:15:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T07:12:39+00:00","description":"There is no miracle cure to health inequity and this complex problem requires a deeper and often painful examination of how systemic issues, individual bias, and widespread injustice affect health outcomes.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/2021\/07\/24\/the-illusion-of-choice-va-care-more-equitable\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Opinion","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/","ad_zone":"opinion"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Commentary","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/opinion\/commentary\/","ad_zone":"commentary"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"The illusion of choice: VA care more equitable"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/GettyImages-1157263286.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40118"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40121,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40118\/revisions\/40121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40118"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=40118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}