Battle Brewing Over Veteran's Health Care

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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - "I think this is one of the biggest things that is happening," said retired Marine Corps Sergeant Ken Watterson who heads the Dallas Veterans Resource Center.

Watterson was attending a convention of VFW members to tell them about huge, potential changes to their medical care.

The problem is most here don't know that possible changes are looming or know about the commission which is suggesting the changes.

"If you go out and mention the Commission On Care, less than one percent would know about it," Watterson said.  "And the main reason they know about it at this place is because we've been out spreading the word."

The Commission For Care was appointed to recommend changes to improve VA care for its patients.  It recommends eliminating large portions of VA services and sending veterans in need of care into the private sector. The report calls the plan a bold transformation.  But CBS11 found many veterans aren't on board.

"I think it is sneaky and backstabbing, I really do," said retired Navy MM1 Loyd Baldwin. "That's how I feel about it."

"I'm just very, very suspicious that it wasn't given a real 360 degree evaluation," said retired Marine Corps Col. William Dwiggens.

Veterans like Dwiggins are joining the rush to ask for a longer investigation into reforming the VA, especially when it comes to how post traumatic stress disorders would be treated in the private sector.

"Is everybody truly prepared for some of the ghosts that some of veterans carry around them?" Dwiggins asked. "Nobody really has a magic pill or knows how to do a proper or in-depth analysis compared to those who live with that and work with that every day."

But with the plan already heading to the president's desk, the battle to educate vets about the changes may turn into a battle over whether or not to fund the reforms in congress.

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