NAVAPD President Abate Meets With Senator Moran
Since February 2025, Dr. Abate, President of the National Association of VA Physicians and Dentists (NAVAPD), has been actively engaging with members of Congress, the Four Corners group, and the Secretary of the VA to raise concerns brought forth by NAVAPD members and VA employees nationwide. These concerns have left many apprehensive about the future of veteran care and the welfare of VA staff.
On May 19, 2025, Dr. Abate successfully secured a meeting with a staffer from Senator Jerry Moran’s office. During this discussion, a range of pressing issues were explored, many of which Senator Moran was already familiar with due to prior engagements with professional VA organizations and direct conversations with frontline VA staff during facility visits.
Dr. Abate reiterated the noble, nonpartisan mission of the VA—originally articulated by President Abraham Lincoln: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle.” He emphasized the strong public support for this mission, citing a recent Ipsos national study that highlighted widespread endorsement of VA healthcare and research. This aligns closely with NAVAPD’s mission: ensuring the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective, sustainable, and well-researched care—including mental health and specialty services—for a uniquely vulnerable veteran population.
In his discussions, Dr. Abate emphasized the specialized qualifications and training of VA physicians and dentists, and the strong preference among veterans for receiving care directly within VA facilities. He presented findings from the Ipsos study, including:
85% of Americans and 91% of veterans believe research by VA staff is vital for improving care.
86% of Americans and 92% of veterans support veterans’ access to cutting-edge treatments developed through VA research.
87% of Americans and 96% of veterans feel it is important to have treatments tailored specifically for veterans’ military experiences.
A majority—71% of Americans and 86% of veterans—believe VA leaders should focus on quality of care, not cost savings.
Only 6% of Americans and 4% of veterans believe saving taxpayer money should be the primary focus of VA leadership.
This bipartisan consensus extends across political lines: more than 70% of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents agree that quality of care must be the VA’s top priority.
Dr. Abate then turned the conversation to Community Care, expressing concern about Senator Moran’s public support for unrestricted access to privatized care. He argued that this approach is dangerous, unsustainable, and contrary to data showing that in-house VA care typically yields better outcomes, shorter wait times, and lower rates of complications. He noted that the American healthcare system is ill-equipped to absorb the full veteran population and that most community providers are already overburdened.
He advocated for using clearly defined, clinically driven criteria—already established by the VA—for determining when veterans should be referred to Community Care:
When VA does not provide the care a veteran needs.
When the VA cannot provide the care in a timely manner.
When the veteran faces excessive travel time to reach a VA facility.
Dr. Abate also emphasized the role of Telehealth, which was not adequately considered when the MISSION Act standards were established. He urged Congress to revisit these standards, noting VA's expanded capacity to offer timely Telehealth appointments, especially for primary and mental health care.
He stressed that referrals to Community Care should be clinical decisions, not simply based on veteran preference. Referrals driven solely by preference risk undermining the VA’s evidence-based, research-driven model and could lead to poor outcomes and unnecessary costs.
Dr. Abate cited an example from VA Dentistry, where a routine dental referral to the community resulted in a proposed $58,000 treatment plan. Upon review by a VA dentist, the only necessary treatment was a single filling—delivered in-house within six days. He underscored that in-house dental care is consistently more cost-effective, scientifically grounded, and of higher quality.
Following the passage of the PACT Act, demand for VA Dentistry has doubled. Yet, staffing levels for dentists, hygienists, assistants, and lab technicians remain stagnant. Dr. Abate called on Congress to invest in both the workforce and infrastructure, warning that unchecked reliance on community dental care could financially cripple the VA.
The conversation then shifted to the damaging effects of current Reduction in Force (RIF) and Deferred Resignation policies. Dr. Abate described the environment of fear, intimidation, and psychological harm affecting VA staff. He criticized the blunt approach of workforce cuts, drawing on his military background to advocate for a more surgical, precise strategy to avoid collateral damage.
Even though frontline clinicians are technically exempt, the loss of support personnel has already disrupted care and placed unsustainable burdens on remaining staff. Dr. Abate also condemned the widespread public narrative portraying federal employees as lazy or expendable. He recounted a personal incident in which he was physically threatened while commuting, simply for being a federal employee.
He warned that such rhetoric and emotional manipulation are destroying morale and endangering the sacred VA mission. He noted that the Secretary of the VA has proposed cutting 80,000 jobs—reducing the workforce to 2019 levels—without accounting for the increased patient load due to the COVID-19 pandemic, PACT Act expansions, and growing veteran reliance on VA care amid economic instability.
Dr. Abate urged Senator Moran and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee (SVAC) to develop data-driven, veteran-focused plans to prevent service degradation. While the proposed cuts may target non-veteran-facing positions, any reduction must not impact the quality or availability of care.
He concluded the meeting by reaffirming that VA clinicians are uniquely trained to address the complex medical needs of veterans and that Congress must prioritize hiring additional clinicians to maintain and expand in-house care capacity.
NAVAPD, under Dr. Abate’s leadership, will continue its outreach to SVAC and HVAC members to ensure that workforce reduction plans do not compromise veteran care. Dr. Abate also encouraged all VA clinicians to contact their members of Congress and share their concerns directly, emphasizing that frontline voices must be heard to safeguard the future of VA healthcare.