(Washington) – Commissioners Ken Kizer, M.D., and Harry Walters were featured panelists on May 4 at a New America Foundation roundtable discussion about the current and future state of VA health care. The event’s organizer, Phillip Longman, is the author of a new book entitled, “Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care is Better Than Yours,” which examines how the veterans health care system has come to be regarded as the highest quality, lowest cost health care system in America. C-Span provided live coverage of the two-hour discussion.

Dr. Kizer, former VA Undersecretary for Health from1994 to 1999, is widely credited with turning around VA’s health care system, as documented in Longman’s book. Also participating for the Commission was the Honorable Harry N. Walters, who served as VA Administrator from 1983 to 1987. During Walters tenure in charge of VA he also helped modernize VA through a number of management and organization reforms. Walters was also the driving force in creating the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans, and serves as Managing Commissioner.

Other experts participating in the discussion include Dr. Gerald Cross, Acting VA Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health; John Holahan, Ph.D., Director, Health Policy Center at The Urban Institute; and John F. Sommer, Jr., Executive Director of The American Legion.

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans was established in September 2006 as a private, independent, analytical body to examine the needs of veterans 20 years in the future, and to develop recommendations for how our government can meet those needs. The Commission has been meeting and conducting independent research to develop and deliver recommendations and plan of action to the President, the Congress, and the America public by spring 2008.