I have both - VA eligible (and use it) and BC/BS. Got to keep a family policy so my spouse is covered, as VA coverage doesn't include family members.

For quite a while the VA had a checkered reputation. In the last 15+ years it has done a complete 180 and has gotten much more patient-centric.

The type of care provided by VA is somewhat unique. While it does provide what could be considered "regular" care, the key thing is being able to handle the effects of combat-related injuries and illnesses - physical and psychological - long and short-term.

The VA has the advantage of nationwide monitoring of select health trends and checks folk out for things the average private sector health care provider rarely considers. As an example, no private physician had ever questioned whether I had past exposure to Agent Orange or other such military-unique toxins (which I have), but that was one of the first things I was asked whe I started with VA 10 years ago, and has been a continuing checklist item for health monitoring. They watch to see if I develop certain symptoms or maladies (such as Type 2 Diabetes) which may be the beginning of other Agent Orange related problems. I doubt that might even show up on another health care provider's radar. The latest crop of combat vets have comparable situations.

I don't consider the VA as a "national health care" entity in the HR 3200 mold. The VA provides care for a special population with radically different medical backgrounds than the other 99% of the nation. One visit to a VA hospital, and ten minutes in the front lobby, can explain it better than a thousand pages of text.