The Department of Veterans Affairs is considering one of the largest federal procurement efforts in U.S. history. Through its Community Care Network “NextGen” (CCN) solicitation, VA would award new community care contracts worth nearly $1 trillion over the next decade, fundamentally reshaping how veterans access health care and how U.S. taxpayers finance it. Few federal decisions carry stakes this high. That is precisely why VA must slow down, broaden engagement, and work closely with veteran service organizations and Congress to get this right.