On August 7, President Obama signed the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146), which is intended to address the VA health care access crisis. This bipartisan, bicameral compromise bill- while a welcome first step toward rebuilding VA's capacity to provide all enrolled veterans with timely, high-quality health care - must be the beginning of a long-term effort to restore America's sacred compact with those who have fought for our freedom. You can view a brief summary of the major provisions of the law by clicking
here.
The law creates a new - and temporary - authority for VA to provide veterans with a "Veterans Choice Card" that can be used to access private care when VA is unable to provide veterans with care under defined time or distance access standards of 30 days or 40 miles. However, the law anticipates that this new authority will continue for no more than 3 years, or until the emergency funding ($10 billion) is exhausted, whichever comes first.
As enacted, the law did not spell out all of the details concerning when and how veterans will receive "Choice" cards, how veterans will be "authorized" by VA to access private care options, how private providers will bill VA, not veterans, or how VA will coordinate non-VA care to ensure the best health outcomes for veterans. The law requires VA to publish detailed regulations within 90 days of enactment (November 5, 2014) and we will be carefully monitoring this process and consulting with VA through the law's implementation, especially the "Choice" provisions.
The new law also appropriates more than $5 billion for the VA to hire additional medical staff, expand treatment space and repair existing health care facilities. It also authorizes 27 new leases for VA medical facilities in 18 states and Puerto Rico, primarily outpatient clinics. The lack of treatment slots and facilities was the primary cause of VA's access crisis and this boost in funding is a reasonable down payment on VA's long term structural needs.
Looking ahead, what's needed next is a commitment and matching action by Congress and the Administration to provide full and honest funding and additional support required by VA to boost its internal capacity so it can provide timely, accessible and high-quality health care to all veterans who need such care, particularly once the new "Choice" provisions expire in a couple of years.
While no veteran should be forced to wait too long or travel too far to get care, we hope this turn to the private sector is viewed and accepted only as a temporary stop-gap while the VA rebuilds its internal capacity.
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