From Military.com — By Patricia Kime —
The Department of Veterans Affairs has changed its process for veterans to get medical care from non-VA providers, removing a requirement that referrals to community care be reviewed by another VA doctor.
The VA announced Monday that it is enacting a provision of the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act that will help ease veterans’ access to medical services from private providers.
The law, signed in December by then-President Joe Biden, prohibits VA administrators from overriding a VA doctor’s referral for a patient to get outside care.
“Now, we’re making it even easier for veterans to get their health care when and where it’s most convenient for them,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement Monday. “We are putting veterans first at the department, and that means placing a premium on customer service and convenience. This important change will help us do just that.”
The VA Choice Act of 2014, passed in the wake of a scandal over medical appointment wait times at VA medical centers nationwide, gave veterans broader access to medical care at non-VA facilities if they faced long waits for care at a VA hospital or clinic.
The Mission Act, signed by President Donald Trump in 2019, expanded the benefit to include veterans who face more than a 30-minute drive for primary care or an hour or more for specialty care, or those who can’t get an appointment within 20 days for primary care and 28 days for specialty care.
Under the Mission Act, eligible veterans could consult with their VA physicians to receive referrals to community care. The VA required these referrals to be reviewed internally by an administrative staff member.
During congressional debate over the Elizabeth Dole Act, Republicans said the review process intentionally hampered access to community care, while Democrats argued that it was proper government oversight and that removing it was part of an overall effort to privatize VA health care.
According to the law, the ban on the administrative review will remain in place for two years, after which the VA must report on its effects to Congress.
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