VA to expand community care choices

June 03-- Jun. 3--BATH -- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will launch its new and improved community care program June 6, implementing portions of the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks Act of 2018 (the MISSION Act), which ends the Veterans Choice Program and establishes a new Veterans Community Care Program.

The MISSION Act seeks to strengthen the nationwide VA Health Care System by empowering Veterans to have more options in their health care decisions.

Under the new and improved Veterans Community Care Program, Veterans can now work with their VA health care provider or other VA staff to see if they are eligible to receive community care. Eligibility for community care does not require a Veteran to receive that care in the community; Veterans can still choose to have VA provide their care. Veterans are eligible to choose to receive care in the community if they meet any of the following six eligibility criteria:

A Veteran needs a service not available at any VA medical facility.

A Veteran lives in a U.S. state or territory without a full-service VA medical facility. Specifically, this would apply to Veterans living in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire and the U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A Veteran qualifies under the "grandfather" provision related to distance eligibility for the Veterans Choice Program.

VA cannot furnish care in a manner that complies within certain designated access standards. The specific access standards are described below.

Average drive time to a specific VA medical facility exceeds 30-minute average drive time for primary care, mental health and no-ninstitutional extended care services; or exceeds 60-minute average drive time for specialty care.

Appointment wait time at a specific VA medical facility exceeds 20 days for primary care, 28 days for specialty care

The Veteran and the referring clinician agree it is in the best medical interest of the Veteran to receive community care based on defined factors.

VA has determined that a VA medical service line is not providing care in a manner that complies with VA's standards for quality.

"We are honored to reaffirm our commitment to America's Veterans," said Bruce Tucker, Director VA Finger Lakes Healthcare System (Bath and Canandaigua VA Medical Centers). "Our staff is steadfast in providing health care that meets the needs of our Veterans at the right time and place."

The Bath VA Medical Center serves approximately 13,000 Veterans in the Southern Tier Region.

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