VA Will Give One-Year Authorizations to Veterans for Private Care in 30 Specialties

Veterans seeking private care in 30 specialties can now get authorization to do so for a year at a time instead of the current 90 to 180 days.

In the community care programs, veterans are allowed to get care at government expense from a private provider if they meet eligibility criteria or if the VA cannot provide adequate care in a timely manner.

This program is an outgrowth of a scandal in Phoenix in 2014. The VA waiting list was so long that some veterans died before they could get care from the VA.

Congress responded by passing the Choice Act, which increased the VA budget to improve the ability to provide direct care. As a temporary measure while that ramp-up was in progress, the Choice Act allowed veterans to get private care at government expense. Rates paid for private health care in the program were up to 115% of Medicare rates.

The community care program costs more than care directly by the VA and lacks the quality standards of the VA. This is why Congress intended it to be used only when necessary due to capacity issues at the VA. Authorizing its use without renewal for long periods such as a year goes against the intention of the program.

Historical context information from Allison Gill.

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