Veterans' Healthy Living, Spring 2016
Your Choice: How this groundbreaking program is helping Veterans
A goal of the VA Healthcare System has always been to provide the highest quality care to our nation’s Veterans. But high-quality care isn’t only about the exceptional clinicians and facilities. It’s also about getting access to that care without the barriers of wait times or distance.
The VA recognizes the need for our Veterans to get the care they need, when they need it. As a result, the Veterans Access, Choice, Accountability Act (VACAA) of 2014, better known as the Choice Program, was created. You’ve probably heard about this program, and may have used it already.
The Choice Program in VISN 1
The Choice Program is continuing to grow to better serve our Veterans. VISN 1 alone has 11,396 PC3 Network and Choice Participating providers signed up. In addition, Health Net Federal Services has another 13,817 community providers currently registered to become Choice Participating providers. As of the end of January 2016, greater than 17,000 Veterans in New England had used the Choice Program.
Sandy Davidson, VA New England Business Implementation Manager, said the VA is focused on continuing to improve access to needed health care for all Veterans through the Choice Program. To further support it, Manchester VAMC in New Hampshire has created—and actively staffs—a dedicated Choice Program Support Office.
"All of our VISN 1 Medical Centers have been actively involved and supportive, collaborating closely with our partner, Health Net Federal Services, to further advance the Veterans Choice Program," Davidson said.
Davidson said that because the program is still new to many Veterans, they are making every effort to help inform Veterans about how and when they can use it to get the care they need.
"We have a vision to provide better access to Community Care for Veterans and to simplify the process for everyone involved," she explains. "While working to improve the future state of the Veterans Choice Program, we are making sure to incorporate industry best practices and feedback from Veterans, VSOs, VA employees, and Federal stakeholders."
Davidson said the plan for the Choice Program focuses on five areas that, together, will enable Veterans to receive timely and high quality community care. They include:
- Eligibility: "We want to move towards a single set of eligibility criteria so that Veterans understand how to access community care, and to make it simpler for VA employees and community providers to administer," Davidson says.
- Referral and Authorization: "We are striving to streamline this process to minimize delays in delivering care to Veterans and eliminate any unnecessary steps."
- Providers: "We want to Develop a High Performing Network of VA Community Providers," Davidson explains. "Our goal is to strengthen our partnership with key Federal and academic teaching affiliates. At the same time, we are working to identify new—and build upon existing—relationships with the best performing providers in the private sector."
- Care Coordination: "This is critical for an effective community care program. We want to make sure Veterans don’t fall through the cracks. We will improve how medical information is shared so that both VA and community providers have access to timely and accurate information that they need."
- Provider Payment: "Our goal here is to become better partners to our community providers by paying promptly and correctly," says Davidson.
The diligent work being done toward these goals, along with the supportive partnership of the health care facilities and providers, means the Choice Program will only continue to grow and improve in the years to come.
