Dive Brief:
- In order to create an integrated government and private sector health system to ease unacceptable wait times at department facilities, the Veterans Administration told the House Veterans Affairs Committee yesterday it needs $421 million next year to get the program started.
- The New Veterans Choice Program will consolidate seven of the agency’s private healthcare arrangements into one system that streamlines which patients get referred to outside care and to which providers. Officials also hope to improve claims, billing and reimbursement systems for doctors, as well as improve the agency’s medical recordkeeping.
- The VA estimates the new system will cost $400 to $800 million per year. Initial efforts will focus on a new referral system and better customer service.
Dive Insight:
Congress passed emergency legislation last year to expand veteran eligibility to private care via the $10 billion Veterans Choice program. This provided 1 million veterans access to non-VA care to ease long wait times (more than 30 days) exposed by whistleblowers last year.
However, according to The Washington Post, the program has been slow to show positive results with many veterans unaware it exists since VA staff are more apt to refer patients to other private-care programs. Currently about 10% of medical visits are private. With varying reimbursement rates for physicians, EDs, and nursing homes and private care eligibility dependent on where veterans live, officials say the system is disjointed.
Dr. Baligh Yehia, assistant deputy undersecretary for Health for Community Care at the VA, told The Washington Post, “We have so many different ways of buying care in the community that it creates confusion. It makes it hard for employees to administer and providers to understand all the rules. What we’re trying to do is make this [system of private care] as simple and clear as possible.”
Privatization has hit a political nerve with conservatives favoring more private care and liberals wanting the government to take care of veterans. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman, said integration of private care would “supplement, not supplant” healthcare the agency now provides.