News
With new program, our veterans now have a choice for care
April 10, 2015
by Dave Ryan
In 2014, it was discovered that the U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs was unable to sufficiently handle the sheer number of medical cases involving not only wounded veterans returning from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, but also our older veterans seeking care from the complications of aging.
Vets trying to schedule appointments were told that it might not be just a weeks, but possibly months, before the VA could arrange for a doctor to see them.
As the complaints multiplied, it became painfully apparent that thousands of our military were being ignored on a regular basis.
Additionally, lengthy delays were occurring with respect to the timely distribution of compensation to veterans with mental and physical injuries associated with their military service. Congressional audits confirmed that more than 500,000 veterans were waiting more than 125 days for claims to be processed, with the backlog growing daily.
Late last year, Robert McDonald, former CEO of Procter and Gamble, was named Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and he immediately began reorganizing the failing VA and initiating changes to benefit veterans.
The new "Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act" of August, 2014 was enacted to provide authority, and funding to better serve veterans. Independent assessments reviewed VAs practices, new programs were created to improve access for veterans by connecting them to health services closer to home, and the number of doctor residency positions was increased by 1,500.
With all the positive changes, one of the most important might be the new Veteran's Choice Card, which allows veterans to elect to receive care outside of the VA based on the distance of their residence from a VA care facility, or when wait times for VA healthcare exceeds 30 days.
The changes were long overdue, but with a new team in place, our veterans are now getting the attention they deserve. For more details on the Veteran's Choice program, visit www.hfns.com, or call (866) 606-8198.
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