Legion supports Veterans Choice Act
Legion supports Veterans
Choice Act
The senate bill would
allow VA enrollees to use private health care under certain conditions
WASHINGTON -- Legislation
introduced in the Senate on June 3 would give veterans more choice and
flexibility in their health-care treatment under certain conditions, such as
the inability of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers to
schedule appointments in a timely manner.
Veterans would be free to
seek health care in the private sector if VA cannot schedule a timely
appointment for them, or if they live more than 40 miles from the nearest VA
medical center or community-based outpatient clinic.
Under provisions of the
American Legion-backed bill (authorized for only two years) VA enrollees would
receive a “Choice Card” to use for medical care from a non-VA provider.
In his letter of support,
American Legion National Commander Daniel M. Dellinger wrote that the bill
“provides resources now to assist veterans being denied health care by lengthy
wait-times.”
Noting that any
legislation addressing access to VA health care should protect the department
as the primary means of care for veterans, Dellinger stated, “The health care
veterans will receive through non-VA facilities will still be managed through
VA’s office of non-VA care….
“While this legislation
expands on VA’s existing authority to allow veterans to receive care outside
the system when VA cannot meet the demand for care, it strengthens the system
by providing clear direction on how that outside care will be managed with the
end goal of bringing those veterans back into the system.”
The measure would also
improve transparency by directing VA to post on its medical center websites the
current wait-times for appointments, and establish disciplinary procedures for
any employee who knowingly falsifies data pertaining to wait-times and quality
measures.
Provisions of the VA
Management Accountability Act (H.R. 4031), which passed the House, are also
included in the bill, which would give the VA Secretary the authority to demote
or fire senior executives based on performance.
An
October 2012 resolution (http://archive.legion.org/bitstream/handle/123456789/2306/2012F046.pdf?sequence=1)
passed by The American Legion called on VA to “develop a well-defined and
consistent non-VA care coordination program, policy and procedure that includes
a patient-centered care strategy” that takes veterans’ “travel and distance
(from VA facilities) into account.”
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Media contacts:
Washington - Marty Callaghan:202-263-5758/202-341-8900, mcallaghan@legion.org or Indianapolis – Joe March, 317-630-1254/317- 748-1926, jmarch@legion.org.
, John Raughter, 317-630-1350 / 317 441-8847. A high
resolution photo of Nat. Cmdr.Dellinger is available at www.legion.org.
The American Legion Department of Michigan represents over 70,000 members in the State of Michigan. The American Legion was founded in 1919, based on “The Four Pillars”; veteran rehabilitation, Americanism, child welfare, and national security and continued above all its mission as a consumers’ advocate for veterans. For more information contact the Michigan Legion at 517-371-4720 ext 16, mark@michiganlegion.org, or visit our website at www.michiganlegion.org.
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