The Department of Veterans Affairs announced a substantial overhaul of its current health care system on Wednesday. In a new plan, the VA will expand the department's nationwide medical services in a way that would allow veterans improved access to private care. Stars and Stripes reported that the VA asked for $421 million from Congress to begin merging government and private sector systems as a means for reducing the limitations veterans have faced for years.
Lawmakers enacted legislation to increase veteran eligibility to private care in 2014 with the Veterans Choice program. The $10 billion program affected about 1 million veterans, allowing them to use their military benefits at non-VA facilities. Based on figures stated by the VA, the ambitious new designs revealed this week will cost between $400 million and $800 million per year after the $1.2 billion to $2.4 billion needed for each of the first three years. They cautioned that those costs would rise if more veterans switched to the integrated system.
The new program could prove very popular. Any veteran living too far from a VA hospital, or who can't see a VA physician within 30 days, will now be able to visit a private doctor. Additionally, the VA hopes to institute a single set of rules to simplify a system that has been notoriously complicated. According to The Washington Post, department officials hope that improved methods of reimbursement and billing will draw talented medical practitioners back after its old systems proved unappealing.
Rep. Jeff Miller, the House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman, said that the "VA has always had fee-for-service but it wasn't used in the way the veterans expected it to be used. What we are trying to do is not tear down VA brick-by-brick but supplement it."
Before the overhaul can go into effect, Congressional approval is required.