The Veterans Affairs department recently announced its plan to loosen one of its policies to make it easier for former soldiers to access quality medical care in their life after service. The current standard dictates that veterans have to live at least 40 miles in a straight shot from the closest VA medical facility in order to qualify for government-funded private health care services. The Washington Post reported that the updated rule will instead measure distance in driving miles, using programs like MapQuest and Google Maps to get an accurate reading.
Distance rules adjusted
This change is part of an ongoing attempt to revitalize the VA as a whole and deliver proper health care to former servicemembers. The Wall Street Journal noted that this rule adjustment is being made to the Veterans Choice Act, a piece of legislation that was passed last year after many vets reported medical complications directly linked to long wait times at VA institutions. While the act was a good start, its original method of distance measuring immediately drew criticism from lawmakers and veterans advocates alike.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the straight-line distance policy was not doing much to help rural vets, who, despite living within a 40-mile straight line, may need to take roundabout routes to access highways and commercial roads, making their actual driving experiences much longer than that. By plugging their home addresses and VA destinations into commercial mapping programs, however, they are able to prove that their health care commute may actually total well over 40 miles, making them eligible to receive VA-funded private care.
Reactions positive, but more can be done
The adjustment was met with applause by critics who had been pushing to have it changed. The Washington Post reported that House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller described the new rule as "a welcome, commonsense change" to the VA health care system.
Despite the support for the change, however, some still feel as though the government should be doing more to provide former soldiers with exceptional medical care. The Wall Street Journal explained that the rule does not take into account what type of VA facility the veteran in question lives near, which could contribute to medical issues. For example, a vet requiring special treatments who lives near a VA institution that does not offer them will not be able to take advantage of government-funded private care. Likely, he or she will still have to make a long commute to a far-away VA center that does offer these treatments, or he or she will need to pay for private care by him or herself. This is a major concern for many veteran groups, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, an organization that is continuing its campaign to adjust this policy.
The Washington Post indicated that the new distance rule will be implemented sometime in the coming weeks.