Veterans choice program now lets some veterans use non-VA facilities. Any experience or thoughts on this?

SPC Jack Hunt, JR — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 18:36:57 -0500

As of November 5, 2014, Veterans can choose to see an outside doctor if they fall within the following criteria:

- You have been told by your local VA medical facility that you will need to wait more than 30 days from your preferred date or the date medically determined by your physician.

- Your current residence is more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility.

- You need to travel by plane or boat to the VA medical facility closest to your home.

- You face a geographic challenge, such as extensive distances around water or other geologic formations, such as mountains, which presents a significant travel hardship

Here is a link on how to get started:
http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/how_to_get_started.asp

Please let us know about your experience in this program!

Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act | About the Program

Learn how to get started with the .

Response by SGT Richard H. made Nov 28 at 2014 6:40 PM

SGT Richard H. — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 18:40:44 -0500

I hate to be a downer, but as problematic as the VA is, I would imagine that PAYING would be what they would be worst at.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 28 at 2014 6:40 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 18:40:47 -0500

SPC Hunt,

Is this a VA program? What is the title of the web page you looked for, this is something I like to read about.

V/R

1SG Haro

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 28 at 2014 6:50 PM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 18:50:54 -0500

I believe this is what you're looking for:

http://www.va.gov/health/docs/vha_blueprint_for_excellence.pdf

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

The US Department of Veterans Affairs provides patient care and federal benefits to veterans and their dependents. The home page for the Department of Veterans Affairs provides links to veterans benefits and services, as well as information and resources for other Departmental programs and offices.

Response by LTC Yinon Weiss made Nov 28 at 2014 7:09 PM

LTC Yinon Weiss — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 19:09:46 -0500

SPC Hunt, I was able to update your post with the information, so that others can quickly get to it. I look forward to reading about other people's experiences in this program, which sounds like a great deal for our veterans!

Response by SFC Mark Merino made Nov 30 at 2014 12:54 AM

SFC Mark Merino — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 00:54:08 -0500

THANK GOD! I almost went scoot scoots dealing with the Phoenix VA for over 3 years. No one should have to endure this amount of bureaucratic red tape just to get care.

Response by SPC(P) Jay Heenan made Nov 30 at 2014 1:01 AM

SPC(P) Jay Heenan — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 01:01:53 -0500

What a fantastic program! I hope all of our Vets who need this program gets signed up!!

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 30 at 2014 12:20 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 12:20:47 -0500

The caveat is this: the doctor you are going to see has to take the VA insurance. It's easy for them to become a provider, refer them to the Tricare or Triwest website, in a few short minutes they can submit their application. The reimbursement rate is comparable to Medicare...so don't expect the doctor to be elated. I started getting referrals from the VA this last September. The vets are begging for chiropractic care. I just wish it wasn't so restricted.

Response by A1C John Koehn made Mar 2 at 2015 5:48 PM

A1C John Koehn — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 17:48:48 -0500

Please also be aware that the 40 mile distance is calculated using the geodesic or "as the crow flies" method, not the true highway miles. Supposedly this is being looked into by our wonderful people in Washington.