Rodney Cress, Veteran Advocate
♦ Many Veterans will now have the option to receive non-VA health care rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.
Beginning November 5, 2014, the new Choice Program will begin to cover non-VA care for eligible Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. Veterans are eligible if any of these situations apply to you.
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.
Every Veteran will receive a letter and a Choice Card in the mail with details about the program. Veterans will be eligible for the program and receive cards in three phases. Veterans who may live more than 40 miles from a VA facility.Veterans who are currently waiting for an appointment longer than 30 days from their preferred date or the date determined to be medically necessary by their physician. All remaining Veterans enrolled for VA healthcare who may be eligible for the Choice Program in the future.
To set up an appointment with a non-VA provider or verify your eligability, call the VA at 866-606-8198 and we will work with you to ensure you are approved for care in your community.
http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/
