Senate Significantly Changes VA Choice Bill Ahead of Vote

Bipartisan legislation to reform and expand the VA Choice program was recently changed in order to take in to consideration proposals from the Trump Administration.

According to Modern Healthcare, the Trump Administration, a Republican senator—Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), and the Koch brothers—through a non-profit known as Concerned Veterans for America—lobbied to have the bipartisan legislation changed since December. 

Under the new legislation, VA facilities will have to meet certain standards in order to qualify to treat patients eligible for the VA Choice program. If a VA center does not meet those standards, a patient is free to seek private care from a community care provider that does meet the VA’s standards. Under the current program, about 1 million veterans receive care through the VA Choice program—which allows them to seek care from a private provider if waits are longer than 30 days or VA centers are more than 40 miles away. 

It is expected this change will accelerate VA participation in privatized care.

This proposal goes against current recommendations from VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, who wanted to expand patient access to private care, but did not want to hold VA facilities to the access standards. 

The Senate is expected to vote on the legislation soon. —David Costill