“… you asked us to conduct a comprehensive review of the Choice Program, focusing on (among other things) the effect the Choice Program has had on reducing veterans’ wait times for care. In March 2017, we presented preliminary observations from this work at a hearing of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.11 This report updates our preliminary findings and examines: the potential wait times for veterans to receive routine care through the Choice Program, according to VA’s appointment scheduling process; selected veterans’ actual wait times to receive routine care and urgent care through the Choice Program and the information VHA uses to monitor access to care under the program; and the factors, if any, that have adversely affected veterans’ access to care under the Choice Program and the actions, if any, that VA and VHA have taken to address them for VA’s future community care program.”
“To ensure that VA and VHA incorporate lessons learned from the Choice Program as they develop and implement a consolidated VA community care program, we are making the following 10 recommendations…” Read the full report here.
Source: Report to Congressional Addressees – Veterans Choice Program – Improvements Needed to Address Access-Related Challenges as VA Plans Consolidation of its Community Care Programs – June 2018. GAO.gov.
