“An effort by the Department of Veterans Affairs to prevent some veterans from seeking health care outside its centers drew heavy criticism from lawmakers and a vocal Fox News ally of the president, who suggested the department’s bureaucracy could undermine a signature program of President Trump’s term.”
“That program, known as the Mission Act, permits veterans to seek primary care and mental health services outside the department’s system if they can prove they must drive at least 30 minutes to a Department of Veterans Affairs facility. The network of private providers and urgent care centers had been slowly expanding this year as those standards went into effect.”
“But concerns arose that at-risk veterans seeking outside care could expose themselves to the coronavirus or tax strained private health care resources.”
“So this week, a department official emailed the House and Senate committees on veterans’ affairs to say the department ‘proposes a temporary strategic pause in the Mission Act access standards for 90 days, or until the soonest possible time that routine care may safely resume.’ The email said that ‘enforcement of the access standards will resume when routine care resumes.’”
“Reacting to news of the pause, Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host close to Mr. Trump, said on Twitter late Tuesday, ‘If true, this is a terrible decision by @DeptVetAffairs leadership that will only hurt vets…’”
“Christina Mandreucci, a spokeswoman for the department, said that while there would be no ‘pause,’ it would review requested referrals for nonemergency care ‘on a case-by-case basis for immediate clinical need and with regard to the safety of the veteran when being seen in-person, regardless of wait time or drive time eligibility…’”
“Representative Phil Roe, Republican of Tennessee, said he was seeking more guidance from Mr. Wilkie ‘about how and why V.A. made this decision and how veterans will continue to be cared for throughout this crisis, in V.A. and in the community…’” Read the full article here.
Source: V.A. Criticized for Effort to Keep Some Veterans Away From Private Care During Outbreak – By Jennifer Steinhauer, March 25, 2020. The New York Times.
