From Military.com:
“Major VA Change Info Coming to
Your Mailbox”
Have you checked your mailbox
lately for news from the Department of Veterans Affairs? Veterans around the
country have started receiving a letter and brochure from the VA updating them
on major changes coming to health care access. The letter, signed by Dr.
Richard Stone, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, is
dated May 7 and briefly lays out the changes, including new access benchmarks
and a new urgent care benefit. "We are excited about these changes that
will strengthen VA care and care obtained through our community partners,"
the letter states. "The changes empower you to find the balance in the
system that is right for you."
Here's what the flier says about
the changes, known as the Mission Act -- and what they mean.
VA Health Care Eligibility
Veterans who have enrolled are
eligible for care from VA hospitals based on a tier system that looks at their
service-connected injuries, income and other criteria. Although the flier
touches on eligibility, this system was not changed by the Mission Act. The
flier also mentions an "annual patient enrollment system;" however,
veterans do not need to take any action to remain enrolled, although the VA may
reassess eligibility. Read more about VA health care eligibility.
VA Community Care Eligibility
The Mission Act's predecessor, VA
Choice, established rules around who could receive care outside the VA
hospital. Based on a variety of factors such as health needs and where the
veteran lives, the Choice program let veterans see providers within a civilian
health care network. Now, that community care program has been given an update
to include new eligibility standards. You can see a community-based doctor if:
-Care is not available within the
new access standards, which cap wait times at 20 days and drive times for 30
minutes for primary care and 60 minutes for specialists.
-Necessary care is not provided
by the VA at a nearby facility.
- You live in a designated state
or territory where the VA is not full service, including Hawaii, Alaska, New
Hampshire, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin
Islands.
-You are grandfathered into the
old Choice rules, which allowed for community-based care if you lived 40 miles
or more from the nearest VA hospital.
- The VA doctor believes
community-based care is best for you.
- The VA has designated the type
of care you need as not meeting standards.
VA Urgent and Walk-In Care
Starting June 6, veterans who
have received care from the VA in the last 24 months can get care at some
community-based urgent care facilities. Read more about the urgent care update.
VA Co-Pays and Other Health
Insurance
Veterans might have co-pays based
on their tier status. But the big Mission Act-related change affects how the VA
communicates with other health insurance held by some veterans. Under the new
rules, the VA no longer needs a veteran's permission to bill or communicate
with their other health insurance. If a veteran wants to keep the VA from
making that contact, he or she should contact their local facility's privacy
office.
VA Care Standards
Although the flier notes that the
VA is actively "establishing standards for quality" and promises to
"provide additional information" as it does so, the system also
currently has in place care standards. Read more about care standards on the
VA's website.
VA Complaints and Appeals
Although the flier touches on
appeals, the Mission Act did not put in place any changes to this area. Read
more about VA appeals and claims.
Stay on Top of Your Veteran
Benefits
Military benefits are always
changing. Keep up with everything from pay to health care by signing up for a
free Military.com membership, which will send all the latest benefits straight
to your inbox while giving you access to up-to-date pay charts and more.
^ This flyer (and article about
it) has some interesting information on that that hopefully will help veterans.
^
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.