V.A. Prepares for Major Shift in Veterans' Health Care

The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday will begin allowing a broad swath of its nine million enrollees to seek medical care outside of traditional V.A. hospitals, the biggest shift in the American health care system since the passage of the Affordable Care Act nearly a decade ago.

While department officials say they are ready, veterans groups and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have expressed concerns about the V.A., which has been dogged by problems with its computer systems for years. They worry that the department is not fully prepared to begin its new policy, which Congress adopted last year to streamline and expand the way veterans get care.

Previously, veterans facing a wait of 30 days or more for an appointment at their closest V.A. health care center could seek private care. Under the new policy, that waiting time would be reduced to 20 days, with the goal of 14 days by 2020.

The new measurement is expected to greatly open private-sector medical care to veterans in both rural communities and high-traffic urban areas, a goal conservatives have long pushed, especially after a 2015 scandal over hidden waiting lists for care. Veterans also will be allowed to use a bevy of walk-in clinics.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/05/us/politics/va-health-care-veterans.html