{ "id": "R44562", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R44562", "active": true, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 585507, "date": "2018-09-19", "retrieved": "2019-12-20T20:52:38.272347", "title": "The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation", "summary": "Authorized under Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) is a temporary program that enables eligible veterans to receive medical care in the community. Since the program was first established by VACAA, it has been amended and funded several times. More recently, P.L. 115-26 eliminated the August 7, 2017, expiration date for the VCP and allowed the program to continue until the initial $10 billion deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund (VCF) was expended. P.L. 115-46 authorized and appropriated an additional $2.1 billion to continue the VCP until funds were expended, and when these funds were also nearing their end, Division D of P.L. 115-96 appropriated an additional $2.1 billion to continue the VCP until funds were expended. Lastly, Section 510 of the VA MISSION Act (P.L. 115-182), signed into law on June 6, 2018, authorized and appropriated $5.2 billion for VCP without fiscal year limitation, and Section 143 of this same act imposed a sunset date that is one year after the date of enactment (June 6, 2018) of the VA MISSION Act (i.e., June 6, 2019). Title 101 of the VA MISSION Act also authorized a permanent program known as the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP), which is to replace VCP when VCCP is established by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) around June 2019 (when regulations are published by the VA no later than one year after the date of enactment [June 6, 2018] of the VA MISSION Act; that is, June 6, 2019, or when the VA determines that 75% of the amounts deposited in the VCF have been exhausted). \nEligibility and Choice of Care\nVeterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to request health services under the VCP. A veteran may request a VA community care consult/referral, or his or her VA provider may submit a VA community care consult/referral to the VA Care Coordination staff within the VA.\nVeterans may become eligible for the VCP in one of four ways. First, a veteran is informed by a local VA medical facility that an appointment cannot be scheduled within 30 days of the clinically determined date requested by his or her VA doctor or within 30 days of the date requested by the veteran (this category also includes care not offered at a veteran\u2019s primary VA facility and a referral cannot be made to another VA medical facility or other federal facility). Second, the veteran lives 40 miles or more from a VA medical facility that has a full-time primary care physician. Third, the veteran lives 40 miles or less (not residing in Guam, America Samoa, or the Republic of the Philippines) and either travels by air, boat, or ferry to seek care from his or her local facility or incurs a traveling burden of a medical condition, geographic challenge, or an environmental factor. Fourth, the veteran resides 20 miles or more from a VA medical facility located in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire (excluding those who live 20 miles from the White River Junction VAMC), or a U.S. territory, with the exception of Puerto Rico. \nOnce found eligible for care through the VCP, veterans may choose to receive care from a VA provider or from an eligible VA community care provider (VCP provider). VCP providers are federally qualified health centers, Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, or Indian Health Service facilities, and hospitals, physicians, and nonphysician practitioners or entities participating in the Medicare or Medicaid program, among others. A veteran has the choice to switch between a VA provider and VCP provider at any time. \nProgram Administration and Provider Participation\nThe VCP was administered by two third-party administrators (TPAs): Health Net and TriWest. At the end of September 2018, the VA has announced that it would end its contract with Health Net as a TPA because of low patient volume, customer service issues, and late payments to community providers in its network. TriWest would continue to be a TPA for the areas they manage. Generally, a TPA manages veterans\u2019 appointments, counseling services, card distributions, and a call center. The TPA contracts directly with the VA. Then, the TPA contracts with eligible non-VA community care providers interested in participating in the VCP. \nPayments\nGenerally, a veteran\u2019s out-of-pocket costs under the VCP are equal to VHA out-of-pocket costs. Veterans do not pay any copayments at the time of their medical appointments. Copayment rates are determined by the VA after services are furnished. Enactment of P.L. 115-26 on April 19, 2017, allowed VA to become the primary payer when certain veterans with other health insurance (OHI) receive care for nonservice-connected conditions under VCP\u2014veterans would not have to pay a copayment under their OHI anymore. The VA would coordinate with a veteran\u2019s OHI and bill for any copayments that the veteran would be responsible for similar to what they would have paid had they received care within a VA medical facility. Participating community providers are reimbursed by their respective TPA, and VA pays the TPAs on an aggregated basis, known as bulk payments.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44562", "sha1": "869939a6d57b69907c03015ef594591ee50bf299", "filename": "files/20180919_R44562_869939a6d57b69907c03015ef594591ee50bf299.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/3.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_32981f483655b48472dbf40ebc0fefea3f4e398a.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_ffd39281e98a17c40682c0d140b5c4c1f833dbe6.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/6.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_10cea108253f9e32d4e279ce63e70f4c7dadebd8.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/5.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_7560c1733c2ab51c9faf5e2f67149ba204d0dd6e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_a26060e7a03c268e3b894a8a8712f7b6ecd6d722.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/7.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_e18857c984e3688d92c8027f533105f4c48ea247.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_01f8177275eb25580155ab681fbb37beed3f12da.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/4.png": "files/20180919_R44562_images_db9e3e2d62bb48743fe3edf0bacff11117f58e95.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44562", "sha1": "e44f5fa90db00138552ad68ba68d488520c9a5ed", "filename": "files/20180919_R44562_e44f5fa90db00138552ad68ba68d488520c9a5ed.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4849, "name": "Veterans & Military Health Care" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 580407, "date": "2018-04-20", "retrieved": "2018-04-24T13:06:35.817152", "title": "The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation", "summary": "Authorized under Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) is a new, temporary program that enables eligible veterans to receive medical care in the community. (P.L. 115-26 eliminated the August 7, 2017, expiration date for the VCP and allowed the program to continue until the initial $10 billion deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund was expended. The VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, P.L. 115-46, authorized and appropriated an additional $2.1 billion to continue the VCP until funds were expended, and when these funds were also nearing its end, Division D of P.L. 115-96 appropriated an additional $2.1 billion to continue the VCP until funds are expended.) It supplements several existing statutory authorities that allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide health care services to veterans outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Generally, all medical care and services (including inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and ancillary services) are provided through the VCP\u2014institutional long-term care and emergency care in non-VA facilities are excluded from the VCP and are provided under different authorities. The VCP is not a health insurance plan for veterans, nor does it guarantee health care coverage to all veterans. \nEligibility and Choice of Care\nVeterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to request health services under the VCP. A veteran may request a VA community care consult/referral, or his or her VA provider may submit a VA community care consult/referral to the VA Care Coordination staff within the VA.\nVeterans may become eligible for the VCP in one of four ways. First, a veteran is informed by a local VA medical facility that an appointment cannot be scheduled within 30 days of the clinically determined date requested by his or her VA doctor or within 30 days of the date requested by the veteran (this category also includes care not offered at a veterans\u2019 primary VA facility and a referral cannot be made to another VA medical facility or other federal facility). Second, the veteran lives 40 miles or more from a VA medical facility that has a full-time primary care physician. Third, the veteran lives 40 miles or less (not residing in Guam, America Samoa, or the Republic of the Philippines) and either travels by air, boat, or ferry to seek care from his or her local facility or incurs a traveling burden of a medical condition, geographic challenge, or an environmental factor. Fourth, the veteran resides 20 miles or more from a VA medical facility located in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire (excluding those who live 20 miles from the White River Junction VAMC), or a U.S. territory, with the exception of Puerto Rico. \nOnce found eligible for care through the VCP, veterans may choose to receive care from a VA provider or from an eligible VA community care provider (VCP provider). VCP providers are federally-qualified health centers, Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, or Indian Health Service facilities, and hospitals, physicians, and nonphysician practitioners or entities participating in the Medicare or Medicaid program, among others. A veteran has the choice to switch between a VA provider and VCP provider at any time. \nProgram Administration and Provider Participation\nThe VCP is administered by two third-party administrators (TPAs): Health Net and TriWest. Generally, Health Net and TriWest manage veterans\u2019 appointments, counseling services, card distributions, and a call center. The TPAs contract directly with the VA. Then, Health Net or TriWest will contract with eligible non-VA community care providers interested on participating in the VCP. At the end of September 2018, the VA has announced that it would end its contract with Health Net as a TPA because of low patient volume, customer service issues and late payments to community providers in its network. It is anticipated that TriWest would continue to be a TPA for the areas they manage. \nPayments\nGenerally, a veteran\u2019s out-of-pocket costs under the VCP are equal to VHA out-of-pocket costs. Veterans do not pay any copayments at the time of their medical appointments. Copayment rates are determined by the VA after services are furnished. Enactment of P.L. 115-26 on April 19, 2017, allowed VA to become the primary payer when certain veterans with other health insurance (OHI) receive care for nonservice-connected conditions under VCP\u2014veterans would not have to pay a copayment under their OHI anymore. The VA would coordinate with a veteran\u2019s OHI and bill for any copayments that the veteran would be responsible for similar to what they would have paid had they received care within a VA medical facility. Participating community providers are reimbursed by their respective TPA, and VA pays the TPAs.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44562", "sha1": "fb25697cb18c7f5a958d6e98d6bdacb933f43790", "filename": "files/20180420_R44562_fb25697cb18c7f5a958d6e98d6bdacb933f43790.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180420_R44562_images_a26060e7a03c268e3b894a8a8712f7b6ecd6d722.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180420_R44562_images_ffd39281e98a17c40682c0d140b5c4c1f833dbe6.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180420_R44562_images_01f8177275eb25580155ab681fbb37beed3f12da.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44562", "sha1": "f3b1abeb57b547656435a17c1f46560759c92fa8", "filename": "files/20180420_R44562_f3b1abeb57b547656435a17c1f46560759c92fa8.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4849, "name": "Veterans & Military Health Care" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 577370, "date": "2018-01-04", "retrieved": "2018-01-05T14:20:21.942590", "title": "The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation", "summary": "Authorized under Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) is a new, temporary program that enables eligible veterans to receive medical care in the community. (P.L. 115-26 eliminated the August 7, 2017, expiration date for the VCP and allowed the program to continue until the initial $10 billion deposited in the Veterans Choice Fund was expended. The VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, P.L. 115-46, authorized and appropriated an additional $2.1 billion to continue the VCP until funds were expended, and when these funds were also nearing its end, Division D of P.L. 115-96 appropriated an additional $2.1 billion to continue the VCP until funds are expended.) It supplements several existing statutory authorities that allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide health care services to veterans outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Generally, all medical care and services (including inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and ancillary services) are provided through the VCP\u2014institutional long-term care and emergency care in non-VA facilities are excluded from the VCP and are provided under different authorities. The VCP is not a health insurance plan for veterans, nor does it guarantee health care coverage to all veterans. \nEligibility and Choice of Care\nVeterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to request health services under the VCP. A veteran may request a VA community care consult/referral, or his or her VA provider may submit a VA community care consult/referral to the VA Care Coordination staff within the VA.\nVeterans may become eligible for the VCP in four ways. First, a veteran is informed by a local VA medical facility that an appointment cannot be scheduled within 30 days of the clinically determined date requested by his or her VA doctor or within 30 days of the date requested by the veteran (this category also includes care not offered at a veterans\u2019 primary VA facility and a referral cannot be made to another VA medical facility or other federal facility). Second, the veteran lives 40 miles or more from a VA medical facility that has a full-time primary care physician. Third, the veteran lives 40 miles or less (not residing in Guam, America Samoa, or the Republic of the Philippines) and either travels by air, boat, or ferry to seek care from his or her local facility or incurs a traveling burden of a medical condition, geographic challenge, or an environmental factor. Fourth, the veteran resides 20 miles or more from a VA medical facility located in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire (excluding those who live 20 miles from the White River Junction VAMC), or a U.S. territory, with the exception of Puerto Rico. \nOnce found eligible for care through the VCP, veterans may choose to receive care from a VA provider or from an eligible VA community care provider (VCP provider). VCP providers are federally-qualified health centers, Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, or Indian Health Service facilities, and hospitals, physicians, and non-physician practitioners or entities participating in the Medicare or Medicaid program, among others. A veteran has the choice to switch between a VA provider and VCP provider at any time. \nProgram Administration and Provider Participation\nThe VCP is administered by two third-party administrators (TPAs): Health Net and TriWest. Generally, Health Net and TriWest manage veterans\u2019 appointments, counseling services, card distributions, and a call center. The TPAs contract directly with the VA. Then, Health Net or TriWest will contract with eligible non-VA community care providers interested on participating in the VCP. \nPayments\nGenerally, a veteran\u2019s out-of-pocket costs under the VCP are equal to VHA out-of-pocket costs. Veterans do not pay any copayments at the time of their medical appointments. Copayment rates are determined by the VA after services are furnished. Enactment of P.L. 115-26 on April 19, 2017, allowed VA to become the primary payer when certain veterans with other health insurance (OHI) receive care for nonservice-connected conditions under VCP\u2014veterans would not have to pay a copayment under their OHI anymore. The VA would coordinate with a veteran\u2019s OHI and bill for any copayments that the veteran would be responsible for similar to what they would have paid had they received care within a VA medical facility. Participating community providers are reimbursed by their respective TPA, and VA pays the TPAs.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44562", "sha1": "802851cc83bc064eff3b1f15f46b63750adde286", "filename": "files/20180104_R44562_802851cc83bc064eff3b1f15f46b63750adde286.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180104_R44562_images_a26060e7a03c268e3b894a8a8712f7b6ecd6d722.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180104_R44562_images_77a2f8657009c39e42f150f657aa2b8a33903f63.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44562_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180104_R44562_images_01f8177275eb25580155ab681fbb37beed3f12da.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44562", "sha1": "e908f28a7d1f78a2b1acbb3bfab8c107b48f8a85", "filename": "files/20180104_R44562_e908f28a7d1f78a2b1acbb3bfab8c107b48f8a85.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4849, "name": "Veterans & Military Health Care" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 457994, "date": "2017-01-05", "retrieved": "2017-01-06T19:12:15.756427", "title": "The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation", "summary": "Authorized under Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) is a new, temporary program (the VCP is set to expire in August 2017 or whenever funds in the Veterans Choice Fund are exhausted) that enables eligible veterans to receive medical care in the community. It supplements several existing statutory authorities that allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide health care services to veterans outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Generally, all medical care and services (including inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and ancillary services) are provided through the VCP\u2014institutional long-term care and emergency care in non-VA facilities are excluded from the VCP and are provided under different authorities. The VCP is not a health insurance plan for veterans, nor does it guarantee health care coverage to all veterans. \nEligibility and Choice of Care\nVeterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to request health services under the VCP. A veteran may request a VA community care consult/referral, or his or her VA provider may submit a VA community care consult/referral to the VA Care Coordination staff within the VA.\nVeterans may become eligible for the VCP in four ways. First, a veteran is informed by a local VA medical facility that an appointment cannot be scheduled within 30 days of the clinically determined date requested by his or her VA doctor or within 30 days of the date requested by the veteran (this category also includes care not offered at a veterans\u2019 primary VA facility and a referral cannot be made to another VA medical facility or other federal facility). Second, the veteran lives 40 miles or more from a VA medical facility that has a full-time primary care physician. Third, the veteran lives 40 miles or less (not residing in Guam, America Samoa, or the Republic of the Philippines) and either travels by air, boat, or ferry to seek care from his or her local facility or incurs a traveling burden of a medical condition, geographic challenge, or an environmental factor. Fourth, the veteran resides 20 miles or more from a VA medical facility located in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire (excluding those who live 20 miles from the White River Junction VAMC), or a U.S. territory, with the exception of Puerto Rico. \nOnce found eligible for care through the VCP, veterans may choose to receive care from a VA provider or from an eligible VA community care provider (VCP provider). VCP providers are federally-qualified health centers, Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, or Indian Health Service facilities, and hospitals, physicians, and non-physician practitioners or entities participating in the Medicare or Medicaid program, among others. A veteran has the choice to switch between a VA provider and VCP provider at any time. \nProgram Administration and Provider Participation\nThe VCP is administered by two third-party administrators (TPAs): Health Net and TriWest. Generally, Health Net and TriWest manage veterans\u2019 appointments, counseling services, card distributions, and a call center. The TPAs contract directly with the VA. Then, Health Net or TriWest will contract with eligible non-VA community care providers interested on participating in the VCP. \nPayments\nGenerally, a veteran\u2019s out-of-pocket costs under the VCP are equal to VHA out-of-pocket costs. Veterans do not pay any copayments at the time of their medical appointments. Copayment rates are determined by the VA after services are furnished. Usually, the VHA becomes the secondary payer when certain veterans with other health insurance (OHI) receive care for nonservice-connected conditions under VCP. Participating community providers are reimbursed by their respective TPA, and VA pays the TPAs.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44562", "sha1": "aa7048bcd9be445cbf5825fe88cef13aba29ce1b", "filename": "files/20170105_R44562_aa7048bcd9be445cbf5825fe88cef13aba29ce1b.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44562", "sha1": "1198f23569ac3fe416610a1e2d056470a4e34f92", "filename": "files/20170105_R44562_1198f23569ac3fe416610a1e2d056470a4e34f92.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4849, "name": "Veterans & Military Health Care" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455964, "date": "2016-09-22", "retrieved": "2016-10-28T18:31:03.305649", "title": "The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation", "summary": "Authorized under Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) is a new, temporary program (the VCP is set to expire in August 2017 or whenever funds in the Veterans Choice Fund are exhausted) that enables eligible veterans to receive medical care in the community. It supplements several existing statutory authorities that allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide health care services to veterans outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Generally, all medical care and services (including inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and ancillary services) are provided through the VCP\u2014institutional long-term care and emergency care in non-VA facilities are excluded from the VCP and are provided under different authorities. The VCP is not a health insurance plan for veterans, nor does it guarantee health care coverage to all veterans. \nEligibility and Choice of Care\nVeterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to request health services under the VCP. A veteran may request a VA community care consult/referral, or his or her VA provider may submit a VA community care consult/referral to the VA Care Coordination staff within the VA.\nVeterans may become eligible for the VCP in four ways. First, a veteran is informed by a local VA medical facility that an appointment cannot be scheduled within 30 days of the clinically determined date requested by his or her VA doctor or within 30 days of the date requested by the veteran. Second, the veteran lives 40 miles or more from a VA medical facility that has a full-time primary care physician. Third, the veteran lives 40 miles or less (not residing in Guam, America Samoa, or the Republic of the Philippines) and either travels by air, boat, or ferry to seek care from his or her local facility or incurs a traveling burden of a medical condition, geographic challenge, or an environmental factor. Fourth, the veteran resides 20 miles or more from a VA medical facility located in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire (excluding those who live 20 miles from the White River Junction VAMC), or a U.S. territory, with the exception of Puerto Rico. \nOnce found eligible for care through the VCP, veterans may choose to receive care from a VA provider or from an eligible VA community care provider (VCP provider). VCP providers are federally-qualified health centers, Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, or Indian Health Service facilities, and hospitals, physicians, and non-physician practitioners or entities participating in the Medicare or Medicaid program, among others. A veteran has the choice to switch between a VA provider and VCP provider at any time. \nProgram Administration and Provider Participation\nThe Veterans Choice Program is administered by two third-party administrators (TPAs): Health Net and TriWest. Generally, Health Net and TriWest manage veterans\u2019 appointments, counseling services, card distributions, and a call center. The TPAs contract directly with the VA. Then, Health Net or TriWest will contract with eligible non-VA community care providers interested on participating in the VCP. \nPayments\nGenerally, a veteran\u2019s out-of-pocket costs under the VCP are equal to VHA out-of-pocket costs. Veterans do not pay any copayments at the time of their medical appointments. Copayment rates are determined by the VA after services are furnished. Usually, the VHA becomes the secondary payer when certain veterans with other health insurance (OHI) receive care for nonservice-connected conditions under VCP. Participating community providers are reimbursed by their respective TPA, and VA pays the TPAs.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44562", "sha1": "1a10386c1144f47b5b41727d36907d1416101ff8", "filename": "files/20160922_R44562_1a10386c1144f47b5b41727d36907d1416101ff8.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44562", "sha1": "5007cedd1c7216627cc79bf5bc54aa4c0a684edf", "filename": "files/20160922_R44562_5007cedd1c7216627cc79bf5bc54aa4c0a684edf.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4849, "name": "Veterans & Military Health Care" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 454257, "date": "2016-07-13", "retrieved": "2016-09-09T19:12:27.413946", "title": "The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation", "summary": "Authorized under Section 101 of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) is a new, temporary program (the VCP is set to expire in August 2017 or whenever funds in the Veterans Choice Fund are exhausted) that enables eligible veterans to receive medical care in the community. It supplements several existing statutory authorities that allow the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide health care services to veterans outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities. Generally, all medical care and services (including inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and ancillary services) are provided through the VCP\u2014institutional long-term care and emergency care in non-VA facilities are excluded from the VCP and are provided under different authorities. The VCP is not a health insurance plan for veterans, nor does it guarantee health care coverage to all veterans. \nEligibility and Choice of Care\nVeterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to request health services under the VCP. A veteran may request a VA community care consult/referral, or his or her VA provider may submit a VA community care consult/referral to the VA Care Coordination staff within the VA.\nVeterans may become eligible for the VCP in four ways. First, a veteran is informed by a local VA medical facility that an appointment cannot be scheduled within 30 days of the clinically determined date requested by his or her VA doctor or within 30 days of the date requested by the veteran. Second, the veteran lives 40 miles or more from a VA medical facility that has a full-time primary care physician. Third, the veteran lives 40 miles or less (not residing in Guam, America Samoa, or the Republic of the Philippines) and either travels by air, boat, or ferry to seek care from his or her local facility or incurs a traveling burden of a medical condition, geographic challenge, or an environmental factor. Fourth, the veteran resides 20 miles or more from a VA medical facility located in Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire (excluding those who live 20 miles from the White River Junction VAMC), or a U.S. territory, with the exception of Puerto Rico. \nOnce found eligible for care through the VCP, veterans may choose to receive care from a VA provider or from an eligible VA community care provider (VCP provider). VCP providers are federally-qualified health centers, Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, or Indian Health Service facilities, and hospitals, physicians, and non-physician practitioners or entities participating in the Medicare or Medicaid program, among others. A veteran has the choice to switch between a VA provider and VCP provider at any time. \nProgram Administration and Provider Participation\nThe Veterans Choice Program is administered by two third-party administrators (TPAs): Health Net and TriWest. Generally, Health Net and TriWest manage veterans\u2019 appointments, counseling services, card distributions, and a call center. The TPAs contract directly with the VA. Then, Health Net or TriWest will contract with eligible non-VA community care providers interested on participating in the VCP. \nPayments\nGenerally, a veteran\u2019s out-of-pocket costs under the VCP are equal to VHA out-of-pocket costs. Veterans do not pay any copayments at the time of their medical appointments. Copayment rates are determined by the VA after services are furnished. Usually, the VHA becomes the secondary payer when certain veterans with other health insurance (OHI) receive care for nonservice-connected conditions under VCP. Participating community providers are reimbursed by their respective TPA, and VA pays the TPAs.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44562", "sha1": "9fb879893e72b098cd53553a64c2e64e1341b8d3", "filename": "files/20160713_R44562_9fb879893e72b098cd53553a64c2e64e1341b8d3.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44562", "sha1": "58ee4b5103fef5d5cc3303f7c04edd8b4b65b51c", "filename": "files/20160713_R44562_58ee4b5103fef5d5cc3303f7c04edd8b4b65b51c.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] } ], "topics": [ "Veterans Policy" ] }