MISHAWAKA – Congresswoman Jackie Walorski (IN-02), member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and conferee on the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Conference Committee, released the following statement in reaction to a story regarding extended wait times at the South Bend Community Outpatient Center:
“There is no excuse for veterans to have to wait over a month to see a doctor and receive care. This problem has originated from a lack of accountability and transparency by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) which can only be fixed by implementing the bipartisan law we passed last year to help our men and women receive care in a timely fashion. That’s why I am asking that the VA to abide by the law which clearly states that a veteran who attempts to schedule an appointment at their VA and must wait more than 30 days currently has the option to obtain care from a non-VA provider. Let me also make clear, if a vet chooses to wait for an appointment with the VA, that’s entirely their choice, but if they want to see a doctor faster, they certainly have the option to seek private care.”
Language from the law under Title I, Section 101, subsection (b)(2)(A) states that: A veteran is an eligible veteran for purposes of expanded availability of hospital care and medical services through use of agreements with non-Department of Veterans Affairs entities, if the veteran “attempts, or has attempted, to schedule an appointment for the receipt of hospital care or medical services under chapter 17 of title 38, United States Code, but is unable to schedule an appointment within the wait-time goals of the Veterans Health Administration for the furnishing of such care or services;”
The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 was enacted into law last August as a bipartisan response to the health care access issues facing VA. The Choice Act provides new authorities, funding, and other tools to help support and reform VA. As directed by the Choice Act, VA will administer the “Veterans Choice Fund” to implement the Veterans Choice Program. The Program will provide Veterans who were enrolled as of August 1, 2014 or eligible to enroll as a recently discharged combat Veteran with a Veterans Choice Card, and allow those Veterans who are unable to schedule an appointment within 30 days of their preferred date or the clinically appropriate date, or on the basis of their place of residence to elect to receive care from eligible non-VA health care entities or providers.
