S. 207 Veterans Access to Community Care Act of 2015
Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to use the Secretary\'s existing authority to furnish health care to veterans at non-VA facilities to provide health care at non-VA facilities to veterans who reside more than 40 miles driving distance f
The interpretation of the 40 mile radius is a key factor of S. 207 Veteran?s Access to Community Care Act. In the current Choice Act, the 40 mile radius is a measurement used to determine the straight-line or as a crow flies distance from the veteran?s residence to the VA medical facility, which clearly does not accurately measure the true distance a veteran would have to travel to the VA (Hicks, 2015). Since its inception, the card has created more confusion, even VA physicians have reported not understanding how to use the program and are upset that patients are not being seen in a timely manner (Wax-Thibodeaux, 2015). The 40-mile criteria is a tremendous problem for states that have a dense population that live in rural communities. There are currently 152 VA medical treatment centers, 800 VA community based outpatient clinics, and 126 nursing home care units (VHA, 2015) scattered throughout the United States, but many veterans live more than a 40 mile commute. Unfortunately, as long as a crow can fly 40 miles in a straight line from the veteran?s residence to the nearest VA treatment facility, that is where they must go for treatment, regardless if they still have to drive 60+ miles on country roads to just be present at their appointments. According to veteran population research, ?veterans are more likely to reside in rural settings than is the general United States population? (Weeks et al., 2004, p.1762).
S. 207 Veterans Access to Community Care Act would redefine the 40 mile radius from the straight line distance to the actual distance travelled by the veteran.
S. 207 Veterans Access to Community Care Act would redefine the 40 mile radius from the straight line distance to the actual distance travelled by the veteran.
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