The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is transforming into a major health care payer in addition to its role as a provider. In 2014, in response to scandals in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) related to access to care, Congress opened the door to a marked expansion of VA-paid care in the community with its “Choice” program and a $10 billion appropriation. A 2015 law then mandated consolidation of the VHA’s many established community care programs into one – the Veterans Choice Program.
The VA, with forward-thinking leadership, responded with an ambitious plan to alter its approach to care. The plan was one of several legislative and administrative reforms that included enactment of these two laws, various congressionally mandated reports, congressional establishment of the Commission on Care, and the MyVA initiative, all of which are set to transform VA’s structure and process.
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