The waitlist scandals of 2014 opened a broad discussion on the future of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The immediate Congressional response was an Act that funded the Choice Program whereby VHA enrollees could obtain care in the community under certain circumstances. The same Act also mandated the blue ribbon Commission on Care Report and VA's Consolidation Plan, both of which had wide-ranging plans to change VHA as have similar documents by veteran service organizations (VSOs).
A central component of these plans and proposals are options for community providers to care for VHA enrollees. Although VA had only 90 days to implement the Choice Program and it has had administrative difficulties, 1 million of the 9 million VHA enrollees have received part of their care in the community via the Choice Program.
