Va Choice Cards

[Berta]

About the Program

Many Veterans will now have the option to receive non-VA health care rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

Beginning November 5, 2014, the new Choice Program will begin to cover non-VA care for eligible Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare. Veterans are eligible if any of these situations apply to you:

You have been told by your local VA medical facility that you will need to wait more than 30 days from your preferred date or the date medically determined by your physician

Your current residence is more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility

You need to travel by plane or boat to the VA medical facility closest to your home

You face a geographic challenge, such as extensive distances around water or other geologic formations, such as mountains, which presents a significant travel hardship

More info at:

http://www.va.gov/opa/choiceact/

[RichL]

Notorious Kelly,

I took your advice and emailed Secetary McDonald Sunday night. It worked, I received a call from the local VA clinic Tuesday asking to schedule me for a appointment this week. The representative apologized for the delay in scheduling my appointment and told me that the roll out of the Choice program is not going well.

[JayBrown1]

Do anyone know if it includes dental?

[Dinnard]

John999: I had cutting edge surgery for my sleep apnea, and my VA never even heard of it.

What surgery did you have? I'm on a CPAP and O2. Would love to get off CPAP. I've been on it for over 10 years and I hate it!

[Notorious Kelly]

Notorious Kelly,

I took your advice and emailed Secetary McDonald Sunday night. It worked, I received a call from the local VA clinic Tuesday asking to schedule me for a appointment this week. The representative apologized for the delay in scheduling my appointment and told me that the roll out of the Choice program is not going well.

Awesome!

Of COURSE the Choice program is not going well - look who they put in charge of it!

Dinnard, here is the thread where John explains his surgery process

[Buck52]

What if a veteran is not getting the care he/she needs at her VAMC? would the choice card be in effect for that? to see an outside Dr?

I sometimes wonder if we all are getting the proper health care at any VAMC based on the way they do things and take so long for appointments & the Dr's they hire...And so many bad mistakes being made.

I am totally worried about my Healthcare from the VA....If I could afford it I'd use outside Dr's sometimes I think that's what they want us to do? and them not pay for it.

[ArNG11]

Low and behold the VA Choice Card. I just received mine in the mail today. Forwarded from my old address since the VA has not updated it. Seems the NOD and the letters from my rainmaker can't make it through the address correction phase . 9 months is an awfully long time for that. Anyways there is a lot of conditions on this program and even if they send you the card it does not guarantee anything. I will follow up on the hoop ha once I talk to some live people and get intel on what I find out on my end.