Choice Program $$$, To Fund,instead, Va Budget Gap

[Berta]

"An amendment sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, would allow VA to use $3.35 billion from the new Veterans Choice program to pay for private health care for veterans from May 1 to Oct. 1.

Under the amendment, the VA could use up to $500 million from the Choice program to cover costs of treating the deadly hepatitis C virus.

The VA has told Congress that it may shutter hospitals unless it receives flexibility to close a $2.5 billion shortfall caused by a sharp increase in demand by veterans for health care, including expensive treatments for hepatitis C. A single pill used for the liver-wasting infection can cost $1,000.

The Choice program, the centerpiece of a VA overhaul approved by Congress last year, makes it easier for veterans to receive federally paid medical care from local doctors. Congress approved $10 billion over three years for the Choice program, one of several programs used by the VA to provide medical care for an estimated 9 million veterans enrolled in the VA health care system.

Miller blasted VA leaders even as he sponsored the amendment plugging the agency's budget gap.

"It never ceases to amaze me how poorly managed VA's budget process is," Miller told reporters Tuesday.

"The VA's been saying they needed flexibility, but they never talked about closing hospitals if they didn't get the flexibility" until a few weeks ago, Miller said. "We are being forced by VA to reach into another pot of money to rescue one of their core missions."

VA Secretary Robert McDonald has denied that he or anyone else at VA had hidden or downplayed its budget problems. He said the VA is facing a crisis because of a sharp increase in demand for health care. The law approved last year increased veterans' access to health care, both within the VA and with local doctors who treat veterans at government expense, McDonald said.

The House bill would require VA to report to the House and Senate veterans committees every 14 days on how the newly authorized funds are being used."

http://newsok.com/whats-in-emergency-bill-to-fund-veterans-affairs-department/article/feed/868229

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[pwrslm]

I'm thinking the VA sabotaged the Choice program by fumbling the referrals for Vets to use it. Happened to me twice.

[Wings]

Right now, I think the VA Choice program stinks: the main reason being lack of education for vets using the system. First you have to see the VA primary provider, the provider has to "upload" the consult to the Choice pprogram, and then they find/contract with a provider that will accept a medicare fee wage. I've had them try to schedulle me with a provider thatwas further away than the VA! Why wasn't the VA Fee Basis program beefed up instead? Aren't they basically the same thing? Wings

[Buck52]

I had problems after I got confirmation through my pcp, the private Dr's office call me and said they refuse to pay, (its embarrassing to say the least)

Luckly for me the Bill was not that bad so I just paid it myself and I never tried to use the choice card after that anymore...its to much of a hassle and when you done everything right they refuse to pay the Private Doc's

Wings, Apparently the choice card and fee base are not the same??

...........................Buck

Edited July 29, 2015 by Buck52

[pwrslm]

The way the program is supposed to work is that the VA determines that it cannot schedule you for an apt w/in 30 days of the date that your provider determined that the care/test was medically necessary. When they figure that out, they should refer it directly to the Choice option, uploads to the Choice should take 1 to 3 days, and then the people from the Choice program should be calling you.

Both times I was eligible, the VA used the wrong date. Needless to say, training the VA scheduling people is at fault. Both times they used the date scheduled for my next appointment as the starting date for the 30 day timer, instead of, using the date that the treatment/care/test was determined to be medically necessary. On top of that, the date on my referrals cited the original date of the original appointment as the earliest date requested for the appointment, not the date of my next appointment.

The consistency between both of these errors is remarkable, the same exact error happened both times, 6 months apart.

[Buck52]

Jbasser had some good information about the choice card and what the veteran needs to do.

I can't remember what it was? I think he may have it on one of the hadit podcast radio archives ?

..................Buck