Content Curator/HadIt.com Elder Vync Posted January 30, 2019 Content Curator/HadIt.com Elder Share Posted January 30, 2019 Let's all talk about this! I look forward to posting comments during the public comment period. Links to each RIN are below the quoted article. I think it is a step in the right direction, but the "access standards" need some improvement. They are too restrictive and exclusionary. https://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/56022/va-announces-access-standards-health-care/?fbclid=IwAR386j6S09Icp4A0TGaINkCxmJOLH401kWVH_lYFJxidmP3hkm68m0HwUcs Quote Today, VA announced its proposed access standards for community care and urgent care provisions that will take effect in June and guide when Veterans can seek care to meet their needs under the MISSION Act – be it with VA or with community providers. Under the MISSION Act, signed by President Trump in June 2018, there are six different eligibility criteria for community care: Services unavailable Residence in a State without a full-service VA medical facility 40-mile legacy/grandfathered from the Choice program Access standards Best medical interest Needing care from a VA medical service line that VA determines is not providing care that complies with VA’s standards for quality ACCESS STANDARDS VA is proposing new access standards, effective when the final regulations publish (expected in June 2019), to ensure Veterans have greater choice in receiving care. Eligibility criteria and final standards as follows were based on VA’s analysis of all of the best practices both in government and in the private sector and tailored to the needs of our Veteran patients: Access standards will be based on average drive time and appointment wait times. For primary care, mental health, and non-institutional extended care services, VA is proposing a 30-minute average drive time standard. For specialty care, VA is proposing a 60-minute average drive time standard. VA is proposing appointment wait-time standards of 20 days for primary care, mental health care, and non-institutional extended care services, and 28 days for specialty care from the date of request with certain exceptions. Eligible Veterans who cannot access care within those standards would be able to choose between eligible community providers and care at a VA medical facility. URGENT CARE Eligible Veterans will have access to urgent (walk-in) care that gives them the choice to receive certain services when and where they need it. To access this new benefit, Veterans will select a provider in VA’s community care network and may be charged a copayment. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said, “Our medical services must meet our Veterans’ needs and reinforce the trust that forms the basis for every interaction with VA. Our new access standards are a vital part of this effort. “Most Americans can already choose the health care providers that they trust, and President Trump promised that Veterans would be able to do the same. With VA’s new access standards, the future of the VA health care system will lie in the hands of Veterans – exactly where it should be.” Secretary Wilkie’s full statement is available here. VA encourages the public to comment on the proposed access standards and urgent care benefit during the public comment period once these proposed regulations (RIN 2900-AQ46 and RIN 2900-AQ47, respectively) publish in the Federal Register; we look forward to receiving this feedback. https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201810&RIN=2900-AQ46 https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201810&RIN=2900-AQ46 "If it's stupid but works, then it isn't stupid."- From Murphy's Laws of Combat Disclaimer: I am not a legal expert, so use at own risk and/or consult a qualified professional representative. Please refer to existing VA laws, regulations, and policies for the most up to date information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetquest Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 This sounds like a great start to veterans getting the care that they need. Specialty care is a six hour round trip for me. Vync 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Content Curator/HadIt.com Elder Vync Posted January 30, 2019 Author Content Curator/HadIt.com Elder Share Posted January 30, 2019 2 minutes ago, vetquest said: This sounds like a great start to veterans getting the care that they need. Specialty care is a six hour round trip for me. It appears to be a promising start. The introduction of drive times was interesting. I wonder how they will calculate it for urban areas. I live about 21 miles from my VAMC, but drive time is often over an hour due to traffic. That is not counting congestion caused by drivers gawking at someone who is changing a tire. "If it's stupid but works, then it isn't stupid."- From Murphy's Laws of Combat Disclaimer: I am not a legal expert, so use at own risk and/or consult a qualified professional representative. Please refer to existing VA laws, regulations, and policies for the most up to date information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seminoles Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 I took note of the word PROPOSED in the beginning of this..won't believe any of it until it is more than a proposal. The 6 hours round trip for specialty care, honestly I go without care often because of that burden! Vync 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator broncovet Posted January 30, 2019 Moderator Share Posted January 30, 2019 There is "already" something suspicious. The VA is apparnetly proposing a 30 minute or 60 minute "average drive time". What gives here?? Is the VA trying to tell us how much time we must spend driving to the VA??? Good grief. In LA, it probably takes an hour or more to go 15 miles, in traffic, while in Wyoming or Kansas, Vets may well make 75 miles in an hours time. And, these "average drive times" are, well, "made up". Im sure they did not really "average out" Vets drive time, but rather guessed. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out 60 minutes is a guess. If they measured it, and averged it, it would probably be 59.87 minutes or 60.23 minutes..that I may buy. But an "average" of 60 minutes means they did not measure it, they guessed. Im not sure why it matters how long it takes for us to drive to the doc. Well, except for, as someone said, trying to "weave in" restrictions and making simple stuff complicated. It reminds me of the VA seperating the caregiver act..into "post 911" eligible, and "pre 911" not eligible. What genius VA exec devised this regulation to shaft Viet nam ERA and WW2 era Vets, favoing new Vets. So, do they plan on shafting people who live far from a VAMC??? VA makes Vets supsicous the old fashioned way...they earned it by lying to us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seminoles Posted January 30, 2019 Share Posted January 30, 2019 6 minutes ago, broncovet said: There is "already" something suspicious. The VA is apparnetly proposing a 30 minute or 60 minute "average drive time". What gives here?? Is the VA trying to tell us how much time we must spend driving to the VA??? Good grief. In LA, it probably takes an hour or more to go 15 miles, in traffic, while in Wyoming or Kansas, Vets may well make 75 miles in an hours time. And, these "average drive times" are, well, "made up". Im sure they did not really "average out" Vets drive time, but rather guessed. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out 60 minutes is a guess. If they measured it, and averged it, it would probably be 59.87 minutes or 60.23 minutes..that I may buy. But an "average" of 60 minutes means they did not measure it, they guessed. Im not sure why it matters how long it takes for us to drive to the doc. Well, except for, as someone said, trying to "weave in" restrictions and making simple stuff complicated. It reminds me of the VA seperating the caregiver act..into "post 911" eligible, and "pre 911" not eligible. What genius VA exec devised this regulation to shaft Viet nam ERA and WW2 era Vets, favoing new Vets. So, do they plan on shafting people who live far from a VAMC??? VA makes Vets supsicous the old fashioned way...they earned it by lying to us. This is exactly how I feel about this, I live 24 miles from my local clinic, it takes more than 30 minutes to get there but if you google it drive time always says 29 minutes or something a bit less so they will use that or some crap similar to deny veterans like me the 30 minute rule for that one........I definitely will take advantage of the 60 minute one because I get sent 5-6 hour round trips for all of my specialty care. They wanted me to go to gait and balance once a week 3 hours away, I can't drive more than 30 minutes on a good day, can't take the van and as a pre 9/11 veteran my spouse sure as heck can't afford to be taking time off work every week to bring to to that many appointments so often I go without care. I also find it hysterical that MH is not a specialist??? Well played, well played. I sure as heck hope they start giving caregiver stipends to the first round of those they are supposed to roll into the program, I will be the last to be included but that is fine with me.........older veterans getting screwed over and over is absolutely beyond reproach. I was trying to work with adaptive sports, they referred me to all these organizations that receive grants from the VA, so I contacted the only one in Florida that helps with what I needed, guess what? They only help post 9/11 veterans. Seriously? So, the Va is giving them grants but not all veterans can get help??? This has to stop. Holllie Greene and Vync 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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