Veterans Health Care Freedom Act
The Veterans Health Care Freedom Act would launch a three-year pilot program to improve veterans’ access to care by letting eligible veterans choose providers within a “covered care system” that includes VA facilities, non-VA providers under existing community-care authorities, and any Veterans Care Agreements. The pilot, run through VA’s Center for Innovation for Care and Payment, would operate in at least four Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). It removes certain traditional access constraints, allowing care to be furnished at VA facilities regardless of VISN, and at non-VA facilities without the usual feasibility or contracting restrictions. Veterans would select a primary care provider within the system, who would coordinate all hospital, medical, extended care, and, as needed, specialty and mental health services. The act also requires veterans to be informed about eligibility, costs, and options to make informed choices. A four-year mark after enactment would make many of these changes permanent, expanding cross-VISN access and provider choice beyond the pilot, subject to the same framework for choosing providers as in the pilot. The bill explicitly requires no new funding and relies on existing VA funds, along with quarterly and annual reporting to Congress on implementation and results.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a pilot program to allow eligible veterans to choose health care providers within a covered care system (VA facilities, designated non-VA providers, and Veterans Care Agreements), with a minimum of four VISNs participating.
- 2Removes certain traditional constraints to accessing care, allowing VA hospital/medical services at VA facilities regardless of VISN and permitting non-Department facilities to be used per 38 U.S.C. 1703/1703A without the usual feasibility or contract-sharing limitations.
- 3Requires each participating veteran to select a primary care provider in the covered care system who will coordinate all VA hospital, medical, and extended care services and refer to needed specialty care.
- 4Allows eligible veterans to select any specialty or mental health provider within the covered care system, and authorizes designation of certain specialists as primary care providers when clinically appropriate.
- 5After four years, makes the approach permanent by extending the provider-choice framework across VISNs and allowing furnishing of care under the new rules with the same conditions on provider choice as in the pilot; funded within existing VA appropriations and subject to regular reporting.