Page 4 - Dec 2018 Newsletter

Article by Michael Wilson

Veterans Choice Program

In 2014 Congress established the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act. The Choice
Act administered the Veterans Choice Fund to implement the Veterans Choice Program. This
program will run for 3 years or until the Fund is exhausted. The Veterans Choice Program (VCP)
provide veterans who are enrolled in VA health care to schedule an appointment within 30 days
of their preferred date or clinically appropriate.

VCP allows eligible veterans to seek receive care from community-based providers when their
local VA health care facility cannot provide the services due to:
• Lack of available specialists.
• Extended wait times for appointments at a VAMC.
• Extraordinary distance from the Veteran’s home.

You are eligible for the Veterans Choice Program:

 If VA is unable to schedule your appointment within 30 days.
 The veteran lives more than 40 miles driving distance from a VA medical center.
 The veteran needs special mode of transportation to the closest VA medical facility.
 Travelling to a VA medical facility causes unusual or excessive burden because of
medical condition.
 The veteran’s specific health care needs cannot be met at the veteran’s local VA medical
facility.

The use of the Choice Program does not affect your VA health care and you are not responsible
for any cost shares for Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE. If you currently pay VA copayments
you will be subject to the same copayment and will be billed after care is provided.

Health Net Federal Services, LLC (Health Net) will coordinate with VCP-eligible Veterans to
obtain authorization for all care within the program. Health Net will schedule the appointment
and send the authorization to the participating VCP provider. Remember, Veterans are eligible
to use the Choice Card only under specific circumstances.
If a Veteran presents a card without an appointment or authorization from Health Net, he or
she may not be eligible to obtain services.

If eligible for Beneficiary Travel the Choice Program has the ability to pay for travel.

The Choice Program non-VA provider will issue a prescription with up to a 14 day supply of a
National Formulary drug. You may have the 14 day supply prescription filled at any non-VA
pharmacy of your choice and may submit a request for reimbursement to VA. Prescriptions past
14 days must be filled at your VA pharmacy.

To verify eligibility, Veterans must call the Choice program call center at: 866-606-8198.