NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- Some good news for the nearly 800,000 military veterans in Virginia, 230,000 of which live here in Hampton Roads.
The House of Representatives has passed a massive spending plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs that includes easier access for vets to meet with private-sector doctors.
Individuals who face significant wait times, travel distances or hardships to reach V.A. facilities would be eligible to seek care outside the department's system.
Already, nearly one-third of medical appointments funded by the V.A. take place outside of the V.A.'s medical system. Now, even more, can do it.
The new $52 billion V.A health care overhaul bill, expands upon the current V.A. Choice program, by increasing outside medical care options for the nation's 21.8 million veterans.
Additionally, V.A. officials would more easily be able to enter into partnerships with community health care providers to create a broader network of options for veterans.
Vets who have used V.A. care within the previous two years would also have two walk-in visits at any private-sector practice without a co-pay, even without prior approval from the department.
Thirty-eight national veterans organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans, have voiced support for the bill.
"It's a very good thing," said Navy veteran and DAV member Betty Miller. "We need more places for veterans to go to be assisted."
Retired Navy captain and Military Officers Association of America member Chris Vatidis agrees.
"Of course, it's been a long time coming," he said, "The V.A., once they started having the long lines, they should have thought of something like that."
Vatidis said, this change certainly can't hurt.
"At least it will cut down with the times that they can get to a doctor," he said. "I think that is the problem the V.A. has. They don't have enough doctors."
The bill passed the House yesterday, 347-70. Locally, Representatives Rob Wittman (R-Va. 1st District), Scott Taylor (R-Va., 2nd District) and Don McEachin (D-Va., 4th District) voted yes, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va., 3rd District) voted no. The measure, which reportedly has the backing of the White House, must now go before the Senate.
For a full list of how the vote passed, click here.
If it passes the Senate, which is likely, it would be a significant legislative victory for President Trump, who repeatedly promised during his campaign to overhaul the VA and expand veterans’ options to get VA-funded care from the private sector.
“Who will stand with our Great Vets, caregivers, and Veterans Service Organizations?” Trump tweeted before the House vote Wednesday. “Must get Choice passed by Memorial Day!”
If it fails, Congress could pass a stopgap measure to keep the program funded past May 31, when it is expected to run out of money. Lawmakers have passed two such measures in the past year.
If they don’t, the Choice data from recent years illustrate how many veterans could be stuck waiting again or traveling long distances for VA care without the program.
Here’s the full list by state of the numbers of veterans who relied on the Choice program in 2017 because the VA could not meet their needs in a timely or convenient way:
- Alabama:14,790
- Alaska: 10,861
- Arizona: 51,539
- Arkansas: 13,089
- California: 87,818
- Colorado: 33,432
- Connecticut: 4,172
- Delaware: 2,842
- District of Columbia: 840
- Florida: 74,420
- Georgia: 39,865
- Hawaii: 14,435
- Idaho: 16,785
- Illinois: 21,600
- Indiana: 19,903
- Iowa: 10,818
- Kansas: 16,478
- Kentucky: 23,308
- Louisiana: 26,605
- Maine: 12,912
- Maryland: 10,083
- Massachusetts: 9,030
- Michigan: 24,955
- Minnesota: 17,052
- Mississippi: 21,044
- Missouri: 32,039
- Montana: 15,195
- Nebraska: 8,477
- Nevada: 21,477
- New Hampshire: 7,290
- New Jersey: 7,801
- New Mexico: 20,146
- New York: 24,175
- North Carolina: 45,419
- North Dakota: 7,555
- Ohio: 30,512
- Oklahoma: 22,506
- Oregon: 32,037
- Pennsylvania: 28,619
- Rhode Island: 1,676
- South Carolina: 15,640
- South Dakota: 7,011
- Tennessee: 44,439
- Texas: 103,671
- Utah: 8,115
- Vermont: 2,361
- Virginia: 26,334
- Washington: 43,575
- West Virginia: 12,359
- Wisconsin: 17,557
- Wyoming: 5,499
USA Today contributed to this report.
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