WASHINGTON — The latest survey report by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. reveals that
veteran participation and awareness of the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans
Choice Program are improving, but that there are still fundamental areas of
concern that must be addressed in order to ensure every veteran who is eligible
for the new program is provided the opportunity to use it. The principally
areas of concern are the lack of standardized customer service training,
unsuitable patient wait time calculations, and a 40-mile rule that still forces
disabled veterans to drive long distances instead of allowing them to seek
non-VA care closer to home.
This
is the second in a series of surveys that the VFW expects to continue
throughout the short lifespan of the Veterans Choice Program, which was
activated on Nov. 5, 2014, to help the VA overcome a nationwide crisis in care
and confidence. To date, the VFW has analyzed input from more than 9,600
veterans regarding their satisfaction and access to the now six-month-old
program, which will expire in 2017. The latest report,
released today, is the result of 2,155 responses to a VFW survey of membership
between Feb. 6 and April 6, plus an apportionment of more than 5,000 direct
phone and e-mail contacts with VFW national offices.
“The
VFW’s new survey reveals that 35 percent of veterans who believed they were
eligible for the program were offered the option to participate, which is a
significant improvement that we expected as the new program matured,” said VFW
National Commander John W. Stroud, “but there are still a number of hurdles
that must be addressed if the Veterans Choice Program is to live up to its
name.”
Regarding customer service,
veterans are still encountering VA representatives who are unable to explain
the nuances of the Veterans Choice Program, which confuses veterans and lowers
their confidence in the VA. The VFW insists that VA must create and field a
standardized training procedure, to include quality assurance checks, so that
all frontline staff can speak with one knowledgeable voice.
How
patient wait times are calculated is also a major concern. The current VA wait
time standard first requires a veteran to wait at least 30 days beyond the time
a provider deems clinically necessary before being considered eligible for the
Veterans Choice Program. According to Stroud, the wait time standard is not
aligned with reality, especially where the severity of illnesses are concerned.
“Patient satisfaction is based on how long veterans perceive the wait, not how
VA calculates them,” he said. “If a doctor says a veteran needs to receive an
MRI within a week to evaluate the veteran’s chest pain, then that veteran must
receive an MRI within a week, regardless of whether the care is received
through a VA medical facility or through the Veterans Choice Program.” Along
with unreasonably long waits, the VFW also believes the current wait time
standard remains susceptible to data manipulation.
Regarding
the 40-mile rule, the VFW is working with Congress to change the hurdle to
allow veterans to seek non-VA care if their nearest VA medical facility is
unable to treat their wound, injury or illness. At the VFW’s insistence, the VA
dropped its 40-mile “crow fly” rule in early March, and now uses
pre-established driving distances.
“Fortunately, the Veterans
Choice Program is improving access to care for thousands of veterans, and the
hurdles that remain are not insurmountable,” said the VFW national commander,
whose organization remains committed to the successful implementation of the
program.
The survey report’s findings
and 13 recommendations are now available online on the VFW website here.