Part of the Mission Act just took effect in early June. The VA will now pay for veterans to see a non-VA doctor if they have to wait more than 20 days for an appointment. The new rules also make it easier for veterans to see a specialist of their choice. There’s another big change as well. The VA will now pay for visits to non-VA urgent care clinics without prior approval. That should help cut down on unnecessary trips to emergency rooms. Lake Urgent Care helped lobby for the change.