The VA-community agreements under Veterans Choice are cumbersome and inefficient because of the way the law is written. Congress must fix the problem. Rather than immediately scheduling appointments with community providers, the Veterans Choice contract requires that VA first refer to HealthNet. Once HealthNet has accepted the referral, the company has seven business days in which to determine whether it can get the veteran an appointment within 30 days. (For urgent referrals the time limit is two business days for scheduling.) If HealthNet can’t meet the deadline, the referral goes back to VA where staff is then allowed to contact the community provider under contract with the closest, fastest availability to serve the veteran.

That back-and-forth referral wastes time for veterans and the VA.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, vice chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has proposed reform of Veterans Choice so that money follows the veteran, rather than the program. The committee approved those changes in a bill sponsored by the Republican committee chair and supported by members of both parties. The bill didn’t make it to the full Senate before the six-week vacation.