Rollout of VA's revamped care program nears for Arkansans; private doctors to face changes

FILE — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie (right) views the wall of honor at John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital with Dr. Margie Scott, medical center director in this May 21, 2019 file photo.
FILE — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie (right) views the wall of honor at John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital with Dr. Margie Scott, medical center director in this May 21, 2019 file photo.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie expects the agency's overhaul of the program that lets veterans seek medical care from non-VA doctors to debut next week, but he doesn't think veterans in Arkansas will notice major changes.

Wilkie told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in an interview Tuesday that the department will implement the revamped program -- created by Congress through the passage of the VA MISSION Act last year -- on June 6. The most substantial changes, he said, will be for private doctors, who should find it much easier to receive reimbursements for providing medical care to eligible veterans.

He also reaffirmed his position that the VA should extend coverage for ailments stemming from Agent Orange exposure to so-called Blue Water Navy Veterans, or veterans who served in Vietnam's territorial waters during the Vietnam War.

Wilkie visited both veterans hospitals in central Arkansas on Tuesday. He was in the state to speak at the Law Enforcement Training Academy's graduation ceremony.

The VA MISSION Act -- the acronym stands for Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks -- is a renewed effort to allow veterans that may live far from a VA hospital or struggle to get a timely appointment to receive treatment from a private doctor that's approved by the VA.

Wilkie said he's sure there will be hiccups, but that he expects a smooth transition on June 6.

"It shouldn't be different [for veterans] at all," he said. "All we're saying is if we don't have something you need, you will come to us and we will pull up a computer program that will list the services you need and can get in the private sector. Then, we'll point you in that direction."

Wilkie is the 10th VA secretary, and he was confirmed by the Senate in July. Since being sworn in, Wilkie's primary focus has been on the implementation of the VA MISSION Act.

In addition to increasing access to private health care providers, the bill also expands access to stipends for veterans' caregivers, who are often spouses. The bill also calls for an evaluation of VA infrastructure and includes a provision aimed at helping the department retain quality doctors and nurses.

Still, the community care component has been the most widely discussed aspect of the law. Wilkie said the new program consolidates a handful of programs -- including Veterans Choice -- that had allowed veterans to receive medical care from private doctors.

Those programs were filled with problems, and providers often struggled to receive payment for the care they provided to VA beneficiaries.

Wilkie said the VA will reveal on June 6 the third-party payment-processing companies, which he said private providers will find are reputable and reliable.

The community care program has been criticized, and some fear that it's the first step toward a completely privatized veterans health care system.

Gerald Corrigan, the Arkansas council president of Vietnam Veterans of America, said he hopes that isn't the case. He said he's always concerned about VA privatization.

"It comes down to money," Corrigan said. "There would be a lot of people ready to make a lot of money off it. I just hope that the care for the veterans doesn't get lost."

Wilkie has consistently tried to ease those concerns.

"The MISSION Act is not Libertarian VA," Wilkie said. "It is not VA giving you a card with 'Veteran' stamped on it and saying, 'Go out in the private sector and prosper.' If we can't provide an appointment or service in a certain number of days, we give you the option to go to the private sector. It's up to you to exercise that option."

He noted that more veterans are "voting with their feet," opting to visit VA facilities instead of private ones.

Wilkie also said the VA has been preparing to comply with the federal court ruling that directed the department to provide Agent Orange-related benefits to sailors who were deployed to Vietnam's coastal waters.

Veterans groups have long argued that blue-water veterans deserved the same presumptive benefits as soldiers who served on land during the Vietnam War, and the federal court agreed with them in a ruling earlier this year.

Despite Wilkie's recommendation that the lower-court ruling not be appealed, the U.S. Department of Justice asked the U.S. Supreme Court for a 30-day extension in late April to decide whether to appeal.

"I think it's the right thing to do," Wilkie said of extending the benefits to blue-water veterans suffering from diseases related to herbicide exposure.

The U.S. House of Representatives also passed a bill last week that would extend presumptive coverage for Agent Orange exposure to blue-water veterans. The legislation must now pass the Senate, which killed a similar bill late last year.

U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., is an original co-sponsor of the Senate version of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. Boozman has also introduced similar legislation to extend the same benefits to those who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Agent Orange was also used to kill vegetation in Thailand.

"I have long championed expanding benefits for Blue Water Navy veterans," Boozman said in a statement. "We made a promise to the men and women who serve our nation that in return for their service, we would take care of them. Extending benefits to veterans who served off the shores of Vietnam helps fulfill this pledge. Secretary Wilkie's recommendation not to contest the federal court ruling to award disability benefits to Blue Water Navy Veterans is a promising step to helping those veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals during their service."

Wilkie on Tuesday also complimented VA and officials in Arkansas. He noted that his father's family was from Union County, and he still has family in the state.

Wilkie said that both John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock and Eugene J. Towbin Healthcare Center in North Little Rock have exceptional ratings and have been leaders in suicide prevention and opioid use reduction.

"It's always nice being here because you don't have to explain military service to anybody," Wilkie said. "People are respectful, and there's incredible community support."

Metro on 05/22/2019

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