San Diego Veterans Frustrated By VA Choice Program
The program is touted by some as the solution to long waits for veterans, but the people who are using the system aren't satisfied.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Rocky Start For VA’s Choice Program
In response to scandals about long wait times faced by veterans across the country, the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act dictated that vets who would wait over 30 days for an appointment, or lived 40 miles or more away from the provider, could get care from private doctors instead. But data shows low usage of the program — just 27 percent of the largest pool of vets referred outside the San Diego VA have completed those appointments. ... [Veterans] describe a nightmarish amount of red tape when trying to make appointments. (Steele, 7/29)
In other veterans' health care news —
The Associated Press:
Obama Pointing To Strides In Veterans’ Health Care
President Barack Obama is touting strides in reducing homelessness among military veterans as his administration reaches the halfway point in building a massive database on veterans’ health. Overall veteran homelessness has been cut nearly in half, by 47 percent, although that’s still short of Obama’s long-held goal of getting it to zero by 2015. Credit also goes to first lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden’s wife, Jill, for using their initiative on military families to challenge mayors and county officials nationwide to end veterans’ homelessness, the White House says. (Superville, 8/1)