Trump Signs MISSION Act Reforming VA Health Care

One thing all veterans should be aware of is the Missions Act Health Care reform passed in May 2018. The major veteran’s health care reform law was historic for a number of reasons: It was passed by both houses in a week’s time, and “it represented a major shift in how the VA delivers care - a system virtually untouched by major transformation in more than 25 years.”

(From article) “After more than two years of continuous negotiation and the unrelenting pursuit to fix the VA's Choice program and reform the veterans' health system, veterans scored a victory when the long-awaited VA MISSION Act finally was signed by President Donald Trump...Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, said, ‘President Trump called on Congress to pass this bill before Memorial Day, and we answered that call. The president promised to “not rest until all America's great veterans can receive the care they so richly deserve,” and I'm honored we were able to help fulfill this promise.’”

“Some of the major provisions in the act include:

—expanding the VA's comprehensive caregiver support program to pre-9/11 veterans, providing eligible caregivers additional support services and a monthly stipend;

—eliminating the broken Choice program and establishes one community care program called the Veterans Community Care Program;

—allowing veterans and their doctors to choose the best option on where to get health care whether in the VA or from one of the providers in the VA's community care network;

—streamlining eligibility standards so veterans have greater choice, doing away with the former distance and wait-time restrictions;

—investing in the VA's workforce to attract and retain high-quality health care providers;
—expanding access to telehealth care closer to home;

—establishing mobile deployment teams to help provide additional care to the VA facilities with the highest need;

—recruiting medical scribes to help physicians focus on serving veterans, rather than spending time on paperwork;

—establishing a walk-in care benefit in the community for veterans in need of non-emergency care;

—establishing a commission to review and recommend realigning of resources to strengthen and modernize the VA medical infrastructure to address the needs of the changing veteran population.”