Trump Signs Bill to Extend Veterans Choice Program

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azmastablasta

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Now see there, it wasn't that difficult. I'm glad the 8 year common-sense drought has finally ended.

Trump Signs Bill to Extend Veterans Choice Program
Military.com | 19 Apr 2017 | by Richard Sisk
President Donald Trump extended the Veterans Choice Act on Wednesday to set the stage for a push in Congress to expand the program and allow more access to private care for veterans.

Flanked by veterans at an Oval Office ceremony, the president signed the bill to extend the Choice program, which was to expire on Aug. 7, and allow the expenditure of the remaining $950 million in the program.

The Choice Card program allowed vets facing lengthy wait times at Veterans Administration facilities or living more than 40 miles from the nearest VA to seek care in the private sector. Those already in the program will not need to re-apply under the bill signed by Trump, VA officials said.

The new bill -- the Veterans Choice Improvement Act -- addressed a major complaint of veterans service organizations by directing the VA to cover co-pays and deductibles directly for private care rather than reimbursing veterans for paying up front.

Trump used the signing ceremony to renew many of the pledges he made on the campaign trail to reform the VA.

"I've been telling all of our friends at speeches and rallies for two years about the VA, how we're going to turn it around, and we're doing that," the president said.

"So this is called the Choice Program Improvement Act. It speaks for itself," he added. "This bill will extend and improve the Veterans Choice Program so that more veterans can see the doctor of their choice -- you got it? The doctor of their choice -- and you don't have to wait and travel long distances for VA care."

VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin, the only holdover in the Obama administration in the Trump Cabinet and the only cabinet member to win unanimous confirmation in the Senate, said at the signing ceremony that the Choice extension was a precursor of "the great things that are to come to fulfill the president's commitments that he made to veterans."

Shulkin has said that he will present to Congress this fall proposals to overhaul the Choice program to give veterans more options for private care and better integrate the VA with the private sector.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2017/04/19/trump-signs-bill-extend-veterans-choice-program.html
 
Ok fine and good, I have used the choice program. It is not that easy, not just any Doctor will take it. There is a cost ceiling and some will not do it. My friend is an MD and in general practice and we talked about it. For example it costs him $200 to set a broken arm and cast it if surgery is not need, they will not pay him that. Same goes for tri-care and Champ VA that my wife has. They only pay $65 for that same broken arm. I had a colonoscopy in Feb. thru choice requested by the VA in Waco. Choice finds one in your area that will take choice. They set it up and I asked who is it, I did a search and found out they have a 2 star rating and I said no way. I called choice and asked if they screen them and check them out. Oh no we just pick the closest one that will do it. BS, choice here is the one I want in Fort Worth, come to find out they will not do it for the choice program. They called me and I said call Scott & White in Temple, they were glad to do it. And that is where I went. The best procedure I have had. So all you vets, you do have a choice who you use just do not take some run of the mill Doctor. I went 120 miles and they paid travel. Scott & White works very close with Temple VA. I had emergency surgery for a detached retina Sept. 2015. I went to the best in Colorado Springs and called the VA where I was and they cleared it right away. The system does work some times. You have to put out a little effort some times, it can be a pain in the rear but its your rear.
 
The other side of this is also trying to use the VA. Its a mess.

I have been trying for months to get in for a specific service, and once i did, my wife and i went to several appointments, trying to make the best of it. But, then pulled out and said no thanks based on the fact that an Intern at a hospital could do better.
Lack of quality people or barely qualified isn't right.

Then there is the choice option, where you call and they say you don't qualify because we have one appointment in 3 weeks at a time that doesn't work at all for you, then you won't qualify.

I have a good friend that i take out hunting. He has 1 leg and fell and broke his only foot. The VA did the surgery and messed it up.. Then they used the choice to send him to the MAYO, great docs and took 3 surgeries to fix what was wrong and over the course of a year make it right..

The Mayo has cut him off of the future follow ups needed and put him into collections. They were really sad about it, and apologized, but the choice program isn't paying up, and they weren't paying the agreed fee's. leaving a 100% disabled one legged man without a fixed foot, now bound to a wheel chair and lives in the sticks of williams az. so you can imagine how great a wheel chair works in the dirt area's. Complete mess.

The choice program sounds great, but the hoops are crazy and their payments are less than other government programs so doc's don't really want to take it.

That isn't choice, it isn't helpful, and the VA does their best to make sure you can't use it.
 
The Veterans Choice Program sucks period. Before the program a VA DR could send you to a local facility. With the Veterans Choice Program you have to wait twice as long to get an appointment and probably won't get to go to the facility of your choice.
They also have a tendency to notify you of a scheduled appointment after the appointment has passed. Had it happen twice. I would not have known about the appointment if the facility had not "reminded" me a day or two before the appointment.
Got the appointment notification and information in the mail from Veterans Choice Program two or three days after the appointment.
 
Lots of red tape to get through and the system is still broken. I used a large eye clinic in Pueblo Co. they told me the choice system is a mess, they would rather have the old system it was much easier dealing direct with Denver VA on getting clearance for vets. They have one person that deals with the VA and she told me she has 80+ vets in there system with eye care.
 
leave it to the Odummer group to have created a set of rules that makes the easy program the Congress passed, to make it worse than the VA.

The VA had to work really hard at making it worse. There is no way that is an accident.
 
Originally Posted By: Tbone-AZleave it to the Odummer group to have created a set of rules that makes the easy program the Congress passed, to make it worse than the VA.

The VA had to work really hard at making it worse. There is no way that is an accident.


You are right Tbone it is a mess that can be fixed but it will take time. We are now seeing things Odummer had a hand in doing to destroy us from with in. The Va was on its way to improvement until Odummer, then every thing went south. It will be a long time before the liberals realize what kind of person of evil he was.
 
Originally Posted By: semo97

You are right Tbone it is a mess that can be fixed but it will take time. We are now seeing things Odummer had a hand in doing to destroy us from with in. The Va was on its way to improvement until Odummer, then every thing went south. It will be a long time before the liberals realize what kind of person of evil he was.

I sure hope so.. But, they hadn't noticed that 1000 less dems in office. They still support him and Bernie and think Trump is stupid, evil, and crazy...

I doubt people with their head that far in the sand will ever admit they made "One Big Azz Mistake is Atleast over"

I just look at it like Reagon wouldn't have been thought of as so good if Carter wasn't so bad. Maybe Obama is Trumps Carter?
 
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