The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is changing its guidelines on the distance patients may live from the nearest VA medical center before the federal government will pay for their care at a closer private facility, according to The Washington Post.
Veterans have had to live at least 40 miles in a straight line distance from the nearest VA clinic, according to the report. However, the VA announced it will change the calculation used to determine distance between a veteran's residence and the nearest VA medical facility from a straight line distance to driving distance.
The VA said the method of determining driving distance will be calculated by using a commercial product, such as Google Maps and Mapquest. The change is expected to roughly double the number of veterans eligible for the Veterans Choice Program, a new, temporary benefit that allows eligible veterans to get healthcare in their communities instead of waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility, according to a news release.
"VA has worked very quickly to implement the Veterans Choice Program and we appreciate the constructive feedback shared by Veterans and our partners to help us improve service to veterans," VA Secretary Robert McDonald said in the release. "We've determined that changing the distance calculation will help ensure more Veterans have access to care when and where they want it. VA looks forward to the ongoing support of our partners as we continue to make improvements to this new program."
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