On June 6, 2019, the MISSION\n(Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks)\nAct went into effect, providing service members with additional health care\noptions and increasing the number of veterans who may qualify for private care\nthrough the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MISSION Act, which was signed\ninto law one year ago, stipulates that the VA will pay for eligible veterans to\nreceive primary care and mental health services outside the VA system or\nnon-institutional extended care if the average time it takes to drive to a VA\nhealth care provider is 30 minutes or more, or if the veteran has to wait at\nleast 20 days to see a VA health care provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The VA will also pay for\nspecialty health care received from a non-VA facility, if the veteran cannot\nschedule an appointment with a VA health care provider that is within a 60\nminute driving radius or if the veteran has to wait at least 28 days to see a\nVA health care provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In addition, the MISSION Act\nstates that without prior authorization from the VA, eligible veterans will\nhave access to urgent care providers that are part of the VA\u2019s contracted\nnetwork of community providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Urgent Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In order for veterans to be able\nto take advantage of urgent care or other walk-in medical facility options, there\nare three (3) requirements to consider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1.) The veteran must be eligible\nfor the benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.) The urgent care provider is a\nmember of the VA\u2019s contracted network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.) Services such as preventive\ncare or dental screening are not covered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of a veteran going to\nan out-of-network urgent care provider, the veteran could be required to pay\nthe full cost of care, so veterans should check first before going\nout-of-network. If a copayment is required, they vary based upon the veteran\u2019s\nVA-assigned priority group, but the payment should not exceed $30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Community Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The MISSION Act also combines existing\ncommunity care programs into one single program. There are five (5) elements to\nconsider when seeking private or community care:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1.) For primary or mental health\ncare, veterans are eligible to seek community care if their drive is over 30\nminutes to a VA health care facility or there is a 20-day wait for a VA\nappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2.) For specialty care, veterans\nare eligible if their drive is over an hour or there is a 28-day wait for a VA\nappointment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3.) The provider must be a part\nof the VA\u2019s network of providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4.) There are no changes to how\nprescriptions are processed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5.) A VA provider and VA medical\nfacility staff member will assist in determining if a veteran is eligible under\nthe new criteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Delays to Caregiver Assistance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Program of Comprehensive\nAssistance for Family Caregivers, which provides a monthly payment to primary\ncaregivers, is being expanded by the MISSION Act to include friends or\nrelatives who provide assistance or care to veterans with everyday activities.\nPreviously, the program was limited to veterans injured on or after September\n11, 2001, but now the program extends to all veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Recently, the VA stated that it\nis still encountering ongoing issues to update its IT infrastructure to support\nthe expansion. The VA missed its first deadline in October 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Injured Veterans legal team\nat Gordon & Partners is here for military veterans and their families.\nPlease contact us immediately, if you are having difficulty with your claim or\nyou are not receiving the disability benefits to which you are entitled. Call\nus at 1-866-779-9990 or fill out the form on this website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Read the full story here: https:\/\/www.sandiegouniontribune.com\/caregiver\/news-for-caregivers\/story\/2019-06-10\/veterans-now-eligible-for-more-private-health-care-options<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On June 6, 2019, the MISSION (Maintaining Internal Systems and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[29,24,25,27],"class_list":["post-7197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-veteran-news","tag-veterans-affairs","tag-veterans-benefits","tag-veterans-disability","tag-veterans-legal"],"yoast_head":"\n