PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Key provisions in the VA Mission Act go into effect today, meaning veterans will have expanded access to medical care outside of Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.
One change is that the VA will now pay for veterans to see non-VA doctors if they have to drive more than 30 minutes to a VA facility or wait longer than 20 days to be checked.
President Trump signed the act into law exactly a year ago, but the major benefits weren’t implemented until today.
Congressman Fred Upton held a press conference at the VFW Post 1527 off of East Kilgore Road in Portage to further discuss the VA Mission Act.
He said, “The launch of the VA Mission Act today represents a new chapter for veterans here in southwest Michigan and across the country. It’s a bipartisan effort to ensure that our veterans have access to the high-quality care they earned after wearing the uniform of the United States. Thanks to the new VCCP, veterans will now have the option of getting care when and where they need it, which is especially important in our large district where a number of veterans live outside of a 30-minute drive from a VA medical facility. This is a big deal.”
However, not all parties are pleased with the new Veterans Affairs legislation.
The Battle Creek VA Medical Center Workers’ Union will be holding a rally this afternoon to negotiate for a better VA contract.
The American Federation of Government Employees claims that the new contract proposes removing whistleblowing protections and other worker rights, which they say is unfair treatment.
In a statement AFGE Local1629 President, Kenny Cheek said:
“The VA has proposed to strip employees of our most basic worker’s rights. Without any workplace rights these dedicated civil servants are exposed to arbitrary and discriminatory treatment by their managers. No one should have to work like that, especially the caretakers of our nations heroes.”
The rally will take place on the Corner of West Dickman Road and North 48th Street in Battle Creek at 4:30 p.m.
—
To be able to receive care from a non-VA provider, at least one of the following criteria must be met:
- Veteran is eligible under new access standards
- Veteran needs a service that is not available at a VA medical facility
- Veteran resides in a State without a full-service VA medical facility
- Veteran lives 40 miles from a primary care physician in the VA system who were able to access private care under the Choice Program. Those veterans remain eligible for private care under the VCCP.
- Veteran may be referred to a community provider when veteran and referring clinician agree that it is in their best medical interest to see a community provider
- Veteran is receiving care at a VA facility that falls below certain standards
