VA revises Veterans Choice contract to speed payment to providers

The Department of Veterans Affairs will no longer require community providers in the Veterans Choice Program to submit a copy of a veteran’s medical record before paying for care, the agency announced today. VA said it has modified the Choice Program contract to facilitate the change. “This administrative step just makes sense,” said VA Under Secretary for Health David Shulkin, M.D. “It ensures veteran access, timely payments and strengthens our partnerships with our Choice providers. We know that providing veterans access to high-quality, timely health care would be impossible without collaboration with our community providers.” VA said it also expects its plan to consolidate community care programs and move to a more automated payment process to further improve timely payment. For more on the Veterans Choice Program, visit www.va.gov/opa/choiceact.