Public/Private Financing

Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (H.R. 3230; P. Law 113-146) was signed into law August 7, 2014. The law allows veterans to seek medical care from private healthcare providers through the use of a “Veterans Choice Card”. Veterans who were eligible for services as of August 1, 2014 or engaged in active service in a war zone on that date are eligible to receive outside care if they have been on a waiting list for 30 days or more; live more than 40 miles from a VA facility; would have to travel more than 20 miles by air, boat, or ferry to reach a facility; or reside in a state without a VA facility that provides hospital care, emergency services, or surgical services. Providers must be Medicare or DOD-participating and are reimbursed at Medicare rates, except in “highly rural” areas when they may be paid more.


Sponsor: Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY)

Fact Sheet on Strengthening Behavioral Health Services for Veterans (PDF, 269 KB)