Making Community Care Easier

Are You Aware of These Changes?

Some recent developments have occurred within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs of which you should be aware, especially if you have not been using the VA outpatient care service known as the Community Care Network.

Elimination of Secondary Approvals for Outside Care:  On 19 May, the VA announced changes that will make it easier for VA-enrolled veterans to access health care, when in their best interest, from non-VA providers at the department’s expense, a program begun with the MISSION Act of 2019.  Previously, these decisions made jointly by the veteran and his/her referring clinician were not considered final until reviewed by other hospital staff, supposedly a second VA doctor.  But no longer!  The VA has implemented the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.  It removed this extra review step. It is expected that the change will give eligible veterans faster access to community care.

Longer Authorization Periods:  On the heels of its announcement that there would be no second guessing of referring clinicians when they refer a patient to the outside for treatment, the VA announced on 4 August that it would be extending the length of new VA community care authorizations to one year for thirty standardized types of care currently before the need to seek re-authorization, if needed.  The types of care affected are:

A Simplified Travel Claims Option (?):  On 11 August, the VA announced that eligible veterans (those with a service-connected rating of 30% or higher and traveling from their home to a medical appointment the VA has authorized) can now submit and track “mileage-only” travel claims directly from a smartphone or mobile device via the VA Health and Benefits mobile app. The app identifies when a veteran’s appointment may be eligible for mileage reimbursement and displays a prompt on the home screen.

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As of 20 August 2025