VA Proposal Would End Telemedicine Copays
Medical care options in the Department of Veterans Affairs system include telehealth. According to the VA official site, “Telehealth connects you with your VA care teams and specialists, no matter the distance” and provides services including:
- Real-time, interactive video visits
- In-home and mobile health remote monitoring
- Devices that gather and store health data
Telemedicine is a growing part of the VA healthcare system and steps are being taken to make the option a bigger part of the options VA enrollees have. It can be particularly important in rural communities far from the nearest VA clinic.
Eliminating Copays For VA Telemedicine
As part of an ongoing healthcare expansion project, the VA has proposed eliminating copayments for all VA telehealth services and expanding access to care in rural areas via telehealth technology.
According to the VA official site, the announcement includes a discussion of a grant program to fund VA telehealth “in non-VA facilities, with a focus on rural and medically underserved communities,” according to VA.gov.
The changes are expected to lower costs and expand care.
How The Proposed Funded VA Telehealth Program Would Work
The VA’s proposed grant program, Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations (ATLAS), funds organizations and private businesses “to offer Veterans comfortable, private spaces equipped with high-speed internet access and the technology to meet with VA providers remotely.”
The VA press release notes these grants include training funds and support program staffing.
VA Challenges
The VA press release announcing these proposed changes also mentions those changes are part of an ongoing push to widen access to VA health care “at a time when VA care is outperforming non-VA care” and offering more appointments.
VA leadership is on the record saying the elimination of copays is an important milestone in the VA drive to expand its services.
“Waiving copays for telehealth services and launching this grant program are both major steps forward in ensuring Veterans can access health care where and when they need it,” according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, who is quoted in the VA press release.
He adds, “VA is the best and most affordable care in America for Veterans — with these steps, we can make it easier for Veterans to access their earned VA health care.”
What’s Next?
The Department of Veterans Affairs has published its proposed rule in the Federal Register and there is a period of public comment before it can become a Final Rule. You can find this proposal on the VA Federal Register page. The proposal does not go into effect until it has become a Final Rule. This is an ongoing story.
About the author
Editor-in-Chief Joe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter/editor for Air Force Television News and the Pentagon Channel. His freelance work includes contract work for Motorola, VALoans.com, and Credit Karma. He is co-founder of Dim Art House in Springfield, Illinois, and spends his non-writing time as an abstract painter, independent publisher, and occasional filmmaker.
