Washington, D.C. – Alaska Congressman Don Young today wrote the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert McDonald, to request clarification and answers to solve the crisis currently facing the Alaska VA Healthcare system.
“The Alaska VA Healthcare System is facing serious issues as a result of the poor implementation of the Veteran’s Access Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 and a shortage of funding in the VA’s purchase care accounts,” Congressman Don Young wrote. “Both Governor Bill Walker and Senator Lisa Murkowski have described in great length the issues Alaskan veterans currently face, and I too share their concerns. My staff and I are committed to working with members of the VA, the Congressional Veteran Affairs Committees and my colleagues in the Alaska Delegation to find solutions to these problems.”
Alaska veterans currently face extreme wait times and confusion due to issues surrounding the implementation of the Veterans Choice and Accountability Act of 2014. As a result of inadequate budgetary funding for the VA referral program and new “Hierarchy of Care” guidelines, all non-emergency or non-urgent care cases (for non-native Alaska veterans) must be completed at a VA Medical Center, through a provider participating in the Choice Program, or postponed until the new fiscal year begins in October.
With more than 77,000 Alaska veterans, many of whom reside in rural or remote regions of the state, the issues facing the Alaska VA Healthcare System cannot be understated. To help find solutions to this crisis, Congressman Young has requested answers to nearly a dozen questions from the Department of Veterans Affairs:
- What is the VA doing to ensure all Alaska veterans are able to receive the medical care and other services their need?
- What is the VA’s plan to ensure this kind of situation does not arise in the future fiscal years?
- What is required for the VA to fix this problem?
- What steps are being taken by the VA to ensure a sufficient number of Alaskan health care providers register to provide health care via the VA Choice Program?
- What obstacles does the VA face in recruiting Alaskan health care providers to register for the VA Choice Program?
- What efforts are the VA undertaking to ensure VA Choice Program-eligible veterans in Alaska understand exactly how to use the program?
- What is required to ensure the VA Choice Program is successful in Alaska?
- Why is the VA Purchased Care account empty in June 2015, with four months remaining the Fiscal Year 2015?
- Based on the amount of purchased care funds used in FY15, how much will the VA need for the entirety of FY16?
- Would the VA support using VA Choice funds to fund other purchased care accounts?
To view Congressman Young’s letter to the Secretary of the VA, please click here.
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